Page 38 of Four Fiances & I

“I hate her.” The three words spill from her mouth with such venom that it takes me a second to realise it was Jasmine speaking and not a voice from the sound system.

“Who?” I ask, even though I can guess the answer.

“My fucking. Bitch. Of. A. Mother.” She punches the bag with each word. The tears are flowing freely now, and I can see she’s starting to break.

“I hate her,” she hisses through gritted teeth. “I’m glad she’s dead.” She’s never voiced much about Carol's death. We always assumed it was because she killed her to save Christian. But I’m starting to think it may be more than that.

“Say it again,” I demand as I watch how her body responds to the mini outburst.

“I hate her.” This time, I notice a wobble in her voice, and I know she will break soon, which is what she needs.

“Again.”

This time, it’s not a word that comes out of Jasmine’s mouth but a small scream of frustration.

“Again,” I order as she punches the bag, but there’s not as much power in it; she’s losing focus.

“Again,” I say as she hits the bag one last time with such force I struggle to stay on my feet. The exact second she punches it, a scream erupts from within her, and her whole body becomes ridged.

I let go of the bag and only just catch her as she falls and continues to scream. She’s expelling so much pain and anguish it's hard to watch. Now she’s started, she can’t hold it in as she continues to scream and cry in my arms as I hold her on the padded floor.

It feels like she screams for minutes; by the time the last scream ends, her voice is almost non-existent. She sobs and shakes in my arms, and I don’t know what to do. What the hell happened for her to have this much of a reaction to her therapy session?

Jasmine shivers in my arms, and I know she will feel the air conditioning down here. It’s enough to make me think and act.

“Put your arms around my neck, Angel,” I whisper as I lift her from the floor and head towards the exit, planning on carrying her to her room. I notice the twins for the first time and can see the pain in their eyes. I know they will want to do something to help her, but I am unsure how.

“Can you grab her a bottle of water and one of those protein bars she likes? We’ll be in her room.”

Sean nods before rushing off to get what I requested.

“Her favourite blanket is in the sitting room; I’ll go get it,” Maximus says as he walks out of the gym, holding doors open for me as we go. I thank him as I head towards the stairs and continue to carry her in my arms, unsure if I can put her down.

As I enter her room, I know the best thing for her will be to rest, but I also know she hates getting into bed before showering after a workout. So, instead of placing her on the bed, I walk into her bathroom and squat down next to the bath, keeping her on my lap as I turn the taps on.

“Let’s get you bathed and into bed, Angel,” I whisper as I hold her close and wait for the bath to fill. I hope I’m doing the right thing and won't make matters worse.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Jasmine lies in the bath as I sit on a stall beside the tub. I’ve washed her hair and hopefully helped her to feel a little better. She hasn’t said a word, only responding with nods and shakes of her head when asked a question. The twins are giving us a little space and waiting for us in the bedroom. Neither of them wants to be too far away.

“Are you ready to come out, Angel?” I watch her nod; her usual bright eyes have lost all sparkle, and her face lacks emotion. For someone who usually always wears a smile, it breaks my heart to see her like this.

Not caring about my shirt getting wet, I lift her from the bath and place her on my knee, where I have a towel ready for her. Wrapping her in two towels plus one for her hair, I carry her into the bedroom. Maximus and Sean both jump to their feet as we enter, but I shake my head, signalling for them to stay back until I have her settled.

Sitting her on the edge of the bed, I dry her off and help her put on a pair of pyjamas she loves. I brush her hair and towel it dry before twisting it into a plait and tying it off at the end with a hair elastic. Helping her to stand, I pull back the covers and watch as she climbs in, picking up her teddy from where it sits and holding it close to her chest.

“Do you need anything, Angel?” I ask, sitting on the edge of her bed as I run a hand over her still-damp hair. She shakes her head, so I reach over to kiss it before standing, but she grabs my hand.

“Stay.” That one word is barely a whisper, but the pleading in her eyes speaks volumes.

“Of course, I’m not leaving you. Move over.” Jasmine slides across to give me some room, and I lie on the bed beside her before pulling her into my arms. She looks at the other two, and they slowly slide onto the bed, so they are close too.

“What do you need, Shorty?” Maximus whispers as he holds her from behind.

“Time,” she croaks, her voice raw from screaming as she did.

“You can have all the time in the world, Princess. You don’t have to tell us anything until you are ready.” Sean whispers as he sits at the bottom of the bed, running his hand up and down her leg. She nods once and closes her eyes, no doubt exhausted after everything that she’s been through. I look at my brothers over our sleeping girl, and they share the look of disbelief and pure heartache for the woman we love and all she is going through.

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