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“He’s got his own issues then because he really did care. I don’t know what—that’s just messed up. Seriously.”
“Thanks for taking my side.”
“Jasmine, I’m always on your side, even when I disagree with you. Okay? Always.”
I believed that. Even when the idiots were pushing or didn’t hear me, they had been trying to help me.
I ended up going off on my own and calling Aidan to have the same talk with him that I was ending things with Dylan and please respect it. That I didn’t like how they had teamed up to pressure me in the past and I wouldn’t be as forgiving of it now.
“You’re worrying me that I’m next, and I haven’t been able to reach you, darling,” he whispered.
“I had a breakdown,” I admitted, tears in my voice. “My grandmother died, and after what Dylan did—everything that’s—I broke.” I told him the short version of what happened that day when Mason, Kiera, and Elijah found me. “So I don’t know what I’m doing, Aidan. I’m sorry, but I don’t. Being with you when you’re on the council is a lot more difficult than…”
“It is,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too. If it was just Jasmine and Aidan, I would be with you. I’m not saying I won’t be, but—Sloan was never meant for the spotlight like that. Hell, I never planned for Jasmine to be this much in the spotlight, but I knew it would probably happen.”
“What comes next?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered. “I want to invite you to the TV night Mason is setting up, so I might have a night off a week to relax, but it… I feel like I’m leading you on or promising things will be okay.”
He was quiet a moment. “You’re not jerking me around. I would rather you invite me if you truly want me there and know that things are still rocky. It’s when the communication is completely cut off that I act so badly. I want to be there for you too and honestly, I’ve never had a TV night. It sounds nice.”
I bobbed my head. “Then join us. Really. I don’t know what we’re doing, but he wants me to… Have a bit of normal and calm. I clearly need it.” I snorted. “It’s going to be weird enough that we’re mostly living in Italy but on US time.”
“People do things like that all of the time around the world. It’s why so many huge cities like New York are always open,” he said gently. “I will talk to Mason and bring something nice for dessert. We can watch whatever you want and relax. It sounds nice.”
“Thanks, Aidan.”
“Thank you for wanting me there.”
We hung up and I stared at my phone, pulling up my messages. I opened the chain with Dylan and saw the last one was what I sent weeks ago. That really did say it all. Even if he was pissed at me for what I said, he didn’t even care enough to check in. We were done.
But I wasn’t going to be blamed for running or being unfair again or anything else.
Me: I apologize for what I said about going to your boss. That was out of line, and I didn’t mean it. I was angry and lashed out. It was the only thing I’ve lied to you about though. But you’re right and this relationship is over.
It took me four tries to get the wording correct without adding in more that wasn’t needed or seemed nasty. I wanted to end it peacefully so maybe one day we could look back on the memories of each other and not hurt. So there was something else I wanted to add.
I thought about “Good luck with ISLE,” but that sounded I was rubbing in the mess he had there.
“Be safe,” was also tricky because he said he took the corner office job so he could be with me—or at least that was what he’d told others—and that could seem like I was rubbing it in his face that he took the job and didn’t have me. I thought that might be a bit much, but we did tend to miscommunicate like that.
Apparently.
I went with “I wish you all the best,” and sent the text before blocking him. That might seem childish, but he had enough other numbers in case of an emergency or real problem.
I didn’t need to be the one who handled them and certainly not with him anymore.
Covering my face, I cried for a good half an hour now that it was done and we were over. I feltreliefand stronger for having ended it. I wasn’t as upset with myself for being pushed around. I didn’t think that was how relationships were supposed to feel.
But I also felt loss. I’d liked Dylan. I did still like him. There had been a lot of moments that had meant the world to me, and I’d seen him as a potential partner. He’d taken a damn bullet for me. The sex was amazing, and I’d felt like he’d valued me.
At least at first. I honestly felt like he liked me better when he thought I was a nobody stripper. It was like the more he realized there was more to me, the more he wanted to lock me in as his turf… But the less I thought he liked me as a person. He said I was impressive, but he would look at me like he’d never seen me and his desires…
That last one hurt the most. Wishing he’d chosen someone with more morals, and I fought to take down bad guys all of the time and save people, was one of the most horrible criticisms and judgments to have. Seriously.
It would have cut me less if he’d just thought me a whore.
