Jasmine.I had spent the rest of the day crying. I was glad that Ivory was staying with our mother's parents in town. I needed the space. Aeron had twisted my mind and emotions to the point that I felt like giving up. How could he want me and then shut me out like that? It was unfair. I thought he didn't want me, that he saw me like a little girl, but then he did a one-eighty by doing all sorts of things to me, not to speak of his dirty mouth. I believed we had something. I believed he had finally opened up, only for him to shut me out again. Was I a toy to him? A thing for his amusement. Something he could tweak and try at will. I couldn't let this continue. No matter what the issue was, he had no reason not to let me in. If he cared as much as his actions and words implied, he wouldn't shut me out, knowing how it would get to me. I was mad, mad at the fact that I was at his mercy. I knew he wouldn't let me move on from him. I knew he meant his words, but I will try. I will t

Jasmine After an hour, Grandma summoned me to the kitchen. Glancing back at the living room, Aeron patiently awaited my return. Eager to depart, I needed him to make the call and gracefully extract us from my sister's company. I loved Ivory, but the thought of her joining for the day and ruining our plans didn't sit well with me. “Have you two hit it off already?” Grandma inquired as I entered the kitchen. Stunned by her perceptiveness, I stood there, caught off guard. She laughed and pulled me close. “You've been looking at him as if he holds your world, Jasmine,” she noted, and I absentmindedly touched my face, realising I had been more obvious than intended. “It's okay. We can't hide our heart's desires. Our eyes tend to give it away. He looks at you the same way. You two have been exchanging those looks for a while. Gabriel and I have been waiting for the news,” she said, her words sinking in as a mix of surprise and realisation crossed my face. “I... I...” I stammered, but sh

Aeron Talk about cock-blocking. I was mad about Leonard's timing. I was really hoping to get into things with Jasmine. I needed to dismiss the fucker now. I was glad I hadn't taken her to my room to see the surprise I had laid out. I hoped Julia had followed my instructions and fixed the place up. I stepped away from Jasmine, and she looked at me with longing and disappointment. She was feeling exactly the same way as I did. I looked at her apologetically and strolled towards the door. Leonard stood there with a tinge of annoyance on his face. I didn't give two fucks about his feeling because he had just interrupted my plans. "So?" I said. "Didn't know you started bringing girls home. I guess Mathia's absence forced you to change your routine," He teased, moving past me to enter. He froze when he saw who was in the living room. "Jasmine?" He asked. She had a nervous smile on her face. "Hey, Leonard," She said, and he looked at me, trying to piece things together. "Well, I gue

Aeron Leaving Jasmine was very hard. I wished the trip to Woodland could have waited till morning, but it seemed pretty urgent. If, indeed, people from Pictoria had washed up on the shore, then we had a cause for alarm. Jasmine had held her tears and tried to seem as if she was okay with my trip. My hope was to return as soon as possible. I had never felt so light and wanted in my entire life. Throughout my day with Jasmine, memories of my haunted past did not flood my mind. I was free and alive. A feeling I would always crave. It was as if her presence quieted the noise. As I walked away from her room, I knew we had opened a new chapter. The fear of disproval from her folks and mine gnawed at me, but I had tried long enough and resisted her long enough, but not anymore. She was meant for me, and I had tried to fight it, but who was I kidding? It was always going to come to this. It was best I embraced it now. "Told you you wouldn't win," Razor growled in my head, satisfied by

Jasmine.Returning to sleep was difficult after that vivid dream, so I opted to wash the stench of smoke from my skin. The dream lingered in the recesses of my mind, refusing to fade like a haunting melody. I stumbled to the bathroom, half-awake and disoriented, the remnants of the dream casting a surreal haze over my reality.The water felt refreshing as it cascaded over me, a feeble attempt to wash away not only the physical residue of smoke but also the unsettling images that clung to my thoughts. I didn't know if it would be wise to discuss this with anyone or keep it to myself. The dream was a vivid tapestry woven with emotions and details that felt too personal, too intimate to share.As the water swirled down the drain, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Dark circles clung beneath my eyes, testament to the restless night and the disquieting dreams that had plagued my sleep. I had experienced vivid dreams time and time again, but this was the first instance where I would wa