Page 123 of Broken Pact

“The fuck it’s not!” he yells back at me.

I stare at him with fire in my eyes. “We agreed it wasn’t real. We made rules. We’ve just been . . . pretending.” The words taste like ash on my tongue. Lies and twisted truths.

“Bullshit,” he practically seethes. “You want to be mad at me, baby? Fine, be fuckin’ mad. But I didn’t take you for a liar.”

“That’s rich, coming from you, Jagger.”

A muscle flutters along his jaw as he stares at me. “I’ve never lied to you, Coraline.”

I didn’t think I would bring this up, not when it could taint this new thing we were starting. But it feels like this ship is starting to sink anyway, so might as well get the answers I’ve been waiting years for.

“Two years ago, I didn’t run. I caught you cheating on me, so I left.”

He shakes his head, his expression so severe it looks like it was carved from stone. “I’ve never cheated on anyone in my life. You know I wouldn’t do that, Coraline. I thought you knew me better than that.”

I lick my lips, tasting the salt from my tears. “I thought so too. But then I saw it with my own two eyes.”

His mouth parts, disbelief etched all over his face. “You saw me fucking someone else? Impossible because it never happened.” His voice gets loud, his frustration leaking out of him.

My mouth parts, but nothing comes out. My mind reels as Jasper's words sink in. I close my eyes, trying to remember the details of that night two years ago. The night that shattered my trust in him, in us.

I squeeze my eyes shut tighter, memories from that night flickering behind my lids like an old film reel. The thumping bass of the music, the sticky heat of too many bodies crammed into the clubhouse. The girls in the bathroom talking about wanting to fuck him, and the girl on his lap.

But . . . then I left. I didn’t see him kiss her or take her or anyone else to his room. I just assumed the worst when I saw her sitting on his lap. The jealousy and insecurity had blinded me, made me jump to conclusions without giving him a chance to explain. Suddenly, doubt creeps in, replacing the anger and hurt.

I open my eyes and meet Jasper’s intense gaze. “I heard those girls talking about a bet. About getting you to sleep with all of them.” I pause and swipe my tongue along my bottom lip. “They said you’d agreed to their bet. And then I saw that girl on your lap, and I just . . .”

“You left without even talking to me,” he finishes my thought, hurt radiating from him in waves.

Jasper takes a step closer, his expression raw and pained. "I would never cheat on you, Coraline. Those girls were talking shit, trying to get a rise out of you. And that girl on my lap? I pushed her off the second she sat down. But I guess you didn't stick around long enough to see that part."

Shame washes over me, hot and prickly. I avert my gaze, unable to hold the intensity of his stare any longer. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, my voice thick with unshed tears. “I should have trusted you.”

“Yeah,” he says, his voice gruff. “You should have.”

“But that doesn’t change the fact that you lied to me about Falcone.”

His jaw clenches and he looks away for a moment before meeting my gaze again. “I didn’t lie, Coraline. I was protecting you.”

Frustration surges through me. “I’m not some delicate flower, Jasper! You have no right to make decisions about my life and my livelihood without even consulting me.” My voice rises with each word until I'm nearly shouting.

He takes a step closer, his expression pained. “Baby, that’s not it at all. I trust you?—”

I take a step back and glance away. “I need to finish this order before Mrs. Hansen comes to get it this afternoon. Let’s just . . . take a second. We can talk about it later, okay?”

The silence is thick between us, bloated with all the things we said and heavier with everything left unsaid.

“Yeah, alright.” He taps his fingers on the counter twice before slowly backing away.

As he takes his first step towards the door, a sharp pain shoots through my chest and it feels like something inside me has cracked. The sensation deepens with each of his steps until it feels like a deep crevasse has been carved down my center.

It’s as if my heart is physically splitting in two, torn between wanting him to leave and desperately wanting him to stay. The weight of our unspoken goodbye hangs heavy in the air, suffocating me with its intensity.

The sound of the bell above the door echoes in my ears as Jasper walks out, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I sink down onto the stool behind the counter, my legs suddenly weak. The papers Falcone left crinkle in my hand, a stark reminder of the secrets that have unraveled between us.

I take a shuddering breath, trying to steady the maelstrom of emotions swirling inside me. Hurt, confusion, and a deep ache settle in my chest as I replay our conversation, dissecting every word, every expression.

The rational part of my mind reasons that he was trying to protect me in his own way. But the hurt, impulsive side can’t get past the fact that he kept something so huge from me. I feel betrayed, like the trust between us has been shattered.

---