13. Jasmine
Chapter thirteen
Jasmine
I am sprawled in front of the TV watching my favorite show, but my attention isn’t on the characters acting their hats off on my screen; it’s on the brown file on my dresser upstairs.
I, Jasmine Ambrose, am five weeks pregnant.
I sit up on the chair, my mind swirling with possibilities. How would Alec react to this news? It’s only Friday, so I have until Sunday to figure out what I want to do with the pregnancy. It’s still early enough to be terminated, but somehow, I don’t want to. Yet, I can’t help but think that this pregnancy will complicate things further.
I shake my head and refocus my attention on the television, but my gaze drifts to my stomach, where new life forms. I rub my belly affectionately, awed that I’m carrying a part of me and Alec. It’s wild.
“Why are you smiling and rubbing your stomach?” I look up to see Riley standing at the bottom of the stairs. I didn’t even hear him come into the living room .
“Because I’m pregnant,” I mask it as a joke, curious to see his reaction.
“Ew.” He rolls his eyes and walks into the kitchen, out of my sight.
There are so many things I’m hiding from Riley, and this pregnancy is the least of them. He will freak out when he finds out. Riley reappears from the kitchen, holding a bottle of water.
“Because of you, I have to watch my basketball game on a small screen,” he whines. “When will you stop being a couch potato and find an apartment.”
I laugh. “Can you please relax?”
“I’ve never seen you go apartment hunting,” he says. “You’re way too comfortable living off of me.”
“Gosh, you’re the worst big brother ever,” I yell as he jogs up the stairs. He stops and flips me off before disappearing from my sight. Shaking my head, I continue to watch my show. Riley and I may roast and make dry jokes all the time, but we love each other to death. I don’t want to incur his wrath by telling him about Alec, but now that there’s a baby, it’s become inevitable. I am genuinely confused, too.
I cannot wait for Sunday so Alec and I can talk about the next step in our relationship. After our hospital visit yesterday, Ana advised me to keep the baby, and it’s honestly one of the best pieces of advice the idiot has given me. As if on cue, my phone rings beside me, and it’s Ana calling.
“Hey, Ana. What’s up?”
“Jas?” Her voice rings with urgency, and I sit up worriedly. “Are you at home? Where are you?”
“I’m at home. What’s going on?”
“Get to the television now!” She yells. “Channel 143. Do that now.”
“Okay. Okay.” I pick up the remote when she hangs up and changes the channel to 143.
I see Alec on my screen dressed luxuriously in a black ensemble. For a moment, I’m so shocked to see him on TV looking impeccably handsome and wealthy that I notice the woman beside him a little too late. He’s on a date with this gorgeous woman in France!
Of course, this is the family emergency this bastard must go for!
“After years out of the spotlight, we are excited to share these newly released photos of Alec Ace, heir to the French billionaire conglomerate, Ace Corps, and the only son of David and Lillian Ace!”
Ace Corps? Ace Corps!
“What the fuck?” I scream, and seconds later, I hear footsteps pounding on the stairs. “Are you okay, Jas?” Riley appears before me, and I silently point toward the TV, where the news reporter is still talking.
“…he was seen with his fiancée, Eve Sicily, the daughter of French billionaire Lugard Sicily. These two lovebirds are seen enjoying a private lunch in the heart of Lyon, France…”
“What the fuck?” Riley cusses, turning to me with disbelief. “I cannot believe he never told me this. ”
My heart is beating wildly in my chest as I realize that I’ve spent time with Alec, but I don’t know who he is at all. Ace Corps may be headquartered in France, but they’re a global business, constantly featuring in reputable publications as one of the most successful business chains in the world. David and Lillian are billionaires and usually appear on TV to give speeches or publicly donate large sums of money to charities.
Who knew that Alec was their son? The heir to the Ace Corps empire? This is unbelievable.
