Copyright 2013 © Rosesareforever
Delicate Hearts
Chapter 18
'Crossing the invisible Line'
The next day Jasmine was still trying to process what happened the day before. She never expected to get that much information out of Lucas, not even in her wildest dreams. He hadn’t just surprised her, he completely blew her away with his confession. She’d always known something was eating away at him, but she never suspected the gravity of the situation.
He’d kept his promise and slept in her bed all night, holding her tightly in his arms. In the morning, he’d been awake before her and left the bed to take a shower. When she opened her eyes, he’d been sitting at her desk, his hair tousled and still slightly wet. It was quite the sight.
Jasmine sighed, remembering Lucas’ lopsided smile when their eyes met. Damn. She had to stop thinking about him. She didn’t need a distraction in her life. The sudden noise of a phone ringing startled her. Back from her daydream, Jasmine realized it was her own cell phone.
Looking at the caller ID, she noticed it was a blocked number. “Jasmine speaking,” she said as she answered the phone, sitting down on the bed. It was deadly quiet on the other side of the line. “Hello?” she asked, alert. No one answered, instead she heard a panting sound before the line went dead. Her eyes wide, Jasmine threw the phone down.
What the hell? Was someone stalking her? First that weird text, a few days later a package with a threatening note and now a phone call? She couldn’t believe it. Who would want to scare her? As far as Jasmine knew, she didn’t have any enemies. It was seriously starting to freak her out.
Maybe she should tell someone. Lucas would without doubt make it his mission to find the person behind the creepy messages. Then again, what if it was just some stupid prank? She didn’t want to worry him needlessly. Lucas would take the messages seriously and seek revenge. He didn’t let anyone mess with him or his friends.
Inhaling deeply, Jasmine picked up her phone where she threw it and put it back on her desk. Next time someone approached her, she was going to tell Lucas. For now it would just have to stay a secret.
***
Walking out of her room that night, Jasmine was surprised to see the light in Lucas’ room was still on. Usually he was out by then, hunting bars in search of his next conquest. Thinking about it, Jasmine realized it had been a while since Lucas brought anyone home with him. The first week of her stay he couldn’t seem to get enough of the women he hung out with, always flirting and looking for someone to share his bed.
Frowning, she knocked on his door, before pushing it open, revealing a shirtless Lucas on top of his covers. A soft blush covered her cheeks as she eyed his impeccable abs, the happy trail that ended at the edge of his boxer briefs and the unmistakable bulge underneath the fabric. Her mouth went instantly dry.
When her eyes finally focused on his face, Jasmine noticed he was smirking at her, a knowing glint in his eyes. Damn it. She got caught ogling him. “Hey,” she said softly, inwardly cursing when she heard how hoarse her voice sounded.
“Good evening, princess,” Lucas grinned, patting the spot beside him on the bed. Cautiously, Jasmine stepped closer, her eyes wide and her body on high alert. As she sat down, Lucas scooted a little closer until there were only a few inches of space left between their bodies.
Jasmine held her breath, her muscles tense as she watched him. When she realized he’d stopped moving, she released a sigh and ordered herself to relax. Lucas was still looking at her with that knowing glint, obviously able to read her mind. “Why didn’t you go out tonight? It’s been a while since you brought a barfly home,” Jasmine asked curiously, not realizing how envious she sounded when she mentioned the girls Lucas usually hung out with.
As a result, Lucas smirk turned into a kilowatt smile. “Did I detect jealousy right there?” he wondered with a raised eyebrow.
Jasmine rolled her eyes in order to look unaffected. “You wish, Wood,” she replied, with feigned cockiness. Jasmine knew how her question sounded. More importantly, she knew she was in fact jealous of the many girls Lucas had brought to his bed. No, she wasn’t ready to admit her true feelings, but she would be a fool to deny how insanely hot Lucas looked.
“Damn princess, you actually are jealous of them,” Lucas chuckled, sounding surprised. “Babe, you’ve got to know you’re ten times more beautiful than any of them,” he grinned, taking her aback. It was no secret Lucas was bluntly honest, still Jasmine hadn’t expected a compliment like that to fall from his lips.
