I couldn't help it. I started to snicker. Shit. Shit. I wouldn't have believed it of that pathetic man-baby who liked to act as though he was the head of the mafia or something when in fact, he was nothing but a lovesick puppy dog. Qureshi sent her divorce papers and invited her to celebrate his impending marriage all in one go?
I was shaking my head in disbelief when I realised Jasmine was giving me a hard look.
"What?" I said, still chuckling a little. "I'm not laughing at you. It's just...I didn't expect him to do something like this."
"Me neither," she replied slowly and I sobered up when I realised she sounded kind of hurt. Her dark eyes appeared haunted as she blinked back what I was sure were approaching tears and let out a breath. "I'll be right back," she croaked, getting up to head over to her bedroom and leaving me to clear up the mess.
****
Chapter Five
Jasmine
Funny how life works. Just when you start to believe that nothing can destroy you, nothing can get under your skin or break you down, life makes you realise that you're only human. That you're still very much vulnerable and not at all invincible like you've convinced yourself.
He sent me divorce papers. Armaan sent me divorce papers. And now he was going to marry someone else and move the fuck on. He didn't have to invite me to the engagement. Oh no. This invitation wasn't extended out of courtesy at all. It was his middle finger to me.
Jasper was right. I didn't think he had it in him either. When we both hadn't filed for divorce in almost three years of being separated, I had always sort of assumed he was just an incapable of replacing me as I was of him. Even if this was what I had wished for him. Even if I had left him for this very reason, so he could find happiness with someone else, it still hurt like a mother. He'd done the unthinkable. The man who'd claimed he would do anything for me had finally given up.
Alex hadn't told me about this at all. He wasn't my agent now. After his reunion with Armaan, I'd thought it best to get someone else to represent me and let the two brothers work on their relationship without my name popping up in conversations. I had spoken to Alex just last month and he hadn't mentioned anything about an engagement or someone called Layla.
I sat on the bed, hugging my pillow to my chest, breathing in and out deeply. Armaan had sent me divorce papers. Fuck.
It was almost midnight. Slowly, I got out of bed and went over to the door to peek out into the living room. Jasper hadn't gone to bed. He was still sitting there, half-reclined on the couch, watching something on his laptop. The only light came from the fireplace and his laptop screen.
Sighing, I made my way over to curl up next to him, pressing into his side as I drew up my knees. He was so big and comforting, his presence so reassuring in my current state of mind. When I snuggled some more, he seemed to sense my need because his arm came around me to pull me in closer.
We sat there like that for about twenty minutes or so. Almost as long as it took for him to watch those videos on his laptop on replay. That was his routine every Friday night. He watched videos of Cole, Skye and their kid over and over until he couldn't anymore. Until he started to cry or if it was too much, drove himself to the nearest pub to drink away the pain or pick up some girl. Friday nights were the scariest.
I never paid attention to those videos. They didn't interest me. I didn't like it when people tortured themselves this way deliberately after making the decision to leave a certain situation in the first place. Like I hated torturing myself over losing Armaan. That was my choice. I dug my own grave and I was prepared to lie in it, with snacks and alcohol to keep me company.
I held on to him tighter. I didn't want Jasper to cry tonight because tonight, I'd end up crying with him instead of consoling him. I didn't want him to drink because tonight, I wouldn't have the energy to try and stop him. I didn't want him to look for sex either. Because I was weak right now and I might end up trying to convince him to sleep with me just because I didn't want to be alone. Jasper was my best friend. I didn't want to ruin the only good thing I had by forcing an attraction that wasn't there anymore.
After a moment during which I looked blankly at the fire, Jasper started to laugh a little. He hugged me and laughed softly, saying, "Did you see that? Skye was teaching him to paint and he messed it up on purpose and smirked when she got frustrated. He's so cute."
Tears started to run down my cheeks. Unrestrained. Unwelcome. I sniffed and wiped my cheeks, just letting it happen. Jasper stiffened, finally realising that I was crying and drew back to regard me with a worried expression.
His brows came together as he searched my face, the crackling of fire and his family's videos playing in the background. His family. Why did that thought occur to me now? That's what they were to him, right? That's why he couldn't let go. No matter what.
"I'm sorry, Jasmine," he said gruffly, rubbing my arm. "I thought you were over him. I thought you'd moved on. You keep saying you don't care-"
"I don't," I
