Page 6 of Escape

Jasmine’s stupid fucking husband might have been small, but he was heavy as shit. He used to tower over me when we were teens, but I’d grown like a weed since then. In height and in bulk.

I never understood Jasmine’s appeal to him, other than that he was a jock who was interested in her, she was a closeted lesbian and he went to a different school with no idea what had happened between us. He was her perfect cover that somehow stuck. Somehow became her husband.

I used the word husband lightly because he wouldn’t be her husband much longer. He wouldn’t be anything much longer.

It had been an excruciating ten years watching them together. I could see how unhappy Jasmine was. How she became a shell of herself. I tried to stay as respectful as I could, confining myself to the shadows, but this asshole made it impossible.

For years, he seemed like a normal, idiotic man. Providing for the household. Keeping up appearances. Never bringing his wife to her climax. Typical mediocre shit. I still wanted to pop his skull like a grape between my teeth whenever I saw him, but it wasn’t enough to take any serious action.

Not until about a year ago. When he chose booze over his job and his anger spiraled. His extracurricular activities became more frequent and dangerous, I couldn’t sit back and let Jasmine suffer any longer. I had to save her. I had to get rid of him.

I pulled the tied-up, permanently drunk man out of my trunk and into the abandoned building. It took a lot of speeding and shortcuts to beat Jasmine back to town since I just had to stop and pay for her coffee like a lovesick idiot. But it was worth it. She was caffeinated and alert for her drive with a belly full of her favorites and I had a trunk full of dumbass husband to kill. My plan was coming together beautifully.

The team was on my heels and already finished staging the house, erasing any evidence of a break-in or kidnapping, and were on their way back to play their roles. All that was left to do was get this fucker into position and wait for my perfect girl to arrive.

Everything was in place to expose the kind of person he really was. Tonight, he would die. To the world, it would look like he got what was coming. But Jasmine would learn the truth. Then she would be mine. And everything would be right in the world again.

Chapter 5

Jasmine

When I RSVP’d to the reunion, I was so excited to have some time away that I splurged on the cheapest room at the nicest hotel in town. When I pulled in, I let a valet park my car and strode into the lobby. Warm light spilled over the patterned carpet and tasteful decor. I was greeted immediately and waved over to the check-in counter.

“I have a reservation for Jasmine James.” I smiled at the concierge with the perfectly sculpted, combed-back hair. It felt good using my maiden name, like I could pretend to be who I was all those years ago.

“Ah, yes.” He hummed as he clicked through a few pages. “What brings you to town? Visiting?” His clicks continued as he made small talk.

“Oh, I’m here for the Maple Meadow High School 10-year reunion.”

“Really? I didn’t think Maple Meadow did those.” His brows scrunched as he thought. “Well, I did graduate 6 years ago…maybe mine will be soon.”

“You haven’t had any other guests staying here for the event?”

He shook his head. The information unsettled me, but I rationalized the best I could. Most people probably weren’t avoiding their families and had somewhere to stay. Some probably couldn’t make it. Some probably never left town.

I’d thought about reaching out to Ariana, even though we hadn’t spoken since my wedding day seven years ago. I thought having at least one person to get ready and show up with me would ease my nerves, but when my finger hovered over her number a few weeks ago, I just couldn’t do it. I convinced myself that she probably didn’t even have the same number or that calling her would just be a bother.

That was probably why I’d struggled, even as an adult, to make friends. Reaching out first had always felt like I was being annoying, so I avoided it at all costs.

“Here we go.” The concierge’s words broke my train of thought. “Looks like you just recently upgraded to the presidential suite.”

“Oh, no,” I stuttered as I recoiled from the keycard he dangled in front of me. “That can’t be right. That’s a bit out of my price range, I’m afraid.”

“It’s already been paid for, ma’am.”

He wriggled the card in front of my face and I grabbed it, still confused but afraid to anger the line forming behind me. I thanked him and scurried to the elevator.

When I buzzed into the room, all the air was sucked from my chest. It was just as beautiful as the lobby. It was more of a luxury apartment than a hotel room, complete with a kitchen and two bedrooms. I squealed, letting my bags drop to my sides as I walked into the main bedroom.

A plush, four-poster bed sat in the middle. Flopping down on the cloudy duvet, I searched my brain for whoever could have done this. It could have been Jared, he was acting uncharacteristically kind lately. Or it was my parents. But that wouldn’t make sense. They’d wanted me to stay with them while I was in town, but I’d refused. Jared could try to control my time here all he wanted, but it wasn’t going to happen.

***

Despite my efforts to avoid her, I was freshly showered and halfway through my makeup when my mother called. I’d hoped that she would forget I was coming, but that was only wishful thinking.

For a moment, I considered ignoring it and going on about my night, but that would risk her coming to find me and I wanted to avoid that at all costs. I didn’t need her showing up at the reunion hysterical and making it all about her.

With a half-finished eyeliner wing, I pressed the big, green “answer” button.