“Urgh,” Jasper scraped his hands across his head in frustration and kicked a nearby bin. But as his foot connected with it, he spun awkwardly, and his bad knee clicked loudly. The sound froze Jasper. It was dislocated. Jasper was certain of it even before the pain seared up his leg and brought him to the ground.
The receptionist at the gym saw him go down and instantly ran out to check on him.
“Hey, man, are you okay?”
Jasper was too busy groaning in agony to respond.
“I’m going to call an ambulance, just stay there!” The receptionist darted back inside the glass fronted building. Jasper gripped his knee and grimaced. He didn’t need this, not now. He needed to stay strong; he needed to stay in shape.
Chapter 79
“Well, it’s dislocated,” Carl stood at Jasper’s beside, his arms folded across his chest.
“I figured as much,” Jasper sighed as he leaned back against the pillows gathered behind him.
“What were you thinking putting pressure on it like that?” Carl demanded tersely.
“I wasn’t thinking.”
“Clearly.”
Jasper turned away from his agent, tired of seeing the judgment harshly written upon his face. He’d messed up; he knew that. He didn’t need Carl to remind him.
“The doctor said they’d managed to realign it, but you’re going to need surgery.” Carl said grimly.
“When?” Jasper snapped, still not looking at him.
“You’re booked in for a month from now,” Carl explained. “That buys us enough time for two more fights.”
“And then win or lose, I’ll be out of the game indefinitely,” Jasper sighed.
“Exactly.”
“Dammit,” Jasper closed his eyes and wished things were different. He wished he were stronger, that he wasn’t on a losing streak. He should have stopped when he was on top, and now he couldn’t because if he did he risked ruining the legacy he’d worked so hard to build.
“You’ll be out of here in a few hours,” Carl told him. “Want me to call anyone for you?”
“No,” Jasper replied a little too sharply. “But you don’t going to get me a cup of coffee?”
“Sure,” Carl started walking towards the door but then paused. “It’s on me,” he added with a mean smile. Beneath the sheets, Jasper clenched his hands into fists.
“Thanks,” he managed to respond genially as Carl walked out, still wearing his wicked smile.
With Carl gone, Jasper was able to fumble for his phone which was in the drawer of his bedside table. When he retrieved it, he saw that he had no missed calls or messages from Kait. She must be really pissed at him. Taking a deep breath, Jasper called her.
“Hey,” her tone was icy when she’d answered, but at least she’d picked up.
“Hey, babe. Look, about earlier - ”
“It’s okay,” Kait cut him off. “I overstepped the line, I get it. Our relationship is still relatively new, and I’m acting like I own your place or something. I’m sorry.”
Jasper lowered his head towards his chest. He knew he could easily let Kait think she’d scared him by being too full on, but he didn’t want to do that to her. She deserved better.
“I’m just so tense with training,” he explained, which was true. “I didn’t mean to blow up at you like I did.”
“It’s okay.” Kait sounded more like herself on the other end of the line. “I know things are tough for you at the moment. I was just trying to help in some small way. Want me to come over?”
“No,” Jasper coughed.
“Oh.”
“I mean, I’m still at the gym.”
“You are?”
“Yep.” Jasper wriggled in his hospital bed to sit up straighter. A door opened, and a uniformed nurse walked in holding a clipboard to her chest which meant it was time to check his vitals.
“Look, babe, I’ve got to go. My trainer is forcing me to do another ten reps before we take a break, okay?”
“Okay…” Kait sounded confused. Why was he calling her unless he was already on a break?
“I’ll call you later when I’m home,” Jasper promised before hastily hanging up just as the nurse reached him.
“Okay, Mr. Duboix, how are you feeling?” She asked in a forced cheerful voice.
“Sore,” Jasper replied with a sad smile.
“I bet,” the nurse started placing a cuff around his arm. “We’re just going to do your blood pressure, okay?”
Jasper nodded. He hated lying to Kait. There was so much he wasn’t telling her – like about his bad knee and losing his trainer. What would she think of him if he wasn’t the hardened fighter she’d originally met? Jasper wasn’t even sure what he thought of himself if he lost his identity. Fighting was all he’d known for so long. It was hard to tell where the fighting ended and he began. His time in the ring had become interwoven with who he was. Jasper Duboix was a fighter. How was he supposed to function without that label?
Carl came back in with a plastic cup of coffee as the nurse was finishing up. He smiled thinly at his client before handing him the caffeine beverage.
“We can’t let anyone know you’re here,” he said sternly. “We can’t risk the negative media attention.”
“I know,” Jasper sighed. But he feared that soon the whole world would know how weak and broken he was no matter how many lies he told to convince them otherwise.
