Glass Houses || [Noah Sebastian]

Prologue

      Veronica sits quietly with her hands placed neatly upon her crossed legs as she watches her fiance, Jasper, pace back and forth across their hardwood floor, causing it to moan slightly under his heavy steps. His large hands tugging harshly at his deep brown hair, eyes shut, and voice hard.

    "how could you embarrass me like that, veronica?" he bellows for what seems like the millionth time,  causing Veronica to jump slightly in her spot. However, like the numerous times before she remains silent, her head hanging low in shame, eyes shut tightly to avoid the tears from spilling over. She hadn't expected the night to take such a drastic turn. But a few cocktails in and before you knew it the causal outing turned sour.

  Her and Jasper had just returned from a dinner with his boss about twenty minutes ago, and to say tensions were high would be an understatement.

   It was herself, Jasper, his boss Steven and his wife Lydia. They we all engaging in meaningless small talk around the table for a while, before the topic of Veronica's hometown was tossed around lightly. It was all light hearted fun until Lydia made a snark comment about Veronica coming from the wrong side of the tracks, to which she retorted back with a sly comment of her own. At first she was caught off guard, but as the statement hung in the air, her blood began to boil. She tried not to come off too rude, confrontation not something she would ever typically want to engage in. She believed she had been as polite as possible, but the look of disgust and disbelief on Lydia's face said otherwise.

  Veronica is brought back to reality the second Jasper's large open hand collides with the delicate flesh of her cheek. Instantly tears begin to pool in her blue eyes as she peers up at the man she used to swear would never do anything to hurt her. His face showing nothing but pure anger and disgust as he towers over his much smaller fiance with his hands now balled into large fists at his sides. Her dainty hands come to touch the sore spot on her face as she attempts to keep the tears at bay.

  "oh do not give me those fake ass tears of yours and don't you DARE ignore me when i am speaking to you" Jasper hollers at her as he grabs a fist full of hair with one hand and pulls her off their black couch. 

"i'm sorry Jas" Veronica quietly pleads using his nickname in hopes to calm him some.
  The stinging from his strong hold on her scalp almost unbearable as he begins to tighten his grip.

"All I asked for you to do was keep your fucking mouth shut and not make me look stupid in front of my boss" he screams at the top of his lungs, his loud echo bouncing off the walls of their house. At this point he is furious, a blinding rage building up inside of him.

    Jasper quickly flings Veronica on the ground, her small frame managing to hit every possible thing in her path. Making her wince out quietly in pain, but she keep her cries to herself not wanting Jasper to get even more angry with her than he already was.

  "you are so worthless" he growls at veronica as he walks into the kitchen to grab a beer from their fridge.

it is hard to believe that Jasper Shane Williams was ever anything shy of the ruthless control freak he is now, but he was. which is why Veronica fell in love with him when they first met five years ago. Her being only 18 at the time him, 21. He walked up to her on a snowy day as she sat in the library of Penn State studying for her journalism exam. He was on his last year at the college, getting his business degree in the spring while it was merely her first. He instantly captured her heart with his charming smile and smooth words. As graduation approached that spring she was prepared to say goodbye to the man she fell oh so hopelessly for, that was until he offered up something she could not refuse. Jasper's plan was to move to upstate New York to continue studying while working alongside one of the top Businessmen on the East Coast. He knew he would not return to Pennsylvania, considering he had no relations with his family besides his father who lived in Nevada, and Veronica had no one there, considering the only shreds of a so called family lived back in Virginia where she was raised. He promised Veronica a house in the more rural area of the the state, he promised to provide for her and love her. To the then 18 year old that was music to her ears, so she dropped out of school and left everything behind.

  Jasper was good the first few years they lived together, their lives were something you would read in a book. As he worked more, and had many successes they were able to travel to many different places, and vastly explore the world together. He provided her with a beautiful life of luxury, one she was grateful for considering she never really had much to begin with. Then randomly one day he got distant and hostile towards her. She chalked it up to just a few bad days at work, then stared the simple shoving and name calling that quickly rose to punches and blackened eyes.

Oh how she used to long for Jasper to be anywhere near her but now she fears the thought of him.

~~~~

   Veronica lays under the grey comforter of her and Jasper's shared king size bed. Her black hair pulled back into a loose bun, her face free of makeup and sore. The night sky is visible from the window that sits on Veronica's side, their sheer curtains slightly ajar. She often goes off into a daze she she peers out of it, dreaming of a better life, or at least one where Jasper loved her more. Her eyes do not stay on the window long before her attention is averted to the ring that sits snug upon her left hand. The diamond shimmering in the bright light of the moon as a few tears fall from her eyes while she recalls the day he asked for her hand in marriage. It was only about a year and a half into their relationship but she did not hesitate when she said yes on that snowy day in Manhattan.

  "You know, i meant every word i said that day. I still do" Jasper's light voice picks up as he come out from the connected bathroom. His upper body on full display as he adores nothing but some grey ball shorts.
He had been watching her for a few moments before he made his presence known to Veronica. Absorbing her twist her hand around to beam down at the large rock on her left ring finger.
   "i know, Jas.." Veronica replies as she puts her hand down, and turns to face Jasper with a forced smile upon her pale lips. Maybe it was the fact that her smile did not reach her eyes or maybe it was the bruise that began to shine deep purple against her creme skin. Either way there was a staleness hanging in the air, as the couple blankly stared at each other.

Jasper knew that the words that fell from her mouth were lies but he did not speak on this, instead he just climbs into bed next to his fiance with a sigh.

  "i love you V.." he lowly whispers

and that is true, he did love her, so much it was sickening. Veronica loves him too, more than she even loves herself. That's why she has stayed as long as she has. But as she lays there, listening to his snoring fill the air around them she begins to come to a realization. One she has put off coming to for years now.
She has to get out, before she doesn't make it out alive.

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Thank you for choosing my story! I have a lot planned for this book, and I hope you enjoy!
-xx J