Chapter 40: Coup de grâce.
"Yes, it does." The lady on the other line of the phone tells me and I nod.
"Wow, thank you. This is life-changing." I tell her, excitement clear in my voice.
"We at Sicilian Arts can't wait to have you." She says.
"I can't wait to be there." I tell her before we end the call.
I plop on my bed as I stare at the ceiling. Laying on my side, I stare at the unpacked boxes in my room. I'm packing up for college, I leave in a week.
Well, actually it's not "college".
I'm going to an art school in Venice.
I applied last minute and surprisingly got in. So, I'm packing my shit up and getting as far away from Los Angeles as I can. I've had enough of bad experiences in this dark city. It's time for me to do what I love and be happy.
"Jasmine." I hear my mother call out.
Me and her haven't really talked f each other. After that dinner, I traveled to New Jersey and I just got back yesterday. But, I sincerely don't want to have a conversation with that bitch.
I wrap my duvet around my body and pretend to be asleep. I hear her come into my room.
"I could have sworn I heard her talking." I hear her say and I keep my eyes closed.
Eventually, she leaves my room, closing the door behind her. I open my eyes and grab my phone. The alarm I set up for my meeting with Richard rings and I check my messages.
He's outside.
I put on my slides and walk out of my room. Heading for the door, I hear my mother call my name, but I ignore her. I leave the apartment and spot Richard's car parked across the street.
"Glad you came." He tells me and I nod.
"Just get on with it." I say, impatient.
I told Richard that I wanted to run a DNA test to see if my mother was lying at that dinner. He's here with the results and I don't know what to expect.
He hands me a white envelope and I open it. There's a paper inside and I unfold it before reading what's written on it.
"I know you were expecting a different outcome." Richard says beside me.
"So, she was telling the truth." I say, disappointed.
"I know this isn't the traditional father-daughter relationship, but I'm willing to make it work if you are." He offers and I chuckle.
"You can't be serious right now." I say in disbelief.
"Jasmine, we have to face the truth. I'm your father." He tells me.
"Stop saying that." I warn him.
"It's the truth." He quips.
"No. The truth is that you and my mother...did a very bad thing." I say, my voice breaking as I cry.
"And I'm trying to remedy the situation." He says, staring at me.
"For this situation, there is no remedy. You never existed and you never met me. There's no moving forward with me. We can't go from being in a relationship to you acting like my father." I tell him.
"But I am your father." He roars, his deep voice filling the car.
"Goodbye, Richard." I tell him before I get out of his car. He doesn't follow me instead he drives away.
Walking back to the apartment, I cross the street and I see Miles standing by the door of my apartment building.
"Jasmine." He says as soon as he spots me walking in his direction.
"Um...hi." I say, my stuffy nose making my tone nasally.
"You don't look so good." He tells me and I shrug.
"I just have a cold. All the boxes in my room have literally made my nose stuffy." I lie.
"Well, it's a good thing you're going away." He says and I raise an eyebrow at him in confusion.
"What do you mean by that?" I ask him.
"Trevor is pressing charges against you, Jaz. He had video evidence of you driving in and out of his property around the same time he claims that he was attacked and had his genitals cut off." Miles says and I gasp.
"He had his genitals cut off?" I ask, pretending to be shocked.
"I know it was you, J." He tells me and I smile at him.
"Worth a shot." I say, shrugging.
"I just wanted to give you a heads up. They could be on your tail soon." He tells me.
"Thanks." I tell him.
"So..." He says, trailing off.
I lean close to him and I kiss him. This obviously catches him off guard as he stiffens. He relaxes and kisses me back. Pulling away after the kiss, I let out a shaky breath and stare at him.
"Goodbye, Miles." I tell him before I walk into my apartment building.
***
"As if." I say, laughing.
"Yes. You'd be the first to run when the aliens come." Christopher tells me tossing a pillow at me.
