Long Road to Ruin
Past
Jasper was aware of something cool against his skin, and a hand on his arm when his blue eyes fluttered open, and he stared groggily into her face. She looked worried as she pushed his hair from his face, as though she hadn’t slept in days. Had he been out that long?
“You’ve been out for a few hours,” Justine said. “You passed out on the sidewalk by the car as we were leaving the station.”
“Steve,” he said, shutting his eyes. “Steve’s dead.”
“Yes,” Justine whispered, her hand now against his cheek. “I’m so sorry, Jasper.”
Suddenly, his arms were around her, his lips crushing hers as his tongue slid into her mouth and he lifted her up. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist as he pressed her into the wall by the dresser and ignored when she let out a gasp. His kisses were rough, and not like Jasper at all, and it was slightly exhilarating.
Justine felt his nails on her back as she kissed him, her arms around his neck as she heard him groan. He broke away from her with a lustful look in his eyes, and slowly let out a breath. Her eyes widened as she gripped his jaw and kissed him again, never letting him apologize for what he had now done to her.
“Stop,” he mumbled as she bit his lip. “I didn’t mean to.”
“You want me to take care of you,” Justine whispered, her lips now on his neck, and he groaned as she bit him. “I’m giving you what you need.”
“But I-”
“I understand, Jasper, I do. If this was just some random fuck I’d feel badly, but this is you and me, and I would do anything-” her eyes lit up slowly and she grinned. “anything to make you feel better.”
“I don’t want to take advantage-”
“I know what it’s like to be where you are,” Justine whispered as she untangled herself from him, took his hand and led him to their bed. She laid against the pillows, pulling him with her, and as he curled himself around her, she placed her hand in his thick hair, gently massaging it. “When my sister died I fell apart completely. My father had already abandoned us, and my mother was no good to me because her world revolved around drugs and alcohol, nothing more. I was left alone, and that’s when I started to sleep with men to ease the pain I felt.”
“You never told me that,” Jasper said, his breath hot against her skin. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“It’s okay. Shit happens and we become stronger for it, right?”
“In some cases,” he said, nuzzling her chest. He had his head on her arm, and he was holding her very close. “I wonder what people would say if they knew.”
“Oh, I don’t think it would surprise anyone,” said Justine honestly. “They all know how my parents were together. They played their parts respectively in front of company, but once they were alone, that’s when things changed. They fought constantly and yelled at me and Elise for stupid things, and one day I just told them that they couldn’t treat us like this and I left.”
Jasper curled his fingers in her hair and brushed his lips against her ear. “They can’t hurt you anymore,” he whispered. He tightened his grip on her and turned her head toward him. “I’ll always keep you safe.”
Yes, you will, Justine thought as she smiled.
“I love you,” she said and kissed him. “I will always love you.”
* * *
Her body slammed against the wall and she let out a cry, her head pounding as the blood dripped down her forehead, to either side of her nose. Once it got into her mouth, she coughed, sinking to the ground. She felt the concrete against her hands, the granite getting underneath her fingernails as she clawed the ground.
She cringed when his fingers touched her face, and she thought he was going to hit her, even snap her neck. She waited. When the pain didn’t come, she looked up into his face as his hands stroked her cheeks, and she heard something strange come from him. He was making tiny gasping noises. Then something fell against her cheek.
Tears.
He was crying. Crying and holding her. This asshole had come out of nowhere and hit her from behind, and now he was clinging to her, and crying like a child. It didn’t make sense. It had to be an act.
“Why are you-?” she asked, her voice raspy.
“I can’t,” he choked out. He growled softly. “I can’t do it anymore.”
You can’t-”
“He wants me to take her away. He told me that would make everything better. He promised.”
“Take who?”
He released her and was already got before she got her answer.
* * *
Jasper awoke with a start and looked around the darkened room. He reached over to touch Justine and his hand fell on an empty bed. But something brushed his hand and he picked it up. It was a piece of paper. He sighed and rolled over to flick the light on, his eyes widening at what was in his hand. One sentence and it terrified him to his very core.
