"Jasper's my best friend in the whole world right now, you know," I told her, taking a sip of my water.
She looked at me again, unsmilingly.
"I can tell how much he loves you and you him. So...you'll understand that when he's feeling burdened by too many responsibilities, it can be hard to watch," I said carefully as I gauged her reaction.
She put down the menu. "The only person I know who really cares about my brother apart from me and my parents is Cole. I've never even heard of him having friends much less a best friend. He's always been about his camera and his fandoms."
"Oh, yes. The Batman movies," I drawled, laughing a little.
She didn't join me.
"Jeez, girl, loosen up, will ya?" I said carelessly.
She cleared her throat. "What do you want from me, Jasmine?" she asked curtly.
I sighed as I studied her. She was like her brother in that regard. Cut straight to the point, no sugar-coating. I suspected she would appreciate the same from me.
"I overheard a conversation between Jasper and your father on Thursday. Your parents seem to be having money problems and Jasper's trying to help them out."
Her eyes widened at me but she remained silent. So she knew. She knew that the financial stress her parents were under affected her brother as well. I kind of figured that the reason Jasper was frequently taking up gigs in London with this company and leaving his partners behind was because they were known to pay good money to freelancers. And Jasper was one of the best. He was doing all this for his family. The one in London as well as the one in Milan.
"Listen, I know you might not like this coming from me. You might think I have some ulterior motive but I am only doing this because I want to help. Because I can help." I leaned back in my chair and held her gaze. "I haven't been a good person for a long time. Probably never will be. But let me do this for your family. For Jasper. They're all too proud and won't accept but you're the only one I can appeal to."
She blinked at me as I removed the cheque from my purse and slid it over to her.
"Let me do something good for someone I care about, Catherine. Just take the money. Use it to help your parents and make things easier for your brother. So he can be there for his other family. In Milan."
She swallowed as she glanced at the cheque, her face growing pale.
Then she gaped at me. "This is a shit ton of money," she breathed.
I shrugged. "It's fine. I have plenty. There is no catch," I stressed, smiling at her. "My only condition is that you don't tell Jasper about this. He'll probably get mad as fuck and I don't want to lose the only person who actually likes being around me."
Catherine sat back in her chair, studying me shrewdly. I drank more of the water. This girl made me feel like I was in an interrogation room. I had to hand it to her. Very few people ever managed to throw me off.
"It was you, wasn't it?" she finally spoke up in a firm voice. "You were the anonymous donor. For my GoFundMe."
I frowned at her, faking my surprise. "You have a GoFundMe? Huh. I had no idea."
She looked at me for a while longer before her lips curved into a smirk. "He's never actually had friends before," was her response. "We thought Cole was one but the first time he came home with my brother, I found them kissing in the hallway. I never spoke of it to Jasper. Figured he'd tell us when he was ready. Which is never, I suppose. But that's his business. My parents aren't stupid so..."
I felt glad to note she was warming up to me. It couldn't be easy going through life bitter and distrustful of everyone. I should know.
"I'm happy that when he finally made a friend, it turned out to be someone like you," she told me and there was sincerity in her expression. "Shall we order?"
I smiled widely at her and nodded. "Sure. Just put that away first." I nodded at the cheque and she did as I asked.
I felt so much lighter and happier as I picked up my menu. That went well. Better than I imagined actually. I so loved it when things went my way.
****
Armaan
I was on my phone, my brand new phone, lying in bed, mindlessly scrolling through various social media apps. Not that there was anything important going on online. My life was shot to hell and nothing really mattered. I pulled the blanket up to my chin and slumped down further into the pillows. I had given up. Jasper and Jasmine could fuck each other to the moon and back, I didn't care. Fuck the contract. He could keep the money. Take all of it if he wanted. Fuck him too.
I would die here one of these days. Just die in this bed and Piero would find my body after the smell got to be too much for him to ignore. Then people would label it as foul play because I had so much money and such a huge property so it wouldn't make sense that I just up and died without proper cause.