“You’re avoiding the subject,” Jasmine stated, doing her absolute best to hide how much Lucas’ words affected her. She wasn’t going to fall prey to his good looks. They might have shared a few stolen kissed here and there, but Lucas was still a player. The fact that he still pursued other girls proved that, right?
“Princess, you know damn well why I haven’t brought anyone home,” Lucas replied, shaking his head. Jasmine looked at him in confusion.
“No, actually I have no idea,” she replied, still frowning. Lucas smile started to fade as his eyes widened.
“Don’t tell me you’re that naïve,” he mumbled, hitting a nerve with Jasmine. Her eyes turned to slits as fury rose inside of her. “Princess, really?” Lucas asked, his features covered in disbelief.
“What, Lucas?” Jasmine retorted, her voice laced with anger. He was making her feel like an idiot.
At her ireful tone Lucas burst into laughter, only fueling Jasmine’s fury. Before she could stand up and run, Lucas pulled her into his arms, his body still shaking as he panted for air. “Princess, you’re too much,” he murmured, sighing loudly. “I lost interest in any creature of the female species the moment I took your mouth and claimed you. You were right. I don’t defend girls, kiss them without expecting any sexual gratitude or cuddle with them at night.”
“What does that even mean?” Jasmine questioned with a raised eyebrow, her mouth slightly agape, utterly perplexed.
“It means you’re mine,” he told her simply, tangling his finger in her hair and pulling her face close to his. Their breaths mingled, their faces only inches away from each other.
Jasmine gasped, her eyes wide. “I’m yours?” she repeated, completely dumbfounded. She could swear she felt her heart skip a beat.
“Yes, you’re mine. And princess? I don’t share,” he warned before his lips crashed down on hers, effectively shutting her up and ending her train of thought. Jasmine immediately responded to his kiss with equal desperation and passion, clawing at his back, her nails digging into his skin. A low moan escaped her lips as her hands moved to trail up and down Lucas’ back, feeling the solidness of his muscles.
Lucas let out a soft groan before pushing her flat on her back, her body hitting the mattress with a thud. Without giving her time to react, his lips were back on hers, his body hovering over her as he nibbled at her bottom lip. His tongue slid along the seam of her lips before she granted him access to her mouth.
Moaning, Jasmine started to rub herself against him, her left hand tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. Pure bliss was all she could feel.
***
Needing a friend around, Jasmine called Lucy the following day and invited her over to watch a movie together. She’d love to talk about what happened between Lucas and her the day before, but she didn’t want to bother Lucy. The girl was still heartbroken. She didn’t need to hear how happy Jasmine felt with the progress Lucas and she made.
She still couldn’t believe last night actually happened. They’d gotten so close to actually having sex. Surprisingly, for the first time in her life, Jasmine actually wanted to give up her v-card. Before she’d always held back when guys tried to get in her pants. Last night the opposite happened. If Lucas hadn’t shown as much control as he had, she would no longer be a virgin.
“Jaz, where do you keep all your good movies? These are action flicks and scary movies,” Lucy said as she rumbled through Jasmine’s stack of DVD’s.
Rolling her eyes, Jasmine stood up and walked over to her friend. “Luce, I’m not really the kind of girl that enjoys watching romcoms.”
“Please, don’t tell me you actually like these movies?” Lucy asked wide-eyed as she held up a bunch of action movies.
“Actually I do. No judgment, Luce. We’ll download a movie for you,” Jasmine sighed, not looking forward to having to watch a romantic film. No offence, but not every woman liked to watch those silly movies. Jasmine liked her action and angst just fine.
“Download The Notebook, Safe Haven, Dear John, The Lucky One…Oh, and A Walk to Remember,” Lucy commented as she put the movies back on their shelf.
“A Nicholas Sparks fan, I take it?” Jasmine grinned, shaking her head. Lucy was so predictable.
