Page 12 of Tempted

Jasmine looked in on Chelsea first. She was sitting at the miniature desk in the corner of her princess pink room, coloring. Assuring herself the little girl was okay, Jasmine moved to Tyler’s room. The door was firmly closed shut.

Slowly, she twisted the knob and pushed the door open a little at a time, just enough to stick her head through. The sight that greeted her surprised Jasmine. Lying prone on the bed, face down with his head buried in the pillow, and shoulders shuddering, Tyler cried as if his little heart was breaking.

Jasmine would have never pegged him for a crier and it broke her heart to see him like this. The kid was only eight after all, and it didn’t help matter that he was virtually being ignored by an absentee father.

As if sensing another presence, he lifted his head and looked in her direction. The initial look of surprise was soon replaced by that stubborn petulance Jasmine had grown accustomed to. Poking out his bottom lip, and narrowing red-rimmed blue eyes, he wiped the snot from his nose with the back of his sleeve and snarled. “Go away. I don’t want you here.”

Completely ignoring his statement she walked toward the bed and took a seat on the edge. “I’m sure your father had a good excuse for not showing up,” she said softly.

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” he muttered under his breath.

“You may not want to, but it’s obviously bothering you, and when something is making you hurt to the point where you’re lashing out against people who care about you, I think it helps to get it off your chest.”

“I said I don’t wanna talk about it! You can’t make me!” The loudness of his declaration made her flinch.

Jasmine had to remind herself that this wasn’t personal, as much as Tyler was trying to make it so. “You’re not going to get rid of me that easily.”

Tyler scrambled to a sitting position and raised his fist at her, poised to strike.

“Tyler this isn’t the way to deal with your anger. Don’t do it.” The words were soft but her tone was firm.

Tyler swung at her.

Before his blow could connect, Jasmine caught his wrist and pushed it away. “That’s enough Tyler. I’m not to blame for what happened today, and neither are you. It’s not your fault your father didn’t show up.”

Jasmine knew how it felt to be that kid who wondered why her father didn’t care enough to be apart of her life. It had hurt a hell of a lot when she was younger, to the point where she’d often believed there was something wrong with her.

Tyler’s bottom lip quivered before he burst into noisy tears. “He’s never there. He hates me!”

Jasmine, engulfed him within her embrace, and at first he remained stiff and unyielding, but then, he relaxed, grabbing a handful of her shirt and holding her close. Tears stung the back of her eyes at the child’s obvious heartbreak. For each tear Tyler shed, Jasmine cried two of her own.

Cradling him in her arms, she rocked him back and forth, stroking his dark head. “Sweetheart, it’s going to be okay. That’s it, cry if you need to,” she whispered soothing words against his ear.

When he sobs became mere, hiccups, the boy pulled away, and shot Jasmine a look of embarrassment. “Sorry,” he muttered under his breath.

“It’s okay, honey. There’s no shame in crying.”

“Adam wouldn’t cry,” Tyler countered.

“I’m sure even Adam cries. Everyone does, even your father.”

“No way. My dad wouldn’t cry. Besides, he has nothing to cry about because he doesn’t care about anything except his stupid job. I bet if his office burned down he might, but not over anything else.”

“I doubt that’s true.”

“It is. He didn’t even cry when Mommy went to heaven.”

Jasmine absently stroked his hair in a gesture of comfort. “Just because you didn’t see him do it, doesn’t mean he didn’t. And what’s more, I think you’re wrong about your father not caring. If he didn’t, would he see that you’re clothed, fed and taken care of? Maybe that’s the way he shows love. When I was a child, my father didn’t stick around to do any of those things, so I’d say your father is more of a father than mine ever was. Don’t write him off just yet. He may surprise you.”

Tyler sniffed, rubbing his eyes with his fist. “D’ya really think so?”

“I know so.” She didn’t really but she wasn’t going to tell an eight year old that.Victor Meade had a lot to answer for.

“Thanks, Jasmine.”

“No problem.”

Tyler’s cheeks turned a bright pink. “Jasmine, I’m sorry for the way I acted at the dinner table, and for trying to hit you.” His contrition sounded genuine and she would have been heartless if she didn’t accept his apology.

---