Page 44 of Behind the Bars

He just stood up and left, gently closing the door behindhim.

I hadn’t known how painful a broken heart could look until I stared into Ray’s eyes that night. I hadn’t known how quickly my heart could shatter until I watched the closest thing I had to a father walk out the frontdoor.

“How could you, Mama?” I asked, in shock. “How could you do that to him?”Tome…

“He was nothing, a wannabe star who was holding you down. So, I found new opportunities. Life is about opportunities that move you forward, and Ray was getting us nowhere.” She went back to eating her chicken, and I couldn’t let go of the confusion in my chest. I knew Mama was hard sometimes, but I didn’t know she washeartless.

“But he lovedyou.”

“Love?” Mama asked. “Love doesn’t get you anywhere in this world, child. Don’t beridiculous.”

“You didn’t lovehim?”

“I loved what he could’ve done for this family, but he didn’t follow through. Like I said, love makes people weak, and I have no time forweakness.”

“Do you love me?” I asked, terrified to hear heranswer.

Her brows knitted together, and she placed her fork down. “I’ll love you the day you stop letting medown.”

I’d never known true loneliness until that verymoment.

Chapter Eleven

Jasmine

Weeks passed,and Ray didn’t come back. Like the true man he was, he still paid all the bills without a moment of hesitation.For me.Everything that man ever did was forme.

Each day that went by was more painful, and Mama was more aggressive and mean. She was obsessed with working me all day and night whenever I wasn’t at school. Seeing Elliott was out of the question, and the only time we were really able to talk was in the hallways before and afterclasses.

I was tired. I missed Elliott, I missed Ray, and I missed soulmusic.

At school one Monday afternoon, a knot formed in my gut as I walked past the office and saw Mama shaking hands with the principal. I hurried over just as she was walking out of theoffice.

“What are you doing here?” Iasked.

“It’s good to see you too, Jasmine,” she replieddryly.

“What are you doinghere?”

She glanced around the hallways. “I don’t understand why you were so desperate to go to public school. I hatedschool.”

“I love ithere.”

“Yes, well, now you can say you’ve had the experience. We’re leaving tomorrowmorning.”

“What?”

“Unlike Ray, Trevor set up some great opportunities for you over in Europe. He even booked the trip for us and found us a place to stay inLondon.”

“What?” My heart flew to my throat. “No…”

“Yes. It’s going to be great. We’re meeting with the best studio known to mankind over there. They are known for makingsuperstars.”

“I’m notgoing.”

“Yes, you are. I just finished the paperwork with yourprincipal.”

What?“How long have you known this was going to happen?” I asked her. “When did you know we were going to bemoving?”

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