“Oh my God! Jasper, you’re on the news!”
My heart was hammering so painfully against my chest that I wondered if this was what having a heart attack felt like. I gawked at the screen, Jasper’s smiling face so different from how he now looked, still plastered all over it. His blue eyes sparkled against golden skin, genuine happiness written all over his face. The reporters were discussing the apparent abduction and lack of a ransom letter.
“This can’t be happening,” I whispered as I doubled over, hands splayed across my thighs as I bent my head. Attempting to fight off the panic trying to drown me, I inhaled deep breaths.
“Quinn, calm down,” Jasper’s voice cut through the haze. “It’s just a misunderstanding.”
I gaped at him. “A misunderstanding? The authorities are involved! They think you’ve been abducted! This can’t be happening!” I shook my head as I began pacing the basement, my hands tugging at my locs. “First, I find you in the back of my truck, and now your face is plastered on the news? What if they think I’m involved in—” I waved my hands around wildly as I tried to come up with the proper words — “whatever this is? I can’t go to jail!”
“You won’t,” he said calmly. “You didn’t abduct me.”
I glared at him. “Why do the authorities think you’re missing?”
Jasper sighed, suddenly looking tired. His words slurred even more. “I snuck out of my home while the guests were leaving.”
“You snuck out of your own house?” This man wasn’t making sense.
“Yeah.” He scrubbed a hand over his beard, looking uncomfortable. “It’s a long story.”
“We’ve got time.” I crossed my arms over my chest and sent him a look.
The soft chuckles he let out raised the hairs on my arms. “I had a disagreement with Eddie — my friend — and needed to get away for a while. Don’t worry, I’ll sort it out. They’re just blowing everything out of proportion.”
I watched him carefully, trying to figure out whether I believed him. “You need to call someone and let them know you’re safe and haven’t been kidnapped, at least.”
He nodded. “I’ll call Eddie. But first, I’ll need an untraceable phone.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want them tracking me to your home.”
“Oh,” I whispered. I was starting to feel as if I was an actual criminal.
I backed toward the door. “I can get you one in the morning. In the meantime, my shift’s about to start upstairs. I’ll come back to check on you later!” I didn’t give him the time to respond before I practically ran out of the room.
I hurried along the hall to the restaurant, trying to push the entire ordeal to the back of my mind as I plastered a smile on my face. On the inside, I was crumbling like a cement wall being hit by a wrecking ball. Breaking up with your boyfriend of several years and becoming a wanted criminal all because some guy ended up in the back of your van would do that to a person. I would’ve liked to go up to my apartment and cry until there was no more water left in my body, but that wasn’t an option, so instead, I kept the trembling smile on my face as I pushed open the kitchen door.
The staff was busy cooking the lunch menu, various aromas peppering the air as I walked in.
“Thank God! Where’ve you been?” Amanda rushed over, annoyance painted on her face as she scowled. “You know what? Never mind that! Maybe now that you’re here, you can rein your man in!” She jerked her head behind her.
Marlon stood next to the swinging doors leading to the restaurant floor. When I met his gaze, he frowned, then disappeared through the door.
“What the hell’s up with him? He’s been snapping at everyone!” Amanda shook her head in disbelief. “I heard shouting back here and had to stop him from coming to blows with Leon, of all people! Marlon knows full well he would have been bent into a pretzel and thrown into the dumpster. You’d think he’d be grateful to me for saving his face, but no. The idiot tried to take out his shitty mood on me. I swear, I’m this close to punching him myself!”
I exhaled heavily, my head dropping forward as I tried to keep myself calm. “I ended things with him this morning.” I would probably have to fire him sooner rather than later. As soon as I could find another manager, he was gone.
“Really?” Amanda lifted a single penciled brow and cocked her head.
“Yes. For good, this time.”
“About time!” Amanda grinned as she leaned in to give me a quick hug. “So that’s why you’re looking all flustered. I hope you weren’t upstairs crying. That man was no good for you, and he’s certainly not worth your tears.”
Thinking about it now, it’s weird that my breakup with Marlon had no emotional effects. I hadn’t spared him another thought since telling him things between us were over. Which only proved that I’ve been over Marlon for months now and was holding on to a sliver of hope that he would come around to my new parental status. “I know. It just took a while to see it. I really thought he would change. I guess he sort of did…”
“Until he lost his–” Amanda’s lips twisted, “Nuts, when the kids came along. As if you’d really give up those kids,” she grumbled. “That just goes to show how much he doesn’t know you or the type of person you are.” She peered into my face. Sympathy and love ever-so present in her big doe eyes. “Don’t go losing sleep over this guy, Quinn. You’ve done enough of that. I know it’s painful right now, but that won’t last. Before you know it, you won’t even remember why you hung in there for so long.” She gently bumped her shoulder against mine. “I’ll take you for lunch on our break.”
I watched her walk away, her dirty blonde hair swaying as she sternly ordered a few people to get back to work. She was a sweetheart, with her kind, dimpled smile, and warm hazel eyes, but as kind as she looked and was, she was also firm and not to be messed with. My lips pinched together as I tried to keep from saying anything stupid. The urge to confide in Amanda tore at me. The two of us shared everything, and we could always rely on each other in times of need.
