Page 111 of Behind the Bars

Jasmine was broken, too, just likeme.

Only normally she hid it behind her smiles. Now she’d shown me herdarkness.

She was sleeping, but I didn’t leave rightaway.

I smiled her way and tried to be the bravest man I could be. I told her none of this was her fault. I told her she was the definition of love. I begged her not to blame herself for something the devil had laid on herdoorstep.

Then, I fell asleep right outside the bedroom door, because I selfishly didn’t want to bealone.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Jasmine

Iwokeup alone in Elliott’s bed, feeling like a fool. I had a splitting headache and felt beyond nauseous.Too much eggnog, too muchwine.

“Ugh.” I pushed myself up to a sitting position and smoothed out my wrinkled dress. I tried my best to tame my hair, but not even a hair tie and a high bun could make the monster on my head lesswild.

My eyes met the nightstand beside me, and when I saw a glass of water, crackers, and two Advil, I silently thanked Elliott for putting up with me the night before. I wished it was one of those drunken nights where I forgot everything I said and did, but unfortunately, it wasn’t. I remembered everything, every embarrassing thing I’d done and every embarrassing thing I’d said—throwing myself at Elliott…begging for sex…humiliatingmyself.

I remembered the way I told him to fuckme.

Oh my God, I told Elliott Adams to fuckme.

I remembered the way I fell aparttoo…

After popping the Advil into my mouth, I stood up. I collected all my stuff, and when I opened the bedroom door, I began tiptoeing to the front door, thankful I didn’t seeElliott.

I wasn’t ready to facehim.

“Avoiding me?” Elliott said, walking out of the bathroom right as my hand landed on thedoorknob.

I turned around to see him shirtless, drying his hair with a towel. I gave him a tight, uncomfortable smile. “No, no. I was just going to go check onTJ.”

“I called my mom—he’sokay.”

“Oh, okay. Well, I better get back to my place to help Ray clean up after yesterday. It was amess.”

“Jazz…” he started, his eyes growing so soft. “Lastnight—”

“I drank too much,” I cut in. “I never really did good mixing alcohol, so I’m really sorry for anything I said ordid.”

“You did nothingwrong.”

“I did. I made a fool of myself, and, I’msorry.”

He stepped closer, and the hairs on my arms stood on end. “Whathappened?”

“What…what do youmean?”

Closer.

“What happened toyou?”

I closed my eyes. “Nothing. I’m sorry, really, but I’m okay. It was just too manyshots.”

“You’re notokay.”

Closer.

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