Tattoos: COMPLETED ✔

Chapter 41

"Hi," he says softly as if afraid of how I'll react. But I can't do much of anything besides stand there and stare at him stupidly as I contemplate whether I should run and hide or demand answers.

I go with the latter. "What are you doing here? I ask, trying to sound strong, but my voice cracks.

"I came to see you," he says reaching for me, but when his hand touches mine it feels like he has burned me. I yank my hand back.

"Why?" I manage to say.

"I want you back-"

My voice is no long small as I yell, "You want me back? Is this some kind of sick joke?"

I watch the way his eyes burn with fire just like they used to when he got mad, but this time he takes a deep breath and seems to calm down a bit. "I made a mistake, Jas." I flinch at his nickname for me. "That girl ment nothing to me," he says, his eyes pleading for me to believe him, and I almost do for a second but then reality sets in.

Without warning, I flash back to the night when my trust was ripped from me and all the wall came up.

I push my way through the mass of people that crowd the upstairs. I get my hopes up when I see a guy with dark brown hair down the hall, but it's not Tobias. Continuing my way down the hallway I hear, "Don't you have a girlfriend?" coming from behind a closed door.

My eyes roll in disgust, and normally I would have kept walking but then I hear a much more familiar voice. "She's not here, you are," a male voice says. At first my mind refuses to believe it's Tobias in there, but the more I stand outside the door the more I need to know if it's him or not. But what if it isn't him in there and I walk in on two strangers having sex? But the alternative is much worse- what if it is him in there?

I count to five before I rip open the door. I can't breathe; I literally can't breath. I stand numb in the doorway as I watch Tobias thrust into a girl from behind. He must hear the door open because he turns his head. His eyes are bloodshot when he looks at me, and at first he seems suprised but I swear I see a small smirk takes place on his face. I hear someone screaming and it takes me a few seconds to realise it's me; I'm the one screaming.

"Jasmine?" Tobias says, snapping me out of my flashback.

"Why now?" I mumble.

"What?" he asks.

My voice is angry when I say, "Why come back almost two years later?"

"Because I tried to move on after you left me, but I can't. You're my everything."

"Was I your everything when you were fucking that girl?" I yell; a few warm tears roll down my cheek.

"Sweetheart-" he starts.

"Don't call me that," I snap.

"I'm sorry, Jasmine, I was wasted, I didn't know what I was doing."

His smirk replays over and over in my head. "That's not an excuse for what you did."

"I know it's not, but try to understand.. I love you, and I want you back.." he keeps talking, but I stop listening. I push past him, but he grabs my wrist. And it's not the way Jace grabs at my wrist, gentle but firm, Tobias's grip is brutal as he pulls me back to him.

"Let go," I demand, pulling on my arm, but his grip tightens and I wince in pain.

"Just listen to me-" he says, his voice no longer calm and cautious as it was before.

"You're hurting me," I tell him, and his angry black eyes meet mine. For a fearful second I think he's not going to let go, but after a couple of beats he finally releases me.

I hold my tears back, but I barely make it to the downstairs bathroom before I break down. I can taste my tears as I slide onto the floor.

Not a minute later there's a light knock on the door. I sniffle and try to keep the tears at bay when I say, "Just a minute," but my voice cracks.

"Jasmine?" Jace's voice is loud with concern as he says my name. Could this day get any worse?

"Go away," I cry.

"No, open this door," he demands, and when I don't respond he starts pounding on the door. "Open this damn door right now," he yells, and I sigh in defeat, knowing he's not going to wait outside when he knows I'm crying in here.

I reach my hand up to unlock the door and Jace barges in. He looks around the small bathroom until his eyes come to rest on me. His face falls and he locks the door behind him.

He gets down on his knees infront of me, so we're eye level and he asks, "What's wrong, baby? Are you hurt?" He cups my chin and turns my head from side to side. My eyes glance down at my red wrist without thinking, and Jace's eyes instantly snap down. "Who the fuck did this to you?" he demands and grabs my wrist gently in his hand and turns it around to see more red marks. His jaw clenches and his blue eyes turn almost black. "Who. Did. This?" he asks again.

I don't answer him; I can't answer him. I don't know what I would say. "Jasmine, it is taking every ounce of self control not to punch my fist through this fucking wall. Tell me," he pleads.

I avoid eye contact when I mumble, "Tobias." I swear I hear his teeth grind.

Grabbing my chin, he makes me look at him. "Who the hell is Tobias?" he says and softens his harsh tone by wiping away my tears with his thumb.

"My ex-boyfriend." I barely get the words out of my mouth before Jace is on his feet and grabbing the door handle.

"Jace, no!" I yell standing up and grabbing his arm; I wedge myself between him and the door before he can open it. The look on his face tells me he's about to physically move me out of the way and track Tobias down, so he can kill him; I need to calm him down.

I place a hand on his chest. "Jace you can't," but I'm begging him more than telling him.

"Do you really expect me not to do anything after he hurt you? I'm going to kill him, Jasmine," he says.

"That's not why I was crying and no you're not," I tell him slowly.

"Yes I am," he snaps and tries to pull me away from the door.

"If you hurt him, Jace, we are done. Do you understand?" I tell him as a last resort.

He pulls away from me, running two frustrated hands through his hair, and begins to pace my bathroom.

"So what? You're protecting him now?  You still have feelings for him?" he asks, turning to me.

"What? No! I can't believe you would even ask me that," I yell at him.

He slaps his hand against the wall. "I'm sorry, but I just can't see any other reason why..."

"I can give you plenty of reasons why I don't want you to fight him," I say, crossing my arms.

"Name one," he says.

"I'm afraid for you," I admit.

"You're afraid for me?" he asks with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. "I appreciate your concern, baby, but I can handle my own," he says arrogantly.

"That's not what I meant. If you beat the shit out of him, you will go to jail," I tell him.

"I have enough money that-"

I cut him off. "You are not getting my point. I'm telling you not to touch him okay?"

"No, not okay," he says stepping toward me. "Now I'm asking you to move, or I will move you myself." I know he's not bluffing when he says this.

We seem to hold eye contact for hours, but I know it's only been seconds. His eyes tell me everything, so I pick my words carefully. "I'll move, but if you go after him, Jace, don't bother coming back," I warn, meaning every word.

I move out of the way, and Jace doesn’t look at me as he opens the bathroom door and slams it shut behind him.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for all the cliff hangers but vote and comment and I'll update by Sunday!