Chapter 80
Kait hated arguing with Jasper. Their earlier encounter outside the supermarket was still troubling her. Even though he’d apologized, she couldn’t help fearing that the situation wasn’t resolved. Perched on her sofa, she nervously chewed her fingernails. She’d worked so hard to be in a relationship with Jasper, she wasn’t prepared to let anything jeopardize what they had.
After a few more minutes of deliberation, Kait reached a decision. She stood up and hastily pulled on her coat.
It was dark by the time she reached the gym. The car park was relatively empty as she hurried across it, her head bent low against the cool evening wind. Glass doors silently parted to let her in. Kait gave the waiting receptionist her brightest smile.
“Hi,” she greeted them. “I was just wondering if my boyfriend is still in the gym. I need to get a message to him so I just wanted to quickly pop inside.”
“Sure,” the short blonde haired receptionist gave her a sympathetic smile. “What’s his name?”
“Jasper Duboix.” Kait felt a tingle of pride saying Jasper’s name.
“Hmm,” the receptionist pursed her lips together thoughtfully. “I’m pretty sure Mr. Duboix signed out earlier this afternoon, but let me double check.”
Kait waited patiently as the receptionist checked the records. Jasper had signed out earlier – when he’d come to meet Kait at the supermarket but then he’d surely signed back in.
“Yeah,” the receptionist nodded at her computer screen. “Mr. Duboix signed out this afternoon but didn’t sign back in today.”
“Oh,” Kait suddenly felt deflated and also embarrassed. “Are you sure he’s not in there?” She countered hopefully, her cheeks starting to burn.
“He called me less than an hour ago to stay he was still at the gym.”
The receptionist gave Kait a sad smile and shook her head. Clearly this was a situation she’d encountered before.
“He has to sign in to enter the gym, and I’m afraid the records show that he’s not done so since he left this afternoon. I’m sorry.”
Kait waved a dismissive hand and forced herself to smile as though she were unaffected.
“We must have just got our wires crossed,” she declared breezily. “Thanks so much for your help.”
Kait couldn’t run out of the gym fast enough. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest. If Jasper wasn’t at the gym, then where the hell was he? And more distressingly, why was he lying? Was he cheating on her?
With her mind dizzy with panic and confusion, Kait did the only thing she could thin
k to do – she called Anna.
Chapter 81
“Discharge papers,” Carl waved the document in front of Jasper’s face. “Let’s get you home then before anyone has a chance to see you here.”
“Yep,” Jasper sighed as he climbed off the hospital bed, his bandaged knee struggling to support his weight.
“You okay there, champ?” Carl cast a wary look at him.
“I’m still standing…barely,” Jasper quipped. He pushed himself away from the bed and unsteadily wavered on his feet.
“Least you’ve not lost your sense of humor,” Carl grinned.
“Hmm.”
“Listen, I know you’re tired and just want to rest, but you’ll be back at it in the gym tomorrow, right?”
Jasper wilted at the thought of another day’s training.
“Maybe if my trainer had stuck around I’d be more inclined to go,” he replied, deciding to be bold and tackle the issue of his dismissed trainer head on.
“I had to let him go,” Carl lowered his head apologetically. “I’m sure you can figure out why.”
“Yes,” Jasper nodded. “But you could have run it past me first. Of all the things that could go, I didn’t think my trainer was one of them.”
“I’m just doing my best to keep you afloat,” Carl said, sounding hurt. “I made an executive decision. Once you’re back on top and winning again, you can fly him back in. Until then, you’re on your own when it comes to training. But that’s not so bad is it? I mean, you didn’t have a trainer back when you were starting out.”
“No,” Jasper agreed. He didn’t have a trainer back then, but he had the hunger. He wanted to win more than anything in the world; nothing else mattered. But now there were other things in his life like Kait. The hunger to win wasn’t nearly as veracious as it once had been. Thinking about Kait made Jasper feel even more exhausted. He’d lied to her, and he hated himself for that. She was always just trying to help, to look out for him, and he repaid her time and again by pushing her away.
“Let’s get you back to your place,” Carl said, holding open the door for Jasper to awkwardly hobble through. “All you need is a good night’s sleep to get you back on track.”
Chapter 82
“You need to head over to his place right now!” Anna fumed down the phone. Kait was lingering in the car park of the gym, her cell phone glued to her ear.
“Really?” Kait squeaked in response.
“Yes!” Anna insisted fiercely. “He’s probably over there right now doing who knows what with God knows who! You need to catch him in the act and put him in his place!”
Kait just wanted to go back to her apartment and hide under her duvet. The thought of finding Jasper in bed with someone else was making her feel physically sick.
