Biting down on his lip, he shook his head. “Nope, that won’t be enough.”
My fingers twitched; the urge to reach out and touch his face screaming so loudly I could barely think about anything else.
I stepped back to put some space between us, but Jasper wrapped his hand around my wrist, looking up at me through his long lashes. “We need to fly out there. I need to see what’s going on for myself.”
“We?” I swallowed slowly, his touch sending bolts of electricity up my arm.
“Me, you and Travis.”
“Travis?”
He sighed. “Yeap, I need him too, although I don’t think he’s going to want to be anywhere near me.”
“Well, good job you have me to persuade him, isn’t it?” I winked and Jasper laughed softly.
“You’ll come?”
“I told you, Professor. My job is to take care of you, and if you need me to fly to the other side of the world to get the fish to play ball with your research, then that’s where I’ll be.”
THIRTEEN
TRAVIS
Jasper: Look, I know you hate me for leaving like I did, but just talk to me.
Jasper: Please.
Jasper: I’ve just seen the spec for the new research boat. Do you want to help me crew it to her new home?
Jasper: Yes, I’ve stooped that low. I’m offering you new toys if you’ll talk to me.
Jasper: You must really hate me if that didn’t get a reaction.
Jasper: Did I mention it has a new submersible on it? She can go to 4000 meters. You’d be the first to use it.
Jasper: I miss you.
Jasper: I’ve got a new assistant. Finn Wells. I think you’d like him.
Jasper: I got your leave request. Three weeks. You’ve not had a holiday in years. Where are you going? Asking as your friend. Not your boss.
Jasper: We’re still friends, aren’t we?
Jasper: I hate not talking to you. If I could do my leaving Ecuador again, I would have done it differently. Leaving you was hard, but I did it all wrong. I was just feeling... I don’t know how to explain.
Jasper: Talk to me. Please.
Jasper: I can’t lose you.
I sat at the airport,my headphones blasting while I stared at the text messages from Jas. Texts that had gone unanswered over the last few weeks. My thumb hovered over the screen, wondering if I should just block him, but I needed to contact him when I’d got a new job set up. I had a plan. Interview, find somewhere to live, quit my job. I had thought about quitting over email—that was the sensible thing to do. I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to see Jas face to face, but I needed closure. I needed him to know how much he’d hurt me and how angry I was with him. I couldn’t work with him, knowing he was there, getting on with his life. Seeing him on videocalls, having to talk to him. The pain of him leaving had sliced me open, changed me. And I couldn’t... wouldn’t put myself through any more of his bullshit.
I rubbed my hand over my chest, trying to ease the ache that lived there permanently these days. One I hoped would ease with a new job and a life without Jasper Fischer in it. Turning my phone off, I threw it into my bag just as the departure board announced my flight to England.
Before I boarded, I looked out of the window one last time at a place I’d called home for years. A place where I got to explore the ocean every day; the place where I fell in love, and the place where I had my heart ripped to pieces.
FINN
“You’re very quiet.Are you okay? Can I get you anything?” I asked Jasper as I sat across from him after our meeting with the finance team had finished.
