Page 7 of Tempted

Chapter Three

“And they all lived happily ever after,” Jasmine read before closing the book and setting it down on the nightstand.

Chelsea yawned, stretching her arms above her head. “I love that story. Thank you for reading to me. Ms. Applewhite never did. She said I was too old. Do you think so Jasmine?”

Jasmine ruffled the little girl’s dark hair. “You’re never too old to be read to.”

“Did your mommy read to you when you were little?”

This was a game they played every night since she’d been here. Jasmine would read, and Chelsea would ask a dozen questions afterwards in an attempt to stay awake. Jasmine had come up with a method to keep the questions down to a minimum. She took the first five questions, and then cut the little girl off to do the monster check, as she’d learned Chelsea was afraid of the dark, but had no nightlight to offer comfort.

She made a mental note to bring it up to Mr. Meade when she got a chance to finally see him. The problem was, the man was never home. He was often gone before the children woke up and didn’t get home until they were in bed. Jasmine was beginning to wonder if she’d imagined meeting him.

“Sometimes but not often because she was too busy, but that’s okay because I read to myself,” Jasmine finally answered.

Claudette Brooks had held down three jobs to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. And when she had been home, she slept. This pattern had continued until Jasmine was twelve whenher mother was hit by a bus while crossing the street on her way to one of her jobs.

The saddest part of this entire tragedy was that the accident hadn’t killed her, but instead confined the once proud woman to a wheelchair. It had been Jasmine’s responsibility to take care of her mother, who’d developed a number of medical problems due to the accident. Jasmine lost her mother at seventeen, two weeks after her high school graduation, which Jasmine suspected was what Claudette had been holding on for. Some would say she didn’t have much of a childhood, but her past experiences, and the life lessons taught by her mother shaped who she was today.

“When I grow up, I want to be a princess like in the book and live happily ever after, and marry a handsome prince. Do you think I’m pretty enough to be a princess?” Chelsea declared with a fanciful smile.

“I think you’re gorgeous, but you know, there’s so much more than you can be other than a princess. How about a doctor, or lawyer like your Daddy?”

Chelsea’s brows knitted together into a ferocious scowl. “That’s for smart people. I’m not smart.”

“Who said that?”

“Madison. She said I should marry rich cause that’s my only hope.”

“Does Madison go to your school?”

Chelsea shook her head. “No. She’s Daddy’s friend.”

Mr. Meade’s girlfriend had implied Chelsea was stupid? Nothing in Jasmine’s mind could warrant an adult saying such a cruel thing to a child in any circumstances. “Are you sure you didn’t misunderstand her?”

Again, Chelsea shook her head, this time with more vigor. “Uh uh. She told me I ask too many questions and that I annoy her. I don’t mean to be a pest, but how am I supposed to know stuff if I don’t ask?”

The kid had a point.

Jasmine didn’t like the sound of this Madison person. “Did you tell your Daddy what she said?”

Chelsea pouted. “Daddy wouldn’t believe me. He doesn’t love me.”

Jasmine’s heart wrenched at that statement. “Aww, sweetheart, I’m sure that’s not true. He loves you very much.” Though he was never around, Jasmine was certain he cared about his children.

“No he doesn’t. He sent Adam away, and one day he’ll send me and Tyler away too.”

Adam, she’d learned was Chelsea and Tyler’s fifteen year old brother who was currently at military school. According to Tyler, Adam usually came home over holidays, but not on the winter breaks, choosing to stay with friends.

As curious as she was to hear more, Jasmine needed to check in on Tyler. “Well, we’ll discuss this later, but I need to do the monster check, and then you have to go to sleep, missy.”

“But I’m not sleepy, Jasmine.” The yawn that followed, made a mockery of Chelsea’s words.

Silently, Jasmine stood up and looked under the bed, then checked the corners of the room, before going into the closet. The child’s room was probably bigger than her apartment had been, no wonder she was scared of sleeping in here alone.

“Okay, no monsters here. I think they’ve all run away for the night.”

“Thank you Jasmine,” Chelsea murmured drowsily, holding out her arms for a hug.