“Yes, as a matter of fact I am. You’ve got a problem with that?” Lucy asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No problem, Missy,” Jasmine said, holding up her hands as a peace offering.
The sudden knock on the door surprised Jasmine. Looking slightly confused, she stood up and walked to the doorway. Lucas told her he would be out with his friends tonight and Jasmine didn’t think Gabriella would need her. Pushing down the handle, Jasmine watched as Nathan came into view.
She sighed rather loudly, clearly annoyed. He was the last person either Lucy or she wanted to see. Nathan hadn’t just screwed up, he fucked them over. Jasmine didn’t deal with lying, cheating bastards. She’d warned Nathan upfront he’d have to watch his back if he ever broke Lucy’s heart.
“What do you want?” she asked in a snippy tone, not at all feeling like having a pleasant conversation. Nathan knew better than to try to talk with Lucy.
“Can I have a moment with Luce, please?” Nathan asked cautiously, looking nervous.
“No, you can’t. In fact, I want you to stay as far away from Lucy and me as you possibly can,” Jasmine replied, her eyes spitting fire.
“I promise it won’t take long. I just want to explain some things to her,” Nathan said, sounding desperate.
“This is your final warning, Wood, stay the hell away from my friend. She doesn’t want to see you. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever. You’re done.”
“Jasmine, please,” Nathan begged. “I know I screwed up. I fucking know, okay? I want her back. You don’t understand. I need her back. I love her. She means the world to me. I feel lost without her. Every day I wake up with a hollow feeling in the middle of my chest, yearning to have Luce in my arms. Every morning I realize just a little more what a fucking moron I’ve been and that I might have screwed up the only healthy relationship I’ve ever had. I need her, Jasmine, I need her as much as my next breath.”
“As lovely as that speech was, Nathan, it’s too late. You should’ve thought about that before you put your dick where it didn’t belong,” Jasmine retorted, shaking her head.
“Let me talk to her. I promise I’ll leave the both of you alone once I talk to her,” Nathan plighted.
Jasmine sighed. It was clear Nathan did truly regret what he did to Lucy. Sadly, no one could go back in time and have a do-over. Nathan would have to live with what he did for the rest of his life. As much as Jasmine wanted to forgive him, she couldn’t. Lucy was her best friend. She’d told Nathan in the beginning that she would choose Lucy if it ever came to a choice between them.
“It’s too late, Nathan. Leave Lucy alone. If you ever did love her, give her the chance to move on and start over. She deserves that at least.” Nathan’s face fell even father at her words.
“I don’t know if I can, Jaz. I love her so damn much. I don’t think I can let go of her,” Nathan uttered, sounding torn.
“If you truly love her and want what’s best for her, you will,” Jasmine stated, patting Nathan on the shoulder before stepping back and closing the door in his face.
As Jasmine turned around, she noticed Lucy was standing a few feet away from her, tears glistering in her eyes as she gazed at the closed door. “You heard,” Jasmine said. It wasn’t a question. She knew Lucy could hear every word spoken between Nathan and her.
Lucy nodded, a single tear sliding down her cheek and falling to the ground. “He was telling the truth,” she sobbed, trying to stay strong and hold back an endless stream of tears.
“He was,” Jasmine nodded.
“Why did she have to ruin us, Jaz? We were so happy. For the first time in my life I felt truly happy. Nathan did that. He made me feel like the most beautiful person in the world. He gave me the confidence I didn’t have and made me believe I could reach my goals. I love him. I love him so damn much it hurts. I want to hate him, god, I want to hate him so badly, but I can’t. No matter what he did, I still love him because he showed me how perfect my life could be.” Lucy’s shoulders started to shake as she fought back the sobs.
Jasmine watched as her friend slid down to her knees, losing the battle with her emotions and her hands covering her face as she bent over. Pain radiated through the room, filling the air with a thick layer of tension. “He loves me. I love him. Why can’t that be enough? Why couldn’t life and its temptations just leave us alone?” Lucy sobbed, her body shaking.
