Page 40 of Afterglow
Jazmine and I watch as the two of them argue back and forth. I narrow my eyes, focusing on Jay as he rakes his gaze down Willow's figure. A small smirk forms on my lips. Oh he is introuble. Jay doesn't waste another moment, his face already red from arguing. He hauls her over his shoulder and makes his way to us.
“Put me down,”
“Not happening, Sweetheart.”
Willow continues to yell at Jayden while smacking her fists against his back.
I nod towards the exit and Jazmine happily follows me to the car. I move closer to her, placing my hand on the bottom of her spine.
“Are they always like this?” I ask, noticing as Jazmine straightens.
“Unfortunately. This has been my life since”Yawn “—we were all fourteen,”
“You, okay?”
“Just really tired,” Jazmine says, as we sit in the car.
I buckle her in and go to move, but she pulls me back. After one final yawn, she rests her head against my shoulder. Butterflies back flip in my stomach, as I push a loose strand of Jazmine’s hair behind her ear.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so calm, or at rest. In class, Jaz seems restless with the inability to relax. But right now, she doesn’t care about what will happen tomorrow.
In the passenger seat, Willow is giving Jayden the silent treatment. Whenever he tries to sneak a glance at her, she flips him off and turns away. I want to laugh at their dynamic. Jayden isn’t going to hear the end of this, I saw the way he was looking at Willow.
Jazmine tightens her grip on my bicep, snuggling closer to me. This night is getting better by the minute.
***
Jazmine Allen is an easy-going drunk.
I have touched her more in the past half an hour than in the last three years. That isn’t even the best part, it’s the fact that shewantsme to hold her. It feels like I am back in high school and have a crush on the unattainable girl who is out of everyone’s league.
My hand is attached to her lower back as we enter her apartment. This is the third time I’ve looked at Jazmine without lust glazing my eyes. The first was after her panic attack at the party and the second when I found thebruise on her wrist. Both times fear overcame me, not wanting Jazmine to be hurt in any way.
The realisation surges through me like an electric shock. After my mother passed away, I promised myself I wouldn’t feel anything other than lust with a woman. Emotions are dangerous—they knot your heart strings until you can’t breathe without that person being next to you. Then they leave you stranded, lost in what could have been.
Jazmine straightens her spine as loud voices reverberate into my ears. Jayden and Willow are fighting. Again. This isn’t going to end well. I lean down slightly, whispering into Jazmine’s ear. “What is going on?”
Her breath hitches and she rolls her shoulders back. “Nothing good.”
Jazmine tugs me toward them, that’s when I hear it.
“You’re a bad fucking influence is what you are,” Jayden yells.
“Oh no, whatever will I do, Jayden Allen believes I am a bad influence. My life is ruined,”
“Why are you not taking this seriously? Jazmine has been doing so well, the last thing she needs is for you to come back and lead her into a fucking spiral.”
Jayden's comment smashes into me. Spiral? Is he talking about freshman year? Or maybe something else?
“Are you kidding me? Fuck you Jayden. Jazmine is my best friend, I would never do that to her. A little alcohol isn’t going to kill her, she needs to let loose every once and a while otherwise, yeah, she will fucking combust.”
Jazmine’s eyes clash with mine for a brief second, before Jayden is lashing out at Willow again.
“It’s okay for you to say that you won’t be here to pick up the fucking pieces. Because that’s all you do, run away when things are tough and you don’t get your way.”
Willow rears back, flinching at Jayden’s comment. Clearly, there is some history here that I have no clue about. Jazmine is on the verge of tears as she screams at her brother.
“Get the fuck out Jayden!” She points towards the door. He tries to come closer to her but Jazmine stands her ground. “Don’t come any closer, I want you out. That was completely uncalled for, you didn’t need to bring that up. I don’t care how angry you are,”
