***
An hour later, I stand by the doorway, rubbing my thumb over my bottom lip as I watch Jas sleep in my bed. Outside, our daughter's singing from the common room just filters in.
“She’s amazing,” Terry whispers, and I hum.
“That she is.” I agree, “She has my looks but her mama’s personality, which in my eyes is amazing,” as I run my eyes over my girl, who is restless.
Throughout the week, several times I’ve heard her cry in her sleep, several times I’ve had to try and settle her so she didn’t wake Ais because she refused to be away from her.
“How is she going to get over this, Tank?” he asks.
“With our help,” I murmur, “because I won’t lose my girl.”
“Even though she ran and kept your daughter from you?” he questions, and I sigh.
“I understand her reasons,” I admit. “While I do resent her—a feeling I really fucking wish I didn’t have—I know I can’t live without her. It’ll just take time to get over everything.”
“She wanted to protect everyone while hurting herself,” Terry mumbles, and I hum because yeah, she did, only she ended up hurting everyone around her instead, especially Granny.
“Please don’t hurt my daughter,” Terry chokes, and I mutter, “Fucking never,” and he pats my back before walking away, most likely to spend a little time with Aisling where Brady is.
I sigh as I lean my head against the doorframe, my eyes locking with the light blue ones that are finally awake, ones I love so fucking much, and I give her a small smile as her eyes shine and fucking finally, they are no longer clouded.
“Hey, buttercup,” I whisper, and a few tears fall down her cheeks.
“Hey,” she chokes before she moves her eyes around the room without moving her head, and I say, “Brady and your dad are with Aisling in the common room.”
She nods as her eyes go to the box.
“Chanel brought it to the garage, it’s why she was there that day, buttercup,” I confirm her thoughts, and she nods.
“Granny would be so disappointed in me,” she whispers, but I shake my head.
“She knew you ran for a reason, Jas,” I instantly say, “She was proud of you.”
She makes a noise of disbelief in the back of her throat, and I sigh as she goes quiet again, but I don’t move because her eyes are still not clouded.
“What happened to Mama?” she finally asks after a few minutes of silence.
“Her body was burned then thrown into the ocean,” I admit, “but to everyone in the world, she fled with your dad's money, along with the money from the office which we donated to the Charites you donated Granny’s fortune to.”
Her tears fall as she nods and doesn’t say anything else, making my chest squeeze.
“Talk to me, buttercup,” I plead as I push off the doorframe and walk over to her before kneeling, “don’t shut me out, not now, please.”
“I’m so sorry, Logan,” she chokes, and I cup her cheek, “I’ve brought so much pain into your life and now this.”
“Jas…” I croak, but she continues, “When Mama dragged away Aisling, I felt like I couldn’t breathe, but when she attacked me outside in the alley when I ran after them, I felt like I’d gone back in time. I went back to the girl, leaving a ball to get to her love, only to be attacked and trying to protect her baby.”
I furrow my brows as I gently rub her tears away, and I ask, “What do you mean, buttercup?”
My heart thunders, the meaning of her words clear as day.
She said her mama attacked her, not Aisling, when she ran after them, meaning...
“I’m late, Logan, I-I was going to grab a test.” She chokes and fuck me...
So many emotions rush through me, but the thing that makes it harder for me to breathe is the fear in Jasmine’s eyes, along with the guilt, and I know this is going to be one hell of a roller coaster for her emotions.
