Page 101 of Trust Me

Ned stops in his tracks, turning around to face me. I see a flash of shock cross his face before his anger returns. “Stay out of this.”

He begins to turn around, when Jasmine comes flying out the front door, where Colin holds it open for her.

“Aecha,” Ned breathes.

But she barely glances his way. Instead, her sole focus is on me. “Elio.” Her voice cracks, her legs carrying her over to me and past her dad to stand toe to toe with me.

“I’m fine, dolcezza,” I murmur as her hand lifts, lightly tracing the outside of my swollen lip, then to the bruising I’m sure is on my cheek.

A single tear strolls down her cheek, and I wipe it away gently with a stroke of my thumb. Her features change from hurt to cold within seconds, her jaw tensing, spine steeling as she turns to face her dad.

“Don’t you ever lay a hand on him again.” Her voice is icy, nothing soft about her in this moment.

“Jasmine,” he pleads. “Why him? Do you not remember what I told you that day three years ago?”

“Oh, I do, trust me. It fucks with my head sometimes and makes me feel unworthy. When in reality, it’s always been you and Mother who made me feel that way.”

I reach for her hand, linking our fingers together, my way of silently letting her know that I’m here for her.

Ned takes a step back, looking sullen. “What? How could you say that? You’re our miracle.”

“That might be the problem. I’ve never had any room to breathe my entire life. I can’t make my own choices without either of you approving of them first, because I’m so damn scared of letting you guys down, of veering off the path you guys have envisioned for me.”

“That’s not true. You know your mother and I would support whatever you want to do.”

“Really? Then why did we make a deal that I had to quit volleyball to focus on school? I didn’t want that, not at all. But I did it for you both because I know I’m your one and only child, your one shot at experiencing parenting. I don’t want to ruin that for you both.”

“Jasmine, I want you to be happy, and I know your mother has been hard on you, but it comes from a place of love. I’m sorry you’ve felt this way. I truly am,” he remarks sincerely.

“I love you, Appa. I really do, but if you can’t accept me for me, the life I want to live, and the person I want to spend it with, then I don’t see us having much of a relationship going forward. Elio is a part of my life now, and that’s never going to change. I love him,” she admits, her hand squeezing mine.

Holy fuck.

I’m so fucking proud of her right now, laying her heart out there while sticking up to her dad.

Ned’s mouth parts, inhaling a breath as he eyes his daughter like she’s unrecognizable to him. And she may as well be because she’s shielded her true self from her parents for years.

And then he turns around, walking back to his car without a single word, and drives away.

Jasmine stares into the distance, her body eerily still as tears begin to fill her eyes.

“Jas,” I whisper, giving her hand another squeeze.

Her body begins to shake as a sob rips through her, nearly making her collapse on the ground, but I catch her in time, hauling her into my arms.

I carry her into the lobby and up to our home as her tears soak my sweater, her body shaking against mine. Dropping down onto the couch, I do nothing but hold her tightly as I rub a hand soothingly up and down her back.

She finally spoke up to her dad, and he walked away from her. I don’t blame her for feeling this way, and it kills me knowing I had a hand in her pain.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, my voice hoarse. Seeing her like this is tearing me up.

Jasmine lifts her head off my chest, her teary, broken eyes meeting mine. “Don’t be. It’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong. It’s me. I can never be enough for them.”

I cradle her cheeks as I shake my head. “You don’t need to be enough for them. The only person who needs to approve of you, is you.”

A silent tear strolls down her cheek that I wipe away with my thumb.

“I know that, but hurting them makes me feel awful. Why does the best thing in my life have to be the worst in theirs? And I know it’s a tricky situation, but if I’m happy, it shouldn’t matter, right?”

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