Page 94 of Broken Boundaries

“Jasmine. It’s Brooks.”

“Yeah, I know.” Right. I’m sure she has my contact info.

“Right. Uh, have you seen Aspen?”

“Yes.”

I pause and wait for her to provide more information, but she doesn’t.

“Can you tell me where she is?”

She sighs. I’m getting tired of people sighing at me tonight.

“She asked me not to.”

“Why? What is going on?”

There’s rustling through the phone, and I can hear Jasmine walking, which gives me a sneaking suspicion that Aspen might be hiding out wherever Jasmine is.

“Listen, I think she just needs a little bit of time. She’s upset about what Zach said, but she also feels terrible about coming between you two. She just needs to think.”

“No, she doesn’t. There’s nothing to think about. She belongs with me!”

“I know that and you know that, but our girl needs a minute to breathe, ok? I’ll keep an eye on her tonight and text you where she is in the morning.”

“Jasmine, no. I need to talk to her now.”

“I can’t let you do that.”

“Jasmine!”

“Talk to you in the morning, bossman.”

She hangs up, and I have the sudden urge to throw my stupid phone against the wall, but I stop myself because then I wouldn’t get the stupid text I have to wait for.

How am I supposed to get through tonight without her?

CHAPTER 34

Aspen

I can tell my eyes are swollen before even looking at them. I spent most of the night crying, which is annoying because I promised myself I wouldn’t cry over a man ever again, but here we are.

Jazz let me stay at her place last night, and by ‘let’ I mean she practically forced me to. She followed me to Brooks’s house, helped me get my things, and made me come straight to her house.

My original plan was to leave Blue Haven immediately. I let myself get too comfortable and think that this was finally going to be the place I call home. I should’ve known it was too good to be true.

When Zach screamed at me in the lobby of Moonlight Ranch, it was a harsh reminder that I don’t belong here. This is his town. Not mine. Yes, he uprooted my life and then fucked me over, but he has the history here. People are always going to be on his side. Besides the few friends I’ve made, I’m by myself. I’m always by myself. I need to stop thinking that that will ever change. Maybe this is the universe’s way of telling me I don’t deserve happiness.

My heart feels so heavy. I feel so alone.

“There she is,” Jazz says as she walks into her room with a coffee cup. “I was worried you were gonna sleep all day.”

She hands me the cup, and I take a sip.

“What time is it?” My voice sounds so groggy.

“Almost eleven.”