One touch from that man and I had melted. I'd wanted something that was forbidden. Just like I had wanted him that first night when Cole had brought me into their lives. It hadn't been love for me in that moment, it hadn't been love now. But I'd still done it.
And I didn't think I would ever have told Cole just as I never told him about any of the times I got off in the shower thinking of Jasper despite being someone else's wife.
All my convictions about fidelity seemed to shatter in that moment. Jasper had been unfaithful. But what about me? What about what I had just done?
Did that make me a cheater as well?
****
Jasper
I spent about a whole ten minutes studying the painting. It was so achingly haunting, depicting a thousand emotions. A pregnant girl dressed in black, blond hair flying in the wind where she stood at the edge of a cliff. There was a solid male figure beside her, dark-haired. And then a few feet away, a fading figure who the girl was looking at forlornly. He was tall and big with dirty blond hair.
He was me.
Her signature was at the bottom left corner of the painting. And the date.... A day before Jacob was born.
There were tears in my eyes. But my heart was calm. No more angst. No more fight left in me. I was weary. So weary of hurting. I didn't want to make anyone miserable anymore.
What would it be like to feel happiness again? I wanted that.
****
Skye
I heard footsteps approaching and looked up to find Jasper Wells regarding me with an expression on his face I couldn't decipher. I'd cried myself out, let go of all my anger and berated myself on my act of disloyalty towards Cole. I felt so numb now.
He moved to sit down in front of me and was still for a while, both of us saying nothing.
Then his hands came up to gently cradle my face and he used both his thumbs to wipe my tears.
"You don't have to forgive me," he spoke in a low tone which held a hint of kindness. "It's okay. I won't force you to."
I swallowed hard and sniffed a little as he took his hands away and rested them on his thighs.
"Just let me be in Jacob's life," he pleaded softly as we looked at each other without blinking.
"I won't say anything to Cole right now if it scares you. You're right. He is more of a father to him and I am so proud of that fact." Jasper bowed his head and rubbed his face with his hands. "When you are ready, when you are strong enough, we'll tell him together. I'll be right there with you. I know Cole. He won't hate you."
I bit my lip as I listened to him talk. He was exposing his most vulnerable side to me in this moment. The anger and everything else had faded.
"I've missed out on so much," Jasper said and rubbed his eyes again, still with his head bowed. "I don't want to lose another minute with him."
He sighed and met my gaze again. "I will stay out of your way. I will never try to take Cole from you. He's yours. I promise."
There was a pause and then Jasper smiled at me a little. "I'll never ask you for anything else after this. Just let me show my son how much I love him."
****
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jasmine
My phone rang early Tuesday morning and I groaned in irritation. Why? Whyyy? Who liked to be awake at this godforsaken hour?
Grabbing the device from somewhere between my sheets, I stuck it to my ear.
"State your business," I mumbled.
"Jas? Sorry did I wake you?"
I opened my eyes and stayed silent for a moment. "Why are you calling me?" I asked breathlessly.
"Um...can you drop by later for a bit?" he asked me slowly. "We just need to sort out some things with the divorce."
I sighed. "I don't want anything, Aaru. The house is yours. I was just kidding about that. And you can sell all my stuff. Or give it to charity."
He was quiet on his end and I simply blinked at the ceiling.
"Actually, we need to divorce each other properly in the Islamic way," he finally answered. "I'm sorry but my parents are insisting. Layla's parents too."
I moistened my lips and took in a deep breath.
"It's really important-"
"Okay. I'll be there," I quipped and hung up.
I lay there for a long time before getting up to shower and get dressed. It was only six in the morning. I'd gone to bed early, hadn't even had a chance to talk to Jasper. I hoped he hadn't botched his reunion with Skye by acting like an ass. He was probably sleeping now so I guessed I'd have a chance to see him after I got back from Pavia.
...
When I reached Armaan's home, nobody was around which puzzled me for a bit. I entered the living room, rolling my eyes at the lack of security as usual and still saw no sign of anyone.
Good. I didn't want to see any of those fuckers anyway. The sooner we got this over with, the better. Just Armaan and I with a few witnesses. I hated all this nonsense but if it helped him, I'd do it. It'll be the last thing he ever asked of me anyway.
I went upstairs to go look for him after walking through the empty house. This time, I actually knocked on his door before entering.
What greeted me was a sight I never imagined I would see in a million years.
Hamza and Layla in Armaan's
