Chapter 12 (Jasmine)

I don't know why but my head hurt very much. My body felt heavy for some reason so I couldn't move. I felt someone lie beside and by the smell of his cologne I knew it was Jared. I wanted to move so badly but I couldn't so I just lay there.

He laced his hand with mine which lay limp beside me while he moved hair away from my face. What is he doing.

"Jasmine, I'm really sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I should have stayed, I really should have. I promise I'll do better so so much better you won't have to be afraid of being hurt again. I won't let it happen" he whispered.

"I don't know what I would have said to Luna if those people got you. I'm glad that you're safe" he sighed. "Don't worry I'll always be here I'm never going to leave you even if I have to give myself up I'll make sure you're safe" he tightened his hold on my hand, "I just hope you're okay when you wake up. Hugo won't get to you so easily next time don't worry princess, I will always be by your side" he kissed the back of my hand and got up.

I wanted to hold him back and tell him how grateful I was that he showed up last minute and that he didn't have to worry because if not for him I probably would have been found by those men and be killed by now. I wanted to tell him none of it was his fault but I couldn't move or even open my eyes.

I was a bit confused thought, who's Luna and why does he have to tell her about me? I lay there going over everything he had just said until I fell asleep again.

I woke up to a phone going ringing. The sound was quite loud and caused a ring in my head. I groaned and opened my eyes to see Jared standing by the window with his back turned to me. It seems like he was talking to someone on the phone so it was probably his phone I heard ringing.

I couldn't hear what he was saying clearly.

"Don't worry Luna it won't happen again. I promise" he said and ended the call. Luna? Why does the name sound familiar, like I've heard it somewhere before. She probably goes to our school or something.

He turned and walked to the bed before realizing I was awake. "Good morning princess. How are you feeling?" he asked with a warm smile. I smiled back it was kind of small cause of the pain I felt in both my head and leg. "I'm glad you're awake" he sat beside me. "How's your leg?" "It hurts a lot" I said with a pained look my voice hoarse.

He noticed, as he always does, and handed me a glass of water from my bedside. I tried to sit up but he held me down, "Not so fast princess, we don't want the pain to get worse".

I did as I was told, "Don't worry about the pain too much. It'll go away in time at least it's a good sign, now we know you're not paralyzed" I frowned at that statement and he panicked after realizing what he said.

"No I didn't mean it like that just forget that I said anything" he said quickly. I giggled at his reaction and he turned red out of embarrassment, "You look cute RED" I teased. The look was wiped off his face immediately. "Don't call me cute" he said and got up and left.

He came back a little while after with a tray. He placed it on the bedside table."Okay princess it's time to eat" he stood in front of me with his hands on his hips. "Actually I'm not that hungry" I said. "No you have to, you've been on and off the for a while now, I can't have you unconscious again on an empty stomach. Your mom will kill me"

"On and off? Wait what day is it exactly?" "Um.. Wednesday don't you remember you asked that yesterday" he said "No I thought today was Sunday or something. So I've been unconscious for 5 days", I looked at him and he nodded.

"But you don't have to worry about that what, matters is you're awake and you're going to eat and take your medicine. Also your mom just left she said she'll be back to clean your wounds and change you bandage, I have to call and tell her you're awake".

Oh my mom I totally forget. "How is my mom?" he took no time in replying, "Don't worry she's fine so are your aunt and sister, they're taking all this very well actually". I relaxed after hearing that but I became tensed again when I saw the look Jared was giving me.

"Jasmine, I know it's too early for this but why didn't you tell me that you were home alone when I called?"

He was bound to ask sooner or later anyways. When he called my aunt and sister had left to the park but I refused to go with them with the excuse that Jared was coming over and he was, well until he wasn't.

I know that my aunt would never have left me alone if she knew he wasn't coming but in my defense I didn't know he was going to leave last minute. I looked at Jared who had crossed his arms waiting for my answer, "I.. I told m.. my aunt you.. we.. were coming over wh.. which is why she left me at h.. home. I didn't know you were going to cancel last minute".

I managed to say it doesn't really answer the question but I honestly don't have a reason, I really wasn't feeling good that day which is why I called and when he told me he was going to leave I really wanted him to stay but I didn't want to seem weak.

I really felt bad about the whole incident." So why didn't you say anything when I called the second time?" I could clearly see that he didn't like what I did. "I'm sorry okay I just felt whatever it was you had to do was important and I didn't want to be a burden" his glare softened after I told him my reason.

