Chris's POV
I was in my office when my cell phone rang.
I picked it up and Andrew's name flashed on the screen.
"Hey man! What's up?" I greeted him.
"Chris! You need to come here." Andrew shouted on the phone. He sounded panicked and I grew alarmed.
"Woah woah! Calm down. What's wrong." I asked.
"It's Jasmine."
Two words and I was flying out of my cabin.
I rushed to my car and drove out of the office, all the while talking to Andrew on phone.
"I told her. I told her about Hunter and my relationship. She's devastated. She feels I betrayed her. I tried to talk to her, tell her that I didn't know she was the girl Hunter bullied until I talked to her. But she was so hurt she didn't listen to me. I'm so scared Chris. It's all my fault." Andrew's voice broke as a whisper.
"Get a grip mate. Tell me where is she." I asked, gripping the steering wheel tightly to control my emotions.
"I-I don't know. She rushed out of the clinic. I followed her, yelled at her but she didn't stop. I couldn't catch up with her. I'm so sorry." He sounded like he was about to cry.
"Dammit!" I muttered and hit the steering wheel.
"It's okay. It's not your fault. I'll find her. Do let me know if you find her first."
"Sure."
I hung up and raced towards the side of the city where Andrew's clinic is located.
I circled around the neighbourhood, trying to locate a raven haired girl. I thought about what she wore this morning and roamed my eyes around as I slowly manoeuvred the car through the streets. But there was no sign of her.
Giving up on driving, I parked the car on the sidewalk and got out.
I walked around the neighbourhood, asking people and showing her picture. But nobody saw her anywhere.
Goddamit it Jasmine! Where the hell are you?
Suddenly a thought dawned upon me and I felt utterly stupid. I smacked myself on the head and pulled out my phone.
I dialled her number and it rang. But she didn't pick up. I dialled again and again.
Come on love, please pick up the phone.
On the fifth call, she picked up the phone.
"Hello?" Jasmine's meek voice accompanied by a small sniff tugged at my heartstrings.
"Jasmine? Baby where are you?" I asked softly.
"The diner you brought me yesterday." She said.
"Okay. Stay there. I'll be there in 5 minutes." I said as I ran towards my car.
"But Chris-" I hung up without letting her finish. Knowing her, she would give some bullshit explanation and won't let me come.
I reached the diner and rushed inside. I looked around and found her sitting inside a booth in a corner.
I walked towards her and took a good look at her. Her hair was out of the ponytail she tied today and splayed across her face. Her clothes were rumpled as if she held onto them too tight. But her face was what broke me apart.
Her face was streaked with tears and mascara was running down her face. Her nose and cheeks were red from crying. I approached her slowly and she lifted her head. Even her eyes were red.
"Oh Princess." I pulled her into my arms and laid her head on my chest. She burst into fresh tears.
"Shhhh. I'm here. Everything will be alright." I cooed in her ear.
She kept on crying for a while, and I let her. She needed to get all the frustrations and negative emotions out of her system.
After a while she pulled back and looked into my eyes.
"Did you know?"
I looked down and nodded.
She let out a humorless laugh. "Great. Just fucking great. Everyone lied to me. Everyone. Even you."
I tried to reach out to her but she pulled back.
"Don't touch me!" She said sternly.
I sighed and rubbed my face. "Jasmine I found out only a few days ago."
"You could've told me!" She shouted.
"I couldn't! It's not my story to tell, Jasmine!" I yelled at her and her eyes grew big. Shit.
"Love, I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to yell at you." I carefully held her hands and pulled her closer to me once I realised she wasn't going to take away her hands.
"No no." She shook her head. "You don't need to apologise. I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have assumed. You're right. It wasn't your story to tell."
I pulled her into my arms and she laid her head on my chest. I stroked her hair to calm her down.
"What about we get out of here and take you home?" I said.
She nodded. I looked over at the counter and saw the owner of the cafe, Billy, look at me with concern. I motioned to him and he understood. I got up from the booth and holding Jasmine's hand, pulled her towards the exit.
As we sat inside the car, she immediately turned on the radio.
"Jas-"
"No Chris, please let me. I need to distract myself right now. I don't want to talk. Can we please talk later?" She asked, sounding tired and drained.
I sighed and agreed. We drove towards her house in silence.
Once we reached there, she ran out of the car and up to her porch. I immediately parked the car in my driveway and ran towards her house. She left the front door open and fortunately, none of her parents were home yet.
I rushed up the stairs and knocked at her door. Nothing. I knocked again. Again, nothing.
"Jasmine? You in there?"
Nothing.
"Jas, Princess, open the door. You're scaring me."
Nothing.
I was about to bang on the door when it opened. Jasmine was dressed in her pyjamas and she had washed her face. She somewhat looked better now.
She got inside her room and sat on the bed. I followed her.
I sat at the edge of the bed as she sat in the middle and stared out at nothing in particular, her face a mask of emotionless look.
"Jasmine, I know you're hurt right now but please don't push me away. Talk to me. Let it out. Please sweetheart." I pleaded.
She looked at me. "I never had any real friends, you know. Growing up, no one wanted to be my friend. Girls hated me because they thought I was different, just because I belong to a different culture and background. Boys just wanted to be close to me because they thought I look exotic. No one was real until I met Violet. But before her, Hunter had already tarnished every sense of self respect I had. I was a broken soul. That was when I met Andrew. He was the friend I had always wanted. He listened to me, understood me. He brought me out of the dark hell I had cooped myself up." She looked up at me with teary eyes.
"He's my guardian angel, Chris. But when I found out my guardian angel is related to Lucifer, I just lost it. They're brothers."
I moved closer to her and tilted up her face.
"I know Andrew since high school. That guy is an amazing human being, Jas. No doubt he made some foolish decisions, but he always thought of everyone's good. And he didn't tell you because he was afraid of your reaction. He was afraid you would hate him, which he most probably thinks you do right now. He was afraid to lose you. I understand your pain, but don't let that pain blind your judgement on him. Give him a chance."
She looked down and said, "I don't hate him. I'm just to surprised and hurt. I....I just need some time. Can you please tell Andrew this?"
"Yes of course love. You should take some rest. I'll check up on you later." I said.
I got up to leave her room when she pulled my hand.
"Thank you so much Chris. You handle my mood swings so good. I'm like a baby and you....you're so mature. I don't deserve you." She said.
I pulled her face in my hands and looked into her eyes.
"Don't ever say again that you don't deserve me. You do, love. It's actually the other way around but trust me, I'm too selfish to let you go. You're my woman, and I'm so lucky to have you."
I kissed her forehead. "And besides, you're a baby. My baby." I winked at her and she blushed.
I tucked her in as she prepared to sleep. Coming out of her room, my phone pinged with a new message.
It must be Andrew. I must inform him I found her.
I unlocked my phone and frowned. The message was from an unknown number. I opened it and froze.
The message made me see red and all I wanted was to throw the phone and smash it into hundred pieces.
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Keep your girl close
Or else I'll steal her from you.