“Kait, you deserve the truth from him.”
“I know, I know,” Kait kicked at a loose stone and watched it skitter across the tarmac.
“All I want is for you to be happy.”
“I know.”
“And a relationship can’t thrive when it’s built on lies.” Ever since getting serious with Robert, Anna had morphed in to one of those annoying types who suddenly felt like they were romance experts. Most of the time Kait didn’t mind, but at times like this, it really annoyed her.
“If he’s lying, he’ll have good reason to,” Kait defended. She was starting to regret having called her friend in a panicked moment of weakness. Nothing Anna had said had made her feel better about Jasper lying to her.
“Like what? He’s in bed with someone else and doesn’t want you to know?”
“It might not be that!” Kait snapped, tears brimming behind her eyes.
“Okay, then go over to his apartment and find out for sure.”
“You think?”
“Yes!” Anna insisted shrilly. Then, more gently she asked, “Want me to come along?”
“No, no,” Kait was already striding off in the direction of Jasper’s plush apartment building. “I can do this on my own.”
“That’s right! Pull up your big girl pants, and show him who’s boss!”
“Yeah,” Kait sighed. She wanted to be angry and brimming with indignation, but she was more scared than anything. Just when she thought things were finally getting serious with Jasper, that he was finally letting her in, he goes and shuts her out all over again. It was beyond demoralizing and left Kait feeling suspicious and betrayed.
“You’ve got this, Kait,” Anna told her sincerely. “And whatever happens, I’m right here for you. Don’t forget that.”
“Thanks, I won’t.”
Chapter 83
Jasper was slumped against the wall of the elevator as it silently climbed to his floor. Carl was gone, despite having offered to help Jasper up to his apartment. Jasper had declined; he just wanted to be alone. Besides, he needed to quickly learn how to support himself on his bad leg else there was no way he’d be able to get back in the ring again.
The sleek elevator doors opened, and Jasper hobbled out on to his floor, taking his time as he traversed the plush hallway. He turned and headed towards his own door before abruptly stopping. He rarely ever encountered anyone on his floor. It was the top level consisting of three penthouse suites. He didn’t even know who lived in the other two. But now there was someone leaning against his door. Jasper froze as Kait lifted her head to look at him, tears streaked down her cheeks.
“Kait?” As he moved towards her he did his best to hide the limp in his walk.
“There you are!” Kait gestured angrily towards him. “Where the hell have you been?”
Jasper opened his mouth to respond, but she pointed a shaking finger at him.
“And don’t you say the gym!” she shouted. “I went there to…to talk to you, and you weren’t even there! Where the hell have you been, Jasper? Why are you lying to me?”
Jasper sheepishly looked around the empty hallway.
“Come on, let’s talk inside,” he awkwardly rummaged for his keys before unlocking the door and letting them both in. Automatic lights clicked on and bathed the open plan apartment in an elegant glow.
“Well?” Kait remained by the now closed door, her arms folded across her chest.
“Kait,” Jasper’s head dropped to his chest. He wanted to lie. He didn’t want to admit to her the terrible truth that he was broken, that he was at risk of losing everything he had.
“The truth, Jasper!” Kait demanded. “Are you cheating on me?”
“No!” Jasper gasped, appalled at the suggestion. “Of course not!”
“Then what’s going on?”
Jasper couldn’t remain standing any longer; his knee was throbbing unbearably. He hopped over to the far side of his apartment and his leather sofa which boasted a backdrop of floor length windows which gave a magical vista over the city. As he dropped onto the sofa, he groaned. Kait had reluctantly followed him, her eyebrows pulled together in confusion.
“I was at the hospital,” Jasper admitted shamefully.
“At the hospital?” The anger in Kait’s expression was quickly replaced with concern.
“Yeah,” Jasper didn’t want to make too big a deal of it. He just wanted to rest up and prepare himself for a day’s worth of training the next day.
“Why? What happened?” Kait was now beside him on the sofa. Jasper pointed lamely at his knee.
“Your knee?” Kait gasped in horror.
“I dislocated it.”
“Oh, Jasper!” Her hand fluttered up to her mouth. “You should have told me, I would have come with you!”
“But I don’t want you to see me like this,” Jasper cried empathetically. “I’m broken, Kait,” he said as he thrashed his arms angrily against the sofa. “I’m fucking broken, and I’m a loser.”
“You’re not a loser!” Kait insisted.
“Yes, I am!” Jasper snapped back, his jaw tightening. “I risk losing all of this,” he gestured around his apartment, “unless I get one more win. I’ve already lost my t
rainer and some of my sponsors.”
Kait reached for his hand and squeezed it.
Mason: Inked Reapers MC Page 43