Blood Mates

Jasper and Yasmine Talk

Jasper woke up the next day feeling ill. He had dreamed of Alaia again, but this one was worse. She was in pain, an aura of agony surrounding her, and he couldn’t move an inch to help her. It was maddening and he knew it was getting worse the longer he was away from her.  

Whatever part of him set him to crave Alaia was at full force now. He missed her, and he wasn’t balking so much at the vampire part or the fact she murdered Donny.

The only thing that seemed to be upsetting him was the fact that when he went home January 2nd, she might not be there.

Jasper went outside to sit on the porch. In the early morning air, the coffee in his hand was a warm blessing as he breathed out in serenity. It was a moment later his mom joined him and Yasmine inhaled the cold morning air blowing off the water before saying, “I’m not going to lie and say I’m not grateful and happy you decided to come down here to see us. But I have to say I’m concerned now.”

Jasper’s neck snapped up to look at Yasmine, “Why?”

Rolling her shoulders, Yasmine timidly pointed out, “Well you’ve been nice to me and Davon and considering last time.” Yasmine shuddered in fear at her son’s anger, “I was sure if I tried to force you to come back here, I thought it’d be a lot worse.” 

Cocking an eyebrow, Jasper wondered, “How worse?” Awkwardly admitting to her worse thought, Yasmine giggled out, “Well I thought you’d go postal and kill us all in our sleep.”

Jasper shot his mom an incredulous look, “Wow, well thanks for that vote of confidence mom.”

Yasmine’s light laugh mixed with his deep chuckle and played on the morning breeze. And as they quieted down, she sadly remembered a time where it wasn’t a rare thing. Them to be laughing and having a civil conversation. And how badly she wanted it back.

“We used to laugh like that,” She reminded him softly, but Jasper hadn’t forgotten.

Tucking a curl behind her ear, Yasmine whispered, “We used to talk to, about anything and everything. But I guess it was before I ruined our relationship.” Yasmine shrugged as she hopefully asked, “We can talk again, can’t we? About what’s bothering you maybe?”

Shrugging, Jasper evasively admitted, “It’s just something happened with my girlfriend. And I needed space from it and Devil’s Horns, every turn reminded me of us. And I guess with everything else, I don’t think I have the capacity to still be angry with you.”

Nodding as she held her hot mug tighter, Yasmine sadly omitted, “I know you’ve been angry with me Jas, and I don’t blame you.” Looking out into the sea, Yasmine sadly remembered, “My mother used to tell me I had a talent for putting the blame on someone else. Or my “favorite parlor trick” wait until I have no choice but to decide on something.”

Sniffling Yasmine realized, “I broke your dad’s heart and yours with one swift stab to the back. And I never said I was sorry for what I put either of you through.”

Feeling the wind blow against her cheeks, Yasmine bitterly snipped “I know how that town is, I know what it’s like to live there. Hell, anywhere you find yourself there’s vultures waiting. I should have been more considerate to what you were going to have to go through. Because of what I did and I get now why you hate me.” 

There was silence and then Jasper finally admitted, “Mom I didn’t hate you. I was…I was hurt. And angry.” Yasmine looked over at her son as he breathed out, “I use to look at you and dad in awe. And all could think was, “That’s what I want”. Someone to come home to, someone who makes me feel happy and whole. Complete.”

Jasper shrugged as he awkwardly as he remembered, “But then that day when we came home. I lost all of it, and…you never explained why you even did it.” Yasmine was in tears as she sat guilty.

 Breathing out as his chest constricted, Jasper mumbled, “I mean I know it’s childish for me to have wanted you two stay together. And maybe I should stay out of you and dad’s failed marriage. But I just felt like out of all the ways you could have done it, that wasn’t it. There were a thousand different ways that you should have told him it was over. He didn’t need to see it.”

Yasmine winced as she tried to defend herself, “Jasper, I swear I didn’t mean to hurt your dad!” Jasper laughed bitterly, “Hurt him? Mom for months I thought you destroyed him.” Yasmine paled as Jasper whispered, “Dad loves hard and I do to, you know that better than anyone. And he loved you for everything you were and more. Just like I do. But you broke our hearts in half and you just kept running over them.”

Tears fell hard as Jasper whispered disgusted, “You had s*x with him in dad’s house mom. God, he couldn’t go by the table for days! One night I got pissed and threw it out back and ran over it with his truck when I caught him drinking beside it. And I was alone, trying to fix what you broke.”

Jasper coughed trying to get the lump out of his throat as he thickly whispered, “And what do I hear when I finally get up the nuts to call you and beg you to come home?” Yasmine almost died as Jasper whispered, “Another man’s son calling you mom. And then it was just me and dad trying to figure out how to be a family without you. Still having NO idea why, you chose them over us, what they had we didn’t.”

Yasmine was stuck, she couldn’t believe it. But she’d gotten her answers, and boy did they hurt.

The damage, the trauma, and the sheer agony of Jasper’s words made it crystal clear to her.  Yasmine had left her son, and even worse? She’d left him in the dark about why. It was to protect him, but what had it cost him? And her?

Yasmine’s bottom lip was trembling which has Jasper groaning, “I didn’t say this to make you cry.”

Jasper rubbed a hand over his face, “It’s just been a rough two years and I know a lot of it would have been easier if you’d just been there.” Sad, Jasper whispered, “Talked to me. Not like a kid, but like an adult. Have Davon explain SOMETHING to me like a man. But instead you pulled the covers over my eyes until I began to feel nothing but anger towards you.”

Yasmine agreed and it was sickening as her stomach turned, “I know that now. And I’m so sorry Jasper.” Blowing out a deep Yasmine admitted, “I was selfish.”

Rolling her eyes, she broke down as she admitted, “I’ve been a mess my entire life. I couldn’t get my s**t together to save my soul. And then I met your dad. The optimum of everything good and stable, he promised me a life I thought I couldn’t get. And then he gave me you.”

Yasmine wiped her face with her robe’s sleeve. Jasper wiped his eyes too as Yasmine admitted, “I took it for granted all the things he did for me. And when I met Davon, I should have been a decent human being. But instead I hurt the one person my son admires the most and I’m ashamed of my actions.”

Jasper licked his lips nervously as he told her, “I forgive you mom. I’m still hurting about it; there were things you weren’t there for. Things that I needed you to be there for.” Sniffling Jasper admitted, “But I’m willing to let it go. Because at the end of the day…I can’t really be turning away family like I have a limitless supply.”

Grateful, Yasmine grabbed her son’s hand, “Thank you baby.” Jasper and Yasmine talked for another minute, but then he took a walk. As he walked away, Yasmine began to sob as she put her head in her hands.

Her mother was right. She ruined everything with the same traumatic results. It was always a disaster when someone foolishly loved Yasmine. And they were the ones who got hurt.

She was the plague and showed no mercy. Not even to her own son.  Crying even more, Davon appeared out of nowhere holding his wife as her pain hit him hard. He could say nothing as Yasmine’s heart broke over again.

All he could do was wait for the other shoe to drop.