I put my phone down, blinking at the wall opposite me. Having a writer for a wife was now rubbing off on me it seemed. Maybe she'd write a book about me too someday.
How I Fucked Over My Loving Yet Manipulative Husband. Repeatedly.
My stomach grumbled but I didn't feel like going downstairs and getting food. There were some restaurants nearby for me to order take-out from which I rarely ever did but then again I'd have to get out of bed and go downstairs to receive the food which is the reason I didn't want to cook something in the first place.
Either way, I was fucked. Dying from starvation seemed like probable cause.
My room was dark because even though it was early in the afternoon on a Tuesday, the heavy curtains were still closed. I'd been lying in bed for three days now, getting up only to fill my stomach and then go empty it.
I no longer saw the point of that either.
The sound of footsteps approaching made me sit up. Plot twist. Someone actually murdered me in my sleep and made it look like an accident. I was a hundred percent sure I was the only person at home and equally as sure that I hadn't invited anyone over.
When I saw the person finally arrive to stand in my bedroom doorway, I froze for a good long while.
"Dude, what the hell are you thinking?" he said to me in an exasperated tone. "The door was wide open. Anyone could have walked in, murdered you, taken your belongings!"
My mouth was dry as I gaped at him, wondering if somehow I was hallucinating due to hunger. But that was ridiculous. If that was the case, I'd be seeing a roasted chicken leg or something. Not Alex. Not my brother.
"What have you done to yourself, Armaan?" he asked me in a slightly disgusted tone. "What's with the beard? And this mess." He looked around my room. "I've never seen your place in this state. Even Piero was so relieved to see me, he cried and practically begged me to save you."
I took a deep breath and frowned at him. I hadn't seen him for almost a year and a half and now he shows up to lecture me and play big brother. I snorted and picked up my phone again. Well fuck him.
He came inside uninvited and sat on the bed quietly as I continued to scroll without an agenda. When I stole a peek at him, he was wrinkling his nose.
"Something bothering you, Alex?" I asked curtly.
He turned and raised his eyebrows at me. "When was the last time you showered?" he asked and I rolled my eyes and went back to my phone.
"Fuck off," I said in a rough tone.
He let out a sigh. "Armaan. I was an ass. Okay. I was mad at you and it was justified. But I'm over all that shit now. I'm here for you, bro."
I laughed shortly. "Awesome. Make yourself at home. I never kicked you out of my life in the first place."
He gave me a pained look. "I'm sorry about you and Jasmine."
"Are you?" I asked quietly.
"Yes," he said firmly. "You love her. More than I ever could or did. I have someone else now."
"Yeah, I know. Jasmine mentioned it some time ago." I cleared my throat. "You don't have to feel sorry for me. What's done is done, Alex."
He gave me a concerned look. "She thinks you're happier without her," he murmured and I stared at him.
"She told you th
at? When did you last see her?"
He shrugged. "A couple of months ago. She's working on her new book but she emails me every week. She's...Armaan, I think she's-"
"Fucking someone else? Yes, I'm aware," I replied dryly, sitting up straight. "If you talk to her again, don't you dare fucking tell her about any of this." I pointed to myself and around the pigsty that was currently room. "Swear it. Tell her I'm doing great without her and she can fuck whoever she wants. I don't give a rat's ass."
Alex widened his eyes at me, sliding away a little. "Are you high or something?" he asked warily. "Coz she's smoking pot these days and I was just wondering if maybe you put her up to it."
I laughed without any trace of humour and ran a hand through my hair. "I haven't touched a drink or drug in months," I informed him truthfully. "Those aren't my vices now. Ironic, isn't it? She was the reason I gave all of it up in the first place. Went clean and religious. And look at her now." I closed my eyes at the snarky tone of my voice, mentally cursing myself.
