Dark Secrets

Chapter 9

      My stomach churned as I stared at Matt for several seconds. "Did her brother say if she knew who it was who pushed her?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly.

He shook his head. "Nah, apparently she only got a glimpse of the person, someone wearing a hoodie. She couldn't see who it was. But anyway the important thing is that she has woken up and hopefully she'll be okay. Maybe we'll be allowed to visit her soon." He walked out of my office.

I sat there with a hundred thoughts whirling around in my brain. Nikita had been attacked the day after the blow up with Jasmine. It was someone wearing a hoodie. Jasmine had a black jacket with a hoodie, but then half the population of Sydney probably also had jackets with hoodies. And Jasmine had come back to me three nights later claiming to have gotten Nikita out of her system. But she had been asking me every day over the last two weeks if there was news of Nikita's condition.

I knew this was all circumstantial evidence, but I still couldn't help those nagging doubts. Jasmine could have easily done it, and if she did, then she had probably done the same to her ex-boyfriend. Was Morgan Williams right? Was I living with a killer?

At lunchtime Jasmine suggested since it was such a nice day we go to the park where we first met. So we picked up a Subway roll each and went to the park. We were in luck, 'our' seat was vacant. She was in a good mood, and when we finished eating she sat close to me with her head on my shoulder.

"Mmmm," she murmured, "This is so nice. Tell me you'll never leave me, Josh."

"Of course I won't," I said as I crossed my fingers behind my back.

As we walked back to our building, she looked at me. "So is there any news yet of the office tramp?"

I hated it when she referred to Nikita like that.

"Yes, there is news," I replied watching her expression, "She woke up yesterday."

Her expression stayed neutral. "Did she say how she happened to fall down the stairs?"

"She said she was pushed, but she didn't see her attacker."

I continued to watch her face as we walked. Was that a brief expression of relief?

"Well that's good," she said, "I mean it's good that she's woken up from the coma."

"Yes it is good," I said, "We're hoping she'll make a complete recovery."

Jasmine was silent for the rest of the walk.

That night after we had made love and she was sound asleep, I lay there next to her listening to her breathing, wondering if I had made a terrible mistake. I loved Jasmine with all my heart, but had I rushed blindly into this relationship too fast? I think the answer was yes. Nikita had been right. It was strange that Jasmine agreed to be my girlfriend after just four days of knowing each other, and then asking to move in with me less than three weeks later. I had just assumed that she loved me so much that she wanted to be with me all the time. Maybe there was another reason.

I couldn't sleep, I carefully slipped out of bed, went to the kitchen and made myself a cup of coffee. Then I stayed up till three o'clock watching late night moves on TV with the volume low. Eventually I rejoined Jasmine in bed. She didn't stir. I lay there for another hour before drifting off into an uneasy sleep.

The next day passed without incident, although I almost fell asleep at my desk several times, however the following day brought the next development towards the disaster which I somehow knew was coming.