BLURRY | SPRINA

Chapter Twenty

The tires screeched as Jasper floored the gas, the engine roaring like a beast let loose. Trina barely had time to react as the car surged forward, straight toward the man blocking their path.

At the last second, the man lunged to the side, barely avoiding getting hit. Jasper didn't slow down. He swerved around him and shot down the street, gripping the wheel so tight his knuckles turned white.

"Jasper — who is that!" Trina yelled, her breath uneven as she looked behind them.

Jasper didn't answer right away, his focus locked on the road. The black SUV from earlier suddenly peeled out from its parking spot, accelerating in their direction.

"Dammit," he cursed. "Trina, listen to me — do not panic."

Her stomach twisted. "How do you expect for me not to —"

"That man works for someone my family screwed over a long time ago. I thought he was long gone, but clearly, he's been waiting for the right time to strike," Jasper explained, his voice sharp with tension. "And now, thanks to me, you're in the middle of it."

Trina's hands curled into fists. "This isn't your fault."

Jasper's jaw clenched, but he didn't argue. The SUV was gaining on them, weaving through traffic with reckless speed.

Then — BAM.

The SUV rammed into their back bumper, jolting them forward. Trina gasped, bracing herself against the dashboard.

"Son of a —" Jasper growled, gripping the wheel tighter as he fought for control of the car.

The SUV tried to hit them again, but Jasper cut the wheel sharply, making an unexpected turn down a narrow street. The SUV overshot and had to swerve to follow, giving them a few precious seconds of distance.

"Almost there," Jasper muttered, pressing a button on his phone's screen.

"Who are you calling?"

"My pilot," Jasper said, voice strained. "The jet needs to be ready to take off the second we get there."

Trina swallowed hard, adrenaline pumping through her veins. "And if we don't make it?"

Jasper's eyes flicked toward her, his expression unreadable. "We will."

He pressed harder on the gas, speeding through the last stretch of road leading to the private airstrip.

The gates were already open when they arrived, the sleek private jet waiting on the tarmac. Jasper drove straight onto the runway, not even bothering to slow down as he approached.

"Get out — now!" Jasper ordered as he threw the car into park.

Trina unbuckled, throwing open the door and running toward the jet. Jasper was right behind her.

The sound of tires screeching behind them made her heart leap into her throat. The black SUV skidded to a stop at the entrance of the airstrip, and the doors flew open.

Men in dark clothing spilled out.

"Go, go, go!" Jasper urged, grabbing Trina's hand and pulling her up the stairs of the jet. The pilot was already at the controls, ready for takeoff.

The second they were inside, Jasper slammed the door shut and locked it. "Get us in the air now!" he shouted to the pilot.

Trina barely had time to catch her breath before she felt the jet start to move. She looked out the window, her heart hammering. The men were running toward them, guns drawn — but it was too late. The plane was already speeding down the runway.

As they lifted off the ground, Trina finally exhaled, her entire body shaking.

Jasper let out a breath too, running a hand through his hair as he leaned against the cabin wall. "That was too damn close."

Trina turned to him. "Jasper...what the hell did your family do?"

Jasper's eyes darkened, his expression guarded. "It's not like you don't already know..being an alcazar comes with enemies."

Trina held his gaze, her chest rising and falling with unsteady breaths. "Yeah, I get that," she said, voice tight. "But what I don't get is why they're after you specifically. What exactly did your family do to make someone come after us like that?"

Jasper exhaled sharply, pushing off the cabin wall. He paced for a moment, running a hand through his hair before shaking his head. "Trina, this isn't something I want you involved in."

Trina let out a hollow laugh, gesturing toward the window. "You think I'm not already involved? I was just chased through the streets of Puerto Rico and nearly run off the road. If you want to keep me out of it, then tell me the truth so I can at least understand what I'm up against."

Jasper's jaw tightened. "It's not that simple."

"Make it simple."

Silence stretched between them, thick and unyielding. Jasper looked at her, torn between wanting to protect her and knowing that telling her the truth could drag her even deeper into his family's mess.

When he didn't respond, Trina sighed, crossing her arms. "I can't do this, Jasper. I can't be with someone who won't trust me with the truth."

His head snapped up, eyes flashing with something unreadable. "That's not fair."

"Neither is keeping me in the dark when my life is on the line," she shot back. "I deserve better than this."

Jasper stepped forward, his hands reaching for hers, but she pulled back before he could touch her.

"I need some space," Trina said quietly, her voice laced with conflict. "At least until I figure out if this—if we—are something I can handle."

Jasper stared at her, every instinct in him telling him to chase after her, to convince her to stay. But he didn't.

Instead, he nodded stiffly, watching as she turned away, her footsteps echoing through the cabin as she went to take a seat alone.

By the time they landed in Port Charles, the distance between them felt heavier than it had before.

—

Jasper pulled up to Trina's house, shifting the car into park. The ride had been silent, the weight of unspoken words thick in the air.

Trina unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door handle, pausing when Jasper finally broke the silence.

"Trina."

She turned, her frustration and sadness evident on her face. Jasper hesitated, the words he wanted to say tangled in his throat. He had meant to remind her to stay safe, to be careful after everything that had just happened.

But when he saw the way her expression wavered, the sadness flickering behind her eyes, the words changed before he could stop them.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Her gaze dropped, and she gave a small nod before stepping out of the car, closing the door behind her.

Jasper sat there for a long moment, gripping the steering wheel, staring at her door. Every part of him wanted to go after her, to fix this before the space between them became something permanent.

But instead, he exhaled sharply and forced himself to put the car in drive.

As he pulled away from the house, the hollow feeling in his chest only deepened.