I wasn't going to judge her. She was happy with who she was and it was no longer any of my business. Alex looked at me for a while, exhaled heavily and then got to his feet before snatching the blanket away from me.
"What the fuck, Alex?!" I protested angrily.
He gave me a no-nonsense look and for a second, my heart felt full because it was the kind of look he always gave me before when I acted up during our college days. The big brother look.
"Come on. Get your ass out of bed. Get in the shower and for God's sake, do something about that smell," he ordered with a stern expression. "I'll get us something to eat and I want to see you downstairs."
"Bro, seriously-"
"Do it before I snap a picture of you like this and send it to Ammi."
I gawked at him. "God, you're such a pain in the ass," I said in irritation. "Leave me alone."
He didn't. He just narrowed his eyes at me, folded his arms, widened his stance and waited for me to do as he said.
****
Chapter Thirty-Four.
Jasper
My phone rang around three in the afternoon on a Tuesday. I was in the shower, inside the small hotel room where I had bunked for the past three nights. I'd switched my phone off till this morning and had spent most of my time getting drunk, watching movies on my laptop or just taking long walks by the canals with my camera.
It was torture. Waiting for those test results. Even if the baby wasn't biologically mine, I'd still care for it, love it as my own. It didn't matter to me either way. But it mattered to Skye.
It was Cole's number and I swiped to accept the call with a sense of dread building within me.
"Hi," I said quietly. "How are you?"
"I'm okay," he replied and sighed into the phone. "Can you come over? I need to tell you something."
I licked my lips and sucked in a fortifying breath. "Just tell me now," I whispered. "Who's the father, Cole?"
He didn't say anything for some time and I waited anxiously. This was going to decide whether Skye would let me be in her life or not. I was prepared for both possibilities but I wished so much for the former.
"It's mine, Jasper," he said gently.
I gulped down my disappointment and nodded even if he couldn't see me. "Okay. Congratulations then. You'll make a great father."
My words were so calm and yet my heart was breaking. I had hoped...I had believed...that I was going to be fortunate enough to remain linked with them somehow and for that reason, I wished the test results had been in my favour. But still, I was genuinely happy for Cole. This was fate maybe. Telling me that my story in their lives had played out. I was to start over and so should they, without anything holding them back. They were going to be a family. I had to back off gracefully. She didn't want me. Skye didn't want me.
"I'll come by later to get my things," I said abruptly and hung up.
~~~
One year ago
…
Cole
"Fuck. I am so late." I frowned at the files and designs scattered around the kitchen counter, trying to cram it into my briefcase. "I just started this job and look at the impression I am creating. Marco's going to kill me."
"Yeah? He'd have to go through me first," Jasper said as he helped me gather my stuff.
I snorted. "You're the reason I'm late in the first place."
He paused and gave me a look. "I distinctly remember you begging me to suck your cock in the shower just now."
"Yes, after you teased me until I couldn't bear it. You weren't supposed to be in the shower with me at all when you knew I was already running late."
Jasper smirked at me. "I wanted to taste you."
I went inside the kitchen to grab a doughnut and wrap it in a napkin. When I turned, he was blocking my path. I looked at him exasperatedly. "Wells, please."
"I'm going to Finale Ligure today. Got a shoot there," he announced calmly.
I frowned at him. "You're telling me this now?"
He made a face. "My mouth was stuffed full of your cock. I didn't get a chance."
I tried not to but I ended up laughing. "When will you be back?" I asked once I got over my amusement.
He noted the dismay in my tone and his eyes grew heated. "Missing me already?" he whispered.
We had been super busy this past week with work. Both of us. The hours were crazy. He usually did shoots in the evenings as well so we hardly got time together.
"I'll be back Sunday afternoon," he murmured, leaning into me to kiss me. "Then we can have lots and lots of sex."