“I don’t know, Luce. I wish I could help you, but I don’t know how,” Jasmine sighed, kneeling down next to her friend and soothingly rubbing Lucy’s back.
“I’ll never be able to forget him. We were perfect together and now we’re not. We could’ve been happy,” Lucy said as tears continued to roll down her cheeks.
Jasmine listened as Lucy kept talking about how perfect Nathan and she were together, knowing the girl needed to vent and let it all out. After a few minutes Lucy stopped talking and just silently cried while Jasmine downloaded the girl’s favorite movies. The night was spent in both happy and sad tears as they watched film after film.
***
As Jasmine and Lucy arrived downstairs the next morning, Gabriella was already sitting on a stool at the breakfast bar reading the local paper. “Good morning, girls,” she smiled brightly, taking a sip from her cup of coffee.
“Good morning, Gabriella,” they both said in unison as they sat on adjoining stools. Jasmine poured a glass of orange juice as she watched the household’s cook flip a few chocolate chip pancakes, Jasmine’s favorite.
“I hope you slept well, Lucy,” Gabriella smiled, looking a tad sad as she watched the girl. Jasmine had informed her godmother of what happened between Nathan and Lucy a few days ago, needing to explain why Lucy didn’t stay over as often as she used to. It was safe to say Gabriella had been pretty disappointed. It was no secret she loved Lucy like a daughter and would’ve loved it if she had become her daughter-in-law in the future.
“I did,” Lucy smiled, ignoring the tension in the room.
Much to Jasmine’s surprise, Nathan didn’t show up for breakfast that morning. Maybe he’d finally taken her advice and was trying to give Lucy the space she needed. It would be a positive change. Lucy could use the quietness to process everything that happened.
“Before you leave for school, I wanted to have a few words with you, Jazzy,” Gabriella stated as the girls finished their meals and put their plates in the dishwasher.
Jasmine’s eyes widened for a nanosecond before she nodded. As far as she knew she wasn’t in trouble. “Next Friday, it’s the annual get together Frank and I have with a few of our closest friends,” Gabriella explained.
Nodding, Jasmine listened. “This year we decided to go to New York together.”
“That sounds lovely,” Jasmine replied with a smile.
“It is. It also means Lucas, Nathan and you will be spending that weekend home alone. I don’t want there to be any trouble when we’re gone. Frank and I decided we don’t mind if you hold a party for a few friends, but we don’t want the house to be wrecked. Can I safely assume you will keep things under control and make sure the house stays in one piece?” Gabriella gave her a stern look, trying to press home her point.
“Of course,” Jasmine quickly replied, thinking back to the last time they held a party at the house. Gabriella would go crazy if she ever found out about the many parties the brothers held throughout the year.
“I was young once too. I know what it’s like to be a teenager, but I don’t want it to damage my property. You can have all the fun you want, just be careful, okay?”
Gabriella didn’t sound too convinced that everything would turn out fine and Jasmine understood perfectly why. She wouldn’t trust Lucas and Nathan either if they were her sons.
“Don’t worry, Gabriella, I will make sure the house looks just the same when you return home. You won’t even know there was a party here,” Jasmine promised, sincerely hoping she would be able to keep her word.
“I trust you, Jazzy,” the woman smiled. “It’s my sons I have doubts about. Promise me you’ll call if the party gets out of hand? I’m sure once I tell Nathan and Lucas about the party they will be thrilled and go way overboard. It wouldn’t be the first time a few of my expensive vases are suddenly shattered in a thousand pieces. I’m no fool. I know they hold parties when Frank and I are out of town,” she said with a sigh.
“I’ll keep my eye out,” Jasmine promised, nodding. This was going to turn into a disaster. Unofficial parties at the Wood mansion were crazy, an official party? Jasmine didn’t even want to know what was going to happen. All she knew was that it would not end well.
I know the chapter is slightly shorter than usual, but that's because I cut the restricted scene out. If you do want to read it, go to my profile and open my 'Restricted Chapters' story. The second part in the story is the restricted version of this chapter.
Don't forget to vote and comment! ;)