Chapter 28 (Jasper)

It’s hard to find someone you can genuinely trust. Most of the time, people are fake. They paint on a smile, feign interest, and reel you in. I’ll admit that I’ve been a sucker for a pretty face before but I knew, without a doubt, that Mandy was much more than that. Even though I could no longer remember our relationship together, there was some ethereal connection between us that was almost palpable.

“Anyway, as I was saying, once the account was in place, I still ran into my fair share of trouble. From that point forward, I adopted a rich man’s lifestyle. I did what other rich men did, thinking it was what I was supposed to do. I threw parties. Had elaborate dinners for my “friends” and colleagues. Played golf, despite hating it. I did all these things, thinking it would help my status in New York Society. It did.  at the same time, I was miserable.”

“Why?” She yawned as she asked the question.

“I’m sorry, are you tired?”

“No. No. Continue. I want to hear what you have to say.”

“You’ve been here a long time, worrying about me. Maybe you should go home and get some rest.” I suggested. “You must be exhausted.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to go home…” She whispered under her breath.

“Why not?”

She was silent for a moment. Anxiously, she bit her bottom lip, refusing to look me in the eye. I could tell that something was wrong – that there was something she didn’t want to tell me. For a moment, I doubted her honesty. Maybe, she was just like all the rest. She would try to use me – to bleed me dry – and then walk away.

No.

Mandy wouldn’t do that to me.

Would she?

Then again, with my memory gone, I had no way to know if she was a good person or not. I was riding on my gut feeling alone and while that was rarely wrong, I still had my doubts.

“Mandy. Tell me why you don’t want to go home.” I demanded in a firm tone of voice.

Her eyes widened. “I…” She stammered, cheeks turning red. “I’m scared…”

“Scared?” I asked, cocking my head to the side. “What are you scared of?”

“Some of the Hitchcocks got away…”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t remember but the reason you’re here is that my ex-boyfriend was trying to hurt me. I didn’t know this at the time, but his family is a bad one – a very bad one. They control most of the sex work in the town. They take girls from their homes and turn them into slaves. It makes me sick just thinking about it.” I could see the pain in her eyes and it made my heart ache. I wanted to reach out and fold her into my arms but these blasted wires stopped me from moving very much.

“Haven’t the police agreed to protect you?”

“That won’t be enough…”

“You can’t live your life constantly looking over your shoulder.”

“I know.” She balled her hands into fists. “I shouldn’t be so scared to begin with. I’m a police detective. I should be able to fend for myself – to look dangerous situations in the eye and be able to stand my ground and yet, every time I think about Keith I feel like hiding. It’s pathetic.”

“It’s not,” I said, gently taking her hand in mine. “You have nothing to be ashamed of.” 

She leaned forward, resting her head on my shoulder. “When we were together in your cabin, I felt safe. When we laid together in your bed and I was in your arms, it felt like nothing could ever hurt me.”

I wrapped my arms around her as she spoke. “Shh, don’t worry. I’ll still keep you safe. No matter what happens.”

She shook her head. “ you’re hurt.”

I chuckled. “This is nothing. I used to be a Navy SEAL, you know.”

“When did you manage that?”

“Right after high school. I was naive and young. I thought it was the right thing to do. Despite having a full ride to MIT, I still wanted to try my hand at warfare.” I shook my head. “I don’t regret my decision but I can guarantee you that this little scuffle is nothing in comparison to what I went through while overseas. Just ask Andy. We were both blown to smithereens more times than one.”

She cringed. “Don’t say that.”

“It’s true.”

“Well, I don’t like thinking about it.”

I smiled. “I’m glad that you care about me.”

“Of course I do.” She took a deep breath. “Honestly, I don’t know how I fell for you so fast or so hard, but I did. I love you, Jasper.”

“I love you too, Mandy.”

“Then, please, try to remember me.” Carefully, she cupped my cheeks in her hands and kissed my cheek. “Because all those memories are precious to me and I want someone to share them with.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll remember,” I promised, leaning forward to gently kiss her lips.

At first, she was a little stiff but soon enough she melted into it. Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me a little bit closer.

She was sweet and innocent. Everything about her felt genuine and real, unlike all the girls who had spent the night in my penthouse suite. All they wanted was the money in my pocket. Mandy, I could tell, was different. She loved me for who I truly was and that made me love her even more.

“I’ll keep you safe,” I whispered into her hair as I ran my fingers through it. “No matter what happens, I’ll always keep you safe.”