Chapter 29: Mr. Chase in a Jail Cell

Lena

“Are you fucking kidding me Lena?” Jasper shouts as he paces in my memory. I told him everything. About wanting to cancel the wedding. About feeling unsure of our relationship. About meeting and sleeping with Chase. I expected him to be angry, but I did not expect him to be so intimidating or aggressive at the news. For as long as I’ve known him, he’s always been reserved with his emotions and held himself with high prestige. This Jasper, the one that stands before me, is not that man I’ve come to know. “What?! So a man shows you a little attention on vacation and you spread your legs like a fucking whore, is that it?!” He screams while Jordan and Katie bang on the door outside the suite. “It wasn’t like that Jasper!” I squeak through tears, determined to tell the truth no matter the fear or the anxiety threatening to shut me down, into compliance, into submission. “WHAT THE FUCK LENA!? Our wedding is 5 months away! The plans are finalized, we’ve sent out the invitations, and you’re telling me you’ve felt this way for months? No, I don’t believe it! Everything was perfect until we came here, until your little midlife crisis!” He hollers back, his tone beaming with indignation, before stomping towards me.

He lunges down and grabs my chin, as I try instinctively try to back away. “What the hell Jasper!? Don’t fucking touch me! Get out!” I squirm as he tightens his grip on my chin, his once soothing blue eyes now burning with fury and contempt. “Now you listen here Lena! We will not be calling off our wedding! You are fucking mine, you got that?! Whatever is happening on this trip, your little fling... You're going to end it, you got that?” He growls while tears well and escape from my eyes, his fingernails digging into my jawline. “It hurts Jasper, please stop.” I whimper before his eyes widen and he lets go panicked. He takes a step back, looking at his hand before glancing at me again. I sob in shock, cupping my hand against my aching chin. Jasper has never spoken to me in this manner, never harmed me in any way, what the hell just happened!? “Lena… I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” He says quietly as he kneels in front of me. I pull my knees to my chest, and move backward on the bed to put some distance between us. The once beautiful and relaxing vibe of this room, now bathed and bleeding in a deep menacing red from the descending sunset.

“I’m sorry, I just… You’re my everything, you know that right Lena?” He coos softly as he attempts to caress my leg as gently as his falsely mustered his words. “I can’t imagine my life without you. Everything I do, I do for you my love. I want to give you everything, and you’re telling me all my effort, all my hard work, all my love is going to be tossed aside for a stranger you met in Cancun. It seems… unlike you.” He chuckles as I shake my head, shoving his hands off me. “Our relationship has been wrong for a long time Jasper, and… and you’re delusional if you think this is something new. We’ve both been unhappy for months, and I think it’s time to... let go. Go our separate ways and really find what's best for us individually.” I whisper as I wipe the drying tears from my eyes. I hear him sigh as he sits on the bed next to me. He wraps his arms around my shoulders in an uncomfortable embrace, and I flinch as he leans in to plant a kiss on my cheek. “Surely this is something we can work through. I will not lose you so easily Lena.” He whispers as he touches my cheek with his fingers. “You’ll see, once we return home and our routine goes back to normal, you will realize how fleeting all this is.” I glance up at his strained but smiling face.

“And if it isn’t fleeting? What then?” I scoff, unwilling to forget the violent way he held my face moments ago, unwilling to forget the assault his “best friend” threatened me with hours ago. His smile shifts into a scowl, the crow’s feet wrinkles increasing as his eyes harden into a glare. “It IS fleeting. And you will see that once we go home.” He states firmly as if my feelings are irrelevant, null and void. “I will give you some space for now Lena.” He murmurs as he pats my head "lovingly". "Let's revisit this tomorrow, after a restful night and some time to reflect." With that, he stands and exits the room, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts.

***

Katie, Jordan, and I spent the rest of the evening curled up in their suite, talking about everything that unfolded today. It was hard to process, a complete rollercoaster of events; one moment full of hope, the next plunging into despair. Joy mixed with unexpected, gut-wrenching surprise and heartache. The day had started with such promise, waking up in Chase's arms, excited for the next adventure; but as it wore on, the truth came crashing down in ways none of us could have anticipated. I had thought Jasper would be my savior, the person who could rescue me from the wreckage James had left behind. But instead, he became just another piece of the nightmare. The person I had once looked to as my future husband turned out to be as deceptive and damaging as the one I was trying to escape earlier today. It's hard to come to terms with the fact that I have been so wrong about him, and yet, there is a strange sense of relief in finally seeing things for what they are, even if it's painful.

Katie and Jordan stayed close, their support unwavering as always. They listened as I poured my thoughts and fears to them, offering comfort, perspective, and affirmation. With them by my side, I know I'm not completely lost, even if the world feels upside down just a bit. And even with all that has happened in the span of a few hours, I can’t stop thinking about Chase, about running into the safety of his embrace, the comfort of his voice telling me that it will be alright. "What do you want, Lena?" Katie asks, her voice gentle yet laced with a quiet intensity. Her giant eyes study me closely, but there's an unspoken fire smoldering behind them. If she had it her way, she would have murdered both James and Jasper on the spot and Jordan would have been ready to go with the shovel. She leans in slightly, her words soft but deliberate. "Do you want to stay here? Maybe order room service, watch some movies, take your mind off things?" She pauses, waiting for me to respond. Jordan, sensing the heaviness in the room, steps closer and wraps her arm around my shoulder. "Come on, Lena," she says, her voice a little lighter but shaky and filled with concern. "Whatever you need, we’re here. Just tell us, girl. Do you… want to... see Chase?" She asks hesitantly, unsure if that’s the right thing to say at this moment.

My eyes start to get blurry, and I nod. “Yes, I think I do want to see him.” Katie smiles before taking out her phone, “let me see what they’re up to. He’s been waiting for you, you know?” She takes a few steps before reaching the balcony and closing the door behind her. Jordan’s grip on my shoulder becomes more firm as she sighs. “Be careful what you tell that man tonight. As much as I am all for a Cancun fling, the eyes never lie Lena.” She chuckles as I scoot over on the couch so that I can see her face more clearly. “What do you mean?” I ask, uncertain of what she’s insinuating “I mean... if he sees those marks on your chin and wrists, we will leave by plane, Jasper and James in a coffin, and Mr. Chase... in a jail cell.”

I laugh, and Jordan bursts into a soft giggle. “You think I’m joking, but that man is smitten with you. I don’t think he will take kindly to not only one, but two men harming you today.” She says quietly, her smile subtly fading from her petite, tan face. “I don’t even know if I can tell him yet. I just… feel safer with him around.” I sigh, my thoughts flickering back to the malevolent expressions on both James and Jasper’s face. It’s as if they morphed into the same person. “Are you ladies up for a small bonfire on the beach?” Katie calls from a partly opened sliding glass door. “Is booze going to be involved?!” Jordan smirks, doing her best to mask the sadness flickering in her eyes. Katie shoots her a glare, frustration clear on her face, before shaking her head and slamming the slider shut. "You never fail to piss her off Jord." I giggle, shaking my head at their never ending banter. "Alright, sweetheart, let’s get you ready to see your man!" Jordan says with a grin, before playfully pulling me off the couch and towards the bathroom.