were doing," she said with a weak smile.
"Oh, I'm alright. Nothing too tragic."
"Oh, but it is tragic!" she exclaimed. "It's so awful. I'm so sorry about what he did to you."
"Yeah well, I wasn't lucky enough to get one of the Cael's of the world," I replied.
She stared at me, but didn't look surprised at my comment. "You really love him, don't you?"
Her question puzzled me. "Cael is my friend," I said sadly. "He's your love, not mine."
She sighed heavily and walked to the door. "But you deserve him more than I do." She stepped outside and closed the door behind her before I even had the chance to respond. I stared at the door for what seemed like decades, trying to figure out what she meant.
Chapter Twenty-Five
I didn't want to go to school the next day. I still looked awful from all the bruises covering my body. I wasn't sure if word had gotten around about what happened to me, but I didn't want to find out.
Jasmine came downstairs that morning lugging her suitcases down the steps. I jumped up from where I'd been sitting on the couch. "What are you doing?" I asked.
"I'm leaving," she replied calmly.
"What do you mean you're leaving?" I was beyond confusion.
"Nevaeh, I can't live this lie anymore. Your father doesn't even know who I really am. I don't know what we were thinking deciding to get married," she said.
"Well, you don't have to get married right away. He can get to know the real you first," I said, panic sweeping over me. "And what about the baby?"
"There is no baby," she said. I stared at her in confusion. "I made it up. I thought that would push us towards marriage. See what kind of person I am? When you father's heart stopped I didn't even react. You were balling your eyes out, and I didn't even feel anything. What kind of wife is that?" I didn't know what to say. "And besides, you don't even want me around anyway. Just think of all those times you screamed about how much you hated me."
"But that was before!" I cried. "You can't leave now, when I'm just starting to like you."
I could see the sadness that etched her face. "This isn't where I'm supposed to be," she said softly. "Maybe you and your dad can finally get along."
"Jasmine, what if he doesn't wake up? What if he dies? Then who will I turn to? Where will I go?"
She shook her head. "I don't know, but it wouldn't make any difference if I was here. I'm not your parent." I watched her battle and incredible urge to cry. "Your father just came back to life. It's obvious he has a lot of fight in him."
"That's all the more reason for you to stay," I said.
She picked up her bags and headed for the door. "I'm sorry, Nevaeh."
"I don't understand," I said, my voice beginning to shake.
"Neither do I." And with that, she was gone. I didn't know where she was going, but I knew she wasn't coming back. Everyone was walking right out of my life.
* * *
I went to school the next day, despite the bruises that were still faintly visible and the sling on my arm. There was a devastating loneliness at my house that I could not stand, so I forced myself to get up and go to school. I had to take the bus because I had no other way of getting there. I could feel the stares as I walked through the hall to my locker, but I kept my focus straight ahead, pretending I didn't notice. I began to enter my locker combination but jumped when I felt someone gently touch a bruise on my face.
"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just noticed your bruises."
"Well you're awfully bold, just touching strangers' faces like they somehow won't notice," I said. I did not recognize him.
"Sorry," he said again. "Must've been a hand spasm."
"Or a brain spasm," I said rolling my eyes.
He laughed. "So, could I get your name?"
"Nevaeh," I said simply. "And yours?"
"Brett."
"How come I've never seen you around
"Oh, I'm alright. Nothing too tragic."
"Oh, but it is tragic!" she exclaimed. "It's so awful. I'm so sorry about what he did to you."
"Yeah well, I wasn't lucky enough to get one of the Cael's of the world," I replied.
She stared at me, but didn't look surprised at my comment. "You really love him, don't you?"
Her question puzzled me. "Cael is my friend," I said sadly. "He's your love, not mine."
She sighed heavily and walked to the door. "But you deserve him more than I do." She stepped outside and closed the door behind her before I even had the chance to respond. I stared at the door for what seemed like decades, trying to figure out what she meant.
Chapter Twenty-Five
I didn't want to go to school the next day. I still looked awful from all the bruises covering my body. I wasn't sure if word had gotten around about what happened to me, but I didn't want to find out.
Jasmine came downstairs that morning lugging her suitcases down the steps. I jumped up from where I'd been sitting on the couch. "What are you doing?" I asked.
"I'm leaving," she replied calmly.
"What do you mean you're leaving?" I was beyond confusion.
"Nevaeh, I can't live this lie anymore. Your father doesn't even know who I really am. I don't know what we were thinking deciding to get married," she said.
"Well, you don't have to get married right away. He can get to know the real you first," I said, panic sweeping over me. "And what about the baby?"
"There is no baby," she said. I stared at her in confusion. "I made it up. I thought that would push us towards marriage. See what kind of person I am? When you father's heart stopped I didn't even react. You were balling your eyes out, and I didn't even feel anything. What kind of wife is that?" I didn't know what to say. "And besides, you don't even want me around anyway. Just think of all those times you screamed about how much you hated me."
"But that was before!" I cried. "You can't leave now, when I'm just starting to like you."
I could see the sadness that etched her face. "This isn't where I'm supposed to be," she said softly. "Maybe you and your dad can finally get along."
"Jasmine, what if he doesn't wake up? What if he dies? Then who will I turn to? Where will I go?"
She shook her head. "I don't know, but it wouldn't make any difference if I was here. I'm not your parent." I watched her battle and incredible urge to cry. "Your father just came back to life. It's obvious he has a lot of fight in him."
"That's all the more reason for you to stay," I said.
She picked up her bags and headed for the door. "I'm sorry, Nevaeh."
"I don't understand," I said, my voice beginning to shake.
"Neither do I." And with that, she was gone. I didn't know where she was going, but I knew she wasn't coming back. Everyone was walking right out of my life.
* * *
I went to school the next day, despite the bruises that were still faintly visible and the sling on my arm. There was a devastating loneliness at my house that I could not stand, so I forced myself to get up and go to school. I had to take the bus because I had no other way of getting there. I could feel the stares as I walked through the hall to my locker, but I kept my focus straight ahead, pretending I didn't notice. I began to enter my locker combination but jumped when I felt someone gently touch a bruise on my face.
"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just noticed your bruises."
"Well you're awfully bold, just touching strangers' faces like they somehow won't notice," I said. I did not recognize him.
"Sorry," he said again. "Must've been a hand spasm."
"Or a brain spasm," I said rolling my eyes.
He laughed. "So, could I get your name?"
"Nevaeh," I said simply. "And yours?"
"Brett."
"How come I've never seen you around
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