Welcome back to Seacrest, Are you ready for more?
Volume 2 of the Heartbreak High series.
***
Lucas is back in business, picking up to shattered pieces of his life as a new year dawn's on Seacrest bringing about new challenges, new romance and even...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I don't know how long I've been here-maybe hours, maybe just minutes. Time's been strange, slipping through my fingers like sand. Every minute drags on forever, but forever feels like nothing. The chair is cold and hard beneath me, but I barely feel it. Everything seems distant, like it's happening to someone else, not me.
The officer across from me is staring, his voice flat and unyielding. "Jasmin?"
I turn my head slowly, forcing myself to meet his eyes. He's waiting for something, but I don't give him much. I keep my face neutral, putting up the hard front I've been practicing for what feels like forever. He's impatient, I can tell, but I'm not giving him the satisfaction of seeing me crack.
"We've been over this before," he says, his tone sharper now. "We know you were there at the party."
I blink, taking a slow breath. I know I should say something, anything, but I don't owe him anything. My mind races, but I keep my expression calm, controlled. It's like there's this wall between me and everything else-everything that happened, everything they want me to admit.
He's watching me closely, waiting for me to slip up. But I've been through too much to let him get under my skin. I stare past him at the wall, focusing on the little things-the way the shadows shift with the flickering lights, the ticking of the clock. It's all just noise, stuff to distract myself with.
I'm not avoiding his questions; I'm just not interested in playing his game. He can push all he wants, but I'm not cracking. I don't remember the party, and even if I did, I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing it.
He's waiting for me to speak, thinking he can break through this front I've put up. But I've spent too long building it up to let some cop tear it down. I don't feel numb-I feel focused, determined to keep everything locked up where it belongs.
The room is cold, the lights too bright, but I don't care. I'm here, but I'm not giving him anything. My body is in this room, but my mind is locked away, safe from whatever he's trying to dig up.
The officer leans in, his voice harder now, like he's trying to force something out of me. "Jasmin, we can help you, but you have to help us first. Just tell us what happened."
I finally look him in the eye, keeping my expression steady, showing him nothing. He thinks he's going to break me, but he has no idea who he's dealing with.
"I'm not telling you anything until I have a lawyer."
The words are firm, final. I know what they mean, and so does he. But I don't care. This is my line, and I'm not crossing it. I've worked too hard to protect myself, and I'm not letting him tear down the walls I've built.