I hummed something, forgetting my doughnut and the fact that I was getting late when I absorbed the fact that I wouldn't be seeing him for two days. We'd been living together for five years but whenever he had to leave Milan without me, I missed him insanely.
"Jasper," I said, a thought occurring to me out of nowhere. "Do you realise that we haven't had a threesome in two years?"
He pulled away from me and frowned slightly. "Do you want to have one?" he asked me cautiously.
I shook my head. "Not really. But...if you do...like if you need it-"
"I don't," he said firmly and then smiled at me. "I never needed it. It was just for fun. But I don't really miss it anymore. Being with a woman." He paused and looked me up and down. "Guess I might be settling," he said at last.
It was one of the sweetest things he had ever said to me. Like he had finally realised that I was enough for him. We'd come a long way from that first meeting six years ago. It hadn't always been easy. Mostly due to him being an asshole and me being stubborn and insecure half the time. But we'd made it.
"I love you," I said to him and kissed him again. "See you Sunday, baby."
He squeezed my ass as I brushed past him and I smiled as I left the apartment, feeling happy and secure. Like nothing could break us. We were a team. Always would be.
~~~
Present Day
…
Jasper
Cole was alone when I showed up at the apartment early that evening.
"Where's Skye?" I asked him, trying not to notice how attractive he looked in his snug jeans and black muscled t-shirt, those damned glasses firmly in place as he watched me gravely.
"She went out for dinner," he said, stepping aside as I walked inside my former bedroom and dragged an empty suitcase out from under the bed. "Olivia's in Milan for the week and they decided to catch up."
I smiled a little. "That's good," I murmured absently. I was glad to know she wasn't moping because of me. Turning to him, I removed a folded up document from inside my jacket pocket and placed it on the bed. "I've transferred the house over to you and Skye," I told him.
He strolled over to the bed to pick up the document and glanced through it before frowning at me. "You paid off the mortgage," he said in confusion. "Wells, how did you-?"
"It doesn't matter," I said curtly. "Don't tell Skye. She hates me so much she won't accept this at all. But I'm giving it to you guys legally and
freely. Do whatever you want with the place."
He started to shake his head. "It's your house," he breathed. "We'll be fine. We'll-"
"Cole," I interrupted firmly, holding his gaze. "Listen to me. This is for the best. You don't have the money to move anywhere else and Skye doesn't need that kind of stress. Just stay here for now and when things are settled, you can sell and buy something bigger."
I turned away from him and rummaged inside my side of the closet, snapping up clothes and stuffing them in the suitcase unceremoniously.
"Jasper-"
"Your car's paid off too," I said with a frown as I looked for my shoes. "And I've put some cash in our joint account. Use it for whatever you need. Please."
I finished zipping up that suitcase before dragging out another smaller one and heading to the office. He followed me silently.
"I don't know how you managed to get all this done but I can't accept any of it, Wells," he said to me.
I switched on the lights in the darkroom, grabbing my folders and equipment. "Sure you can," I said flippantly. "It's me Cole. I know you hate me for what I did to you but you gotta let me do this for you and Skye. And the baby."
I didn't look at him as I went around the house, packing whatever I could and telling him to get rid of what I wasn't going to take. When I started to collect all my Batman DVDs, he lost it. Grabbing them from me, he threw them on the couch before shooting me a glare.
"It's like you can't wait to get out of here," he raged at me. "What is the matter with you? Do you feel nothing at all?!"
I gave him a pained look. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth," I replied.
"Can you blame me, Jasper? You fucked up. So bad. And you kept fucking up without caring what it would do to us," he threw at me.
"I'm sorry," I said in a whisper. "This is hard for me too. You have no fucking idea and I'm not going to waste my breath explaining how or why knowing you're just going to throw those words back in my face."
I picked up the DVDs again slowly, not letting him get to me. I wouldn't be able to walk out of this house if I did. When I straightened, he was right in front of me, his glasses were gone now and there were tears running down his cheeks.
Once A Cheater Page 17