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Definitely won’t be a next time. “Yeah.” I wink at her. I’ve had this one locked down for a while. Maybe I’m just getting bored with her.
She leaves, and I change into my trunks. Throwing on my stupid flip-flops my mom bought. Men don’t wear flip-flops, and my dad has about a thousand jokes to prove it. I come down the stairs, seeing my dad lounging on the couch. My dad frowns at my feet and I roll my eyes. Here we go. “Thongs go on women’s asses, not men’s feet.”
I laugh. “Thanks, Dad, I’ll remember that when I give a fuck. Plus, you know how Mom gets all emotional and stuff when we don’t use her presents.” He sighs, looking at his socks which have pictures of my mom's face on them. “This is true. Far cry from the woman who used to brutalize people with a katana.”
Grabbing a bottle of water, I begin the long walk to the cave. Why couldn’t they have built it closer, I’ll never know. The setup is wild and made by people with far too much money. There is a four-foot pool from when we were younger in the front. A rock cave made of deep gray stone. In the cave sits rock tables and stone benches waist-deep in water for when our parents have drinks. On the other side of that, it opens into a huge cave that has a heated pool ten-foot deep. It has a stone patio all the way around with lounge chairs, tables, a TV, and sound system. It has low lighting and a peaceful vibe. When I get to the cave, I find Jasmine in a light blue bikini. Showing off her slight curves and her overly huge breasts for her body type. The breasts she hides from everyone. Her pale skin and dark hair look like yin and yang against one another. Her big doe eyes make her look like an anime character. Also, blue isn’t her color. She looks better in red. Not that I pay attention. Strange for her to be in a bikini because she’s completely covered up when we have family gatherings. It would be easier to stay away, to hate her from afar, if she wasn’t so goddamn beautiful.
Her head is tilted to the wall as her arms are pressed flat against it. I wonder what she's doing, but quickly change tactics, pulling out my phone and snapping a picture of her. Her head snaps up and her green eyes narrow at me. There’s something different about her. Almost like she is more confident. I want to punch whoever gave that to her. I like her small and weak—easy prey.
“Snitch.” My upper lip curls and she pushes off the wall, snatching her towel but not covering up.
“Easton.” There’s a bite there I’m not used to. I almost flinch from the ice dripping in her tone. She goes to walk past me, but I snatch her arm.
Looking her up and down, I say, “You grow some balls over there in Africa, or what?”
She yanks out of my grip, taking a step back. “Or what.” She flips her hair and leaves.
My stupid dick is hard. Where were you thirty minutes ago? It’s almost trying to pull me toward her.
Throwing my towel down, I dive into the heated pool. I swim about twenty laps before rising out. Drying my body off, I sigh.
I hurry home and throw on some clothes, running over to Monroe’s house, since she is visiting from college.
“What’s up, Little E?” Monroe asks as I walk out on her balcony that overlooks her mom’s rose garden.
I light my joint, bringing it to my lips. “Not a lot. Just missed you.” I look over my shoulder, winking at her.
She crosses her arms, not buying my shit for one second. I look over her yard into the back of the Andrewses’ yard, where Jasmine sits by an easel. Her long black hair is sitting on top of her head in a messy bun. She has a long white shirt hanging off one shoulder. Black spandex shorts barely peeking out underneath it. I glance at what she’s painting, and it’s abstract. What gets me is that it looks angry. The brush strokes are harsh. It’s dark in different shades of black and red. Maybe a person? I couldn’t tell a lot of details from here.
“Ahh.” Monroe says, peeking over my shoulder. “I see what’s wrong.”
Shrugging her off, I turn around to face her. “I wasn’t looking at her,” I defend myself.
A smile tugs at her lips. “Never said you were.” Christ. I take another hit as it expands inside my lungs.
“Why don’t you come tell Monroe what’s bothering you?” She changes her voice to sound more professional.
“Yeah, fuck that, Roe. I got to go anyways. Be safe on your way back to New York.” She kisses my cheek, hugging me tight.
I really missed her.
CHAPTER 3
JASMINE
They say in life there are certain days that change you. Define you as a person. They either make or break you. Like always, I expected to crumble when my tragic event happened. Instead, I got angry.
See, I’ve always been fragile. Poor Jasmine. Poor Jasmine was dead. Sure, I was still sweet and polite and didn’t speak out of turn. Sure, I was weak. But not like I was before. I carried my anger as a shield.
“Jasmine,” Doctor Shackler snaps his fingers to get my attention. He is an attractive man. Auburn hair with a strong chin. He is in his early forties and always wears suits tailored to cover his built body. “Are you sure you want to do this again?” His eyes crinkle as his lips turn down into a frown.
“Yep.” I lay back on the couch as he begins the process of putting me deep in my mind. I feel my spirit drift as I go down a dark tunnel. A tunnel with a door I have to open at the end. A door I’m not scared of anymore.
I lay on a dirty concrete floor, shaking. I wish I wouldn’t have told my parents I wanted to stay at a hotel closer to the airport. I could be in my bed right now and not… here. A man with a dark suit and green eyes similar to mine steps in. His hair is red like my mom’s, and he’s got it cut short.
He squats down. “Jasmine. It’s so good to meet you.” There’s this twinkle to his eyes, dark and twisted. I stay quiet, remembering not to provoke my attackers. “It’s sad, really.” He’s lips curl up in disgust. “I never wanted to meet my niece this way. Especially not with the filthy blood pulsing through your veins.”
The temperature in the room drops. I freeze as he begins to loosen his belt.