I'm currently at his apartment. I had to spend some time with him before I head to Italy tomorrow. This might be the last time I'm ever in this country, so I have to tie all loose ends.
"So, you're going off to become a Van Gogh." He tells me and I stare at him.
"I'm not Van Gogh." I retort. "I just want to give this painting thing a shot.
"You'd be dumb not to." He says, moving my hair out of my face.
"It's time I take a chance on myself. And you can always come visit." I tell him.
"I'd like that." He says, wetting his bottom lip with his tongue.
"Promise me, you'll take care of Barbie." I tell him.
"I promise." He replies.
"Mean it, Chris." I quip.
"I do." He tells me. "Scouts honor." He adds.
I throw my body at him and envelope him in a tight hug. His scent fills my nostrils immediately and I start to cry.
"Are you okay back there?" He asks me and I nod before I pull away.
"I'm just gonna miss you, that's all." I tell him, wiping my eyes with the back of my palm.
"I'm a telephone call and flight away." He reminds me.
"I know that." I say, sniffling.
"Then stop crying." He chuckles. He stares at the clock behind me and picks up his keys.
"We've gotta get you back home. Your mother will be worried." He tells me and I roll my eyes.
"You know sooner rather than later, you're gonna have to talk to her." He tells me.
"I pick later." I reply.
"You can't hate her forever, Jaz." He tells me and I suck my teeth.
"Yes, I can. Now, get me home." I say, standing up from his comfortable pink sofa.
We get to my house in twenty minutes and I say goodbye to Christopher. Entering my apartment, I turn on the light in the hallway. I place my coat on the hanger and head for the kitchen.
Grabbing bottled water out of the freezer, I turn around and see my mother.
"Jesus Christ, Mom. You scared the shit out of me." I say, startled.
"You're back." She says in a low tone. Her voice is croaky, it seems she's been crying.
"Obviously." I say, rudely.
"You don't have to give me that nasty attitude, I'm still your mom, Jasmine." She tells me and I laugh.
"That doesn't excuse the unforgivable thing that you have done." I tell her.
"You're one to talk. You were a stripper and sugar baby. If you had just been a normal teenage girl, none of this would have happened." She tells me.
"If only you were comfortable with the mundane life I gave you and didn't go out in search of more, then maybe you wouldn't have met Richard." She continues and I stare at her stunned.
"Me? You wanna blame me, Mom?" I ask her, walking towards her. She is standing on the other side of the island.
"You're the one who cheated on your boyfriend because you wanted more. You wanted to eat your cake and have it. So bad, that when you found out you were pregnant for another man, you lied and carried on anyway." I yell at her.
"Don't preach to me about wanting more, when you're the prime example of what greed looks like." I tell her and I see tears well up in her eyes.
"You deserve to cry, Mom." I say, trying to prevent my own tears from spilling.
"I messed up and I know that. But you can't hold that over my head forever." She tells me.
"Yes, I can." I reply.
"You're leaving Los Angeles tomorrow and you didn't even tell me. I had to find out from your dad." She tells me.
"Which one?" I ask her.
"Don't be like that. We've all made mistakes and now we have to figure out a way to move forward." She tells me.
"You can do that shit on your own. Because I sure as hell won't be here to do that with you. The house is paid for by Richard so you can live here as long as you want. Don't try to contact me. Ever. From this moment on, I am an orphan. I have no parents." I tell her before I walk out of the kitchen.
Storming into my room, I stalk towards my bed and I sit on the edge crying into my palms.
I hate how tragic life can get in a matter of days. But most importantly, I hate the after effect said tragedy, leaves in its wake.
A simple lie told eighteen years ago. Has ruined four lives. Richard's, my mum's, my "dad's" and even worse, mine.
I would have never dreamed that this nightmare in the flesh would be called my life, but I guess I'll have to see where this hellish road leads.
Come tomorrow morning, I will be rolling my suitcase down baggage claim and saying goodbye to a life I wouldn't wish anyone to live.