He bent down to be levelled with me on the bed, "Jasmine" he said as he looked me in the eyes, "You are never a burden, never say that again. I accepted to be there for you and I promised to protect you never hesitate to tell me when you need me. I'm here because of you and I'll always be here nothing is more important to me than your safety" his eyes showed how sincere he was and I couldn't help but shed a few tears.

How can someone be so nice and set himself for some girl he met not so long ago and what did I do to be that girl. He hugged me, "You'll be fine, don't worry, I'm not leaving again" he assured and pulled away.

He handed me a tissue and stood up. "Okay since that's solved we have to eat so I can take you home". "Can't I stay at least for the rest of the day please", I didn't really feel like going home and I'm sure it'll be painful, I just wanted to lie down. He pondered over it for a while, "I have no problem with you staying but we'll have to ask your mom first" I smiled at the answer I knew my mom would let me stay.

He helped me sit up, "Okay now princess are you going to take the soup or do I have to feed you" I took the soup from him to drink. It was very good actually I stopped drinking at a point to look at him. " Did you make this yourself ?" "Why do you ask" he asked back with a smile. "Well first of all I didn't know you could cook and this is very good almost like my mom's" I complimented thinking he prepared it.

He rubbed the back of his neck after my comment, "Well actually", his reaction made me raise my eyebrows, "Your mom actually prepared this. I told her I'd bring you home after you were done eating" he confessed which earned a head shake from me.

"And here I thought you could cook" I mocked ,"I can cook I just didn't want to" he defended without looking at me which made me laugh. I drank the rest of my soup and he sat beside me watching me drink the soup. I don't mind actually I liked us like this and knowing that he was here just made me calm.

I finally finished my soup and placed the bowl back on the tray beside the bed. "Since you're done I'm going to call your mom and tell her about the new arrangements" he said and took out his phone.

He called my mom and told her about me wanting to stay I also spoke to her and she told me it was okay if I wanted to stay but she'd come for me the next day. Apparently she had already gotten a wheelchair which I could use and she had gotten permission from the principal so I didn't have to go to school immediately.

I thanked her a lot because I wasn't sure I could go to school tomorrow anyway. She said nothing about the police so I just assumed that she didn't want to talk about it. "Okay mom bye, love you"

I ended the call and turned to see Jared looking at me. He sat crisscross on the bed beside me on the bed. "Why are you looking at me like that" I asked and made a weird face. " How do you manage to be so beautiful even when you're hurt" he said almost as a whisper but as I said almost cause I definitely heard it. " What do you mean" that's so random.

I think he realized what he was saying "Oh it's nothing. Forget I said anything" he immediately stood up and took his phone away from me and was headed out of the room but I didn't want him to go. "Don't leave me here alone. I didn't refuse going home to sit in a room all by myself" I said and laughed a little when he turned to look at me. He nodded and sat back down beside me.

Surprisingly it wasn't as awkward as I expected it to be. Jared and I spoke about a lot of things school, my family and stuff like that. He even called Priscilla so I could talk to her after I spoke about how much I missed her company. He didn't tell me much about himself which was kind of weird but I'm used to it Jared doesn't really talk about his family or anything about himself. I used to think it was weird but it's up to him to talk about it or not.

"That picture is really nice" I said pointing to a picture of the sunset he had in the room, "You really think so?" he asked and I nodded. I've always liked pictures like that about nature and all. It just made me feel all tingly inside.

I remembered a question I wanted to ask almost immediately, "Jared, who's room is this" "Well... it's mine" he rubbed the back of his neck. "Phoebe needed a place to treat you and since mine was closer to the living room I asked her to bring you here. If you don't like it I can take you to the guest room" I immediately declined I didn't want to be a picky house guest.

"I'm fine here" he nodded to my answer. "You mentioned Phoebe is she the lady who treated me?" he nodded once again. There's something that's not right here, "Jared, who is she and why didn't you take me to the hospital instead?" "Well", he leaned closer to me, "Phoebe is a really close friend of mine she's like a sister to me actually.

I didn't take you to the hospital because I was afraid that maybe those men would come for you again and since Phoebe is good with this kind of stuff I asked her to treat you instead", he looks really handsome up close. Forget I said anything

As if he knew I was going to ask another question he immediately stood up and left with the excuse of being thirsty and I just let it slide.

I could trust him after all it's Jared, right?