You can’t protect everything.
“You’ve been out for a few hours,” Justine said. “You passed out on the sidewalk by the car as we were leaving the station.”
“Steve,” he said, shutting his eyes. “Steve’s dead.”
“Yes,” Justine whispered, her hand now against his cheek. “I’m so sorry, Jasper.”
Suddenly, his arms were around her, his lips crushing hers as his tongue slid into her mouth and he lifted her up. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist as he pressed her into the wall by the dresser and ignored when she let out a gasp. His kisses were rough, and not like Jasper at all, and it was slightly exhilarating.
Justine felt his nails on her back as she kissed him, her arms around his neck as she heard him groan. He broke away from her with a lustful look in his eyes, and slowly let out a breath. Her eyes widened as she gripped his jaw and kissed him again, never letting him apologize for what he had now done to her.
“Stop,” he mumbled as she bit his lip. “I didn’t mean to.”
“You want me to take care of you,” Justine whispered, her lips now on his neck, and he groaned as she bit him. “I’m giving you what you need.”
“But I-”
“I understand, Jasper, I do. If this was just some random fuck I’d feel badly, but this is you and me, and I would do anything-” her eyes lit up slowly and she grinned. “anything to make you feel better.”
“I don’t want to take advantage-”
“I know what it’s like to be where you are,” Justine whispered as she untangled herself from him, took his hand and led him to their bed. She laid against the pillows, pulling him with her, and as he curled himself around her, she placed her hand in his thick hair, gently massaging it. “When my sister died I fell apart completely. My father had already abandoned us, and my mother was no good to me because her world revolved around drugs and alcohol, nothing more. I was left alone, and that’s when I started to sleep with men to ease the pain I felt.”
“You never told me that,” Jasper said, his breath hot against her skin. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“It’s okay. Shit happens and we become stronger for it, right?”
“In some cases,” he said, nuzzling her chest. He had his head on her arm, and he was holding her very close. “I wonder what people would say if they knew.”
“Oh, I don’t think it would surprise anyone,” said Justine honestly. “They all know how my parents were together. They played their parts respectively in front of company, but once they were alone, that’s when things changed. They fought constantly and yelled at me and Elise for stupid things, and one day I just told them that they couldn’t treat us like this and I left.”
Jasper curled his fingers in her hair and brushed his lips against her ear. “They can’t hurt you anymore,” he whispered. He tightened his grip on her and turned her head toward him. “I’ll always keep you safe.”
Yes, you will, Justine thought as she smiled.
“I love you,” she said and kissed him. “I will always love you.”
* * *
Her body slammed against the wall and she let out a cry, her head pounding as the blood dripped down her forehead, to either side of her nose. Once it got into her mouth, she coughed, sinking to the ground. She felt the concrete against her hands, the granite getting underneath her fingernails as she clawed the ground.
She cringed when his fingers touched her face, and she thought he was going to hit her, even snap her neck. She waited. When the pain didn’t come, she looked up into his face as his hands stroked her cheeks, and she heard something strange come from him. He was making tiny gasping noises. Then something fell against her cheek.
Tears.
He was crying. Crying and holding her. This asshole had come out of nowhere and hit her from behind, and now he was clinging to her, and crying like a child. It didn’t make sense. It had to be an act.
“Why are you-?” she asked, her voice raspy.
“I can’t,” he choked out. He growled softly. “I can’t do it anymore.”
You can’t-”
“He wants me to take her away. He told me that would make everything better. He promised.”
“Take who?”
He released her and was already got before she got her answer.
* * *
Jasper awoke with a start and looked around the darkened room. He reached over to touch Justine and his hand fell on an empty bed. But something brushed his hand and he picked it up. It was a piece of paper. He sighed and rolled over to flick the light on, his eyes widening at what was in his hand. One sentence and it terrified him to his very core.
You can’t protect everything.