I rub my eyes, but when I open them, the news reporter is still talking on TV, with a picture of Alec and Eve Sicily superimposed behind her. I’m numb, and my body is tingling with a sensation that I cannot fathom. It hurts but raised to several powers and notches.
“Fuck!” Riley runs a hand through his hair. “Alec is heir to the Ace Corps conglomerate?”
“You didn’t know?”
“How the fuck was I supposed to know?” He asks. “He was so secretive about it. Why would anyone want to hide this? It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Wow.” The news reporter has moved on to something else, but in my mind’s eye, I can still see Alec on the screen with the brunette beauty.
“I’ve always known he was wealthy; I mean, he never hid that,” Riley continues to talk to himself. “But Ace Corps? I don’t know whether to be angry or impressed! That bastard! How did he keep this away from me all these years.”
Riley paces the room while I stew in my thoughts. My eyes are surprisingly dry, but there’s a volcano slowly erupting inside me. Not only am I just finding out that Alec is the heir to one of the biggest business empires in the world, but I’m also finding out that he has a fiancée. This gorgeous French beauty is also the daughter of another billionaire. I never stood a chance. Foolish me. And I went ahead and got pregnant by him.
I don’t want pity; I need mockery. I must be laughed at and ridiculed for thinking I could be happy with a man like Alec. I should have run away from him after that two-week hiatus, but what did I do instead? I went back to him.
I’m pregnant! Five weeks pregnant to this lying, cheating bastard!
“Wow.” Riley stops pacing and stares at the television like Alec’s picture is still there. I guess it has also been imprinted in his mind’s eye, so no matter what is on the screen, he can still see Alec.
“This is why he’s always traveling,” Riley murmurs. “Alec is a fucking billionaire, and the idiot makes me buy us food and drinks sometimes.”
Riley is disappointed in his best friend, but I can tell he’s also equal parts awed.
“Oh, it makes sense,” he says. “It all makes sense. It’s been in my face, but I didn’t dig deep.”
“No!” I rush to my feet and stand in front of Riley. “He’s a liar and a manipulator, and this is what he would want. For you to blame yourself for his deceit, please don’t fall for it. It is his responsibility to tell you the truth as his best friend, not for you to find out. ”
Riley shakes his head. “Alec is not a liar,” he says. “Nor is he a manipulator. I think that’s one of the reasons I trust him so much. I’m sure he has an explanation for this.”
I stumble backward in disbelief, my gaze roaming my brother’s face. “I cannot believe you are defending him.”
“I am not defending him; he’s my best friend. I’ve known him for years. I’m sure he has an explanation for this.”
“He’s not your best friend,” I snap. “What is wrong with you, Riley? Look at Ana; she’s my best friend, and I know everything about her, down to the hospital where she was born.”
Riley sighs. “You cannot compare your relationship with your best friend to my relationship with mine. It’s different.”
“He deceived me, too,” I say softly, fighting back tears. I wonder why Riley is backing him up so much when I’m hurting terribly inside. “He told me he loves me, that he wants to be with me and spend the rest of his life with me.”
I’m shocked at the lack of reaction on Riley’s face. I always envisioned that when Riley found out about Alec and me, he would flip. But he doesn’t. Instead, he watches me with extremely sharp eyes, and I wilt under his stare.
“Say something.”
“I know,” he says. “I know you and Alec have been seeing each other. I enjoy seeing you both sneak around; that’s why I didn’t say anything.”
“What?” I blanch. “You knew? ”
“Yes. I’ve known for a while. Since the day you asked about him lying about the book, I suspected, and then I found out.” He reaches for my left hand. “And this promise ring, I know he gave it to you.”
“What?” I had lied to Riley that I bought the ring myself, and he didn’t argue.
“What were the promises he made to you, Jas?”
“That he loves me,” I answer. “And that he’ll always remain loyal and committed to me.”
“Then ignore the woman you saw on TV,” Riley says, shocking me. “You should hear from Alec himself.”
“I cannot believe you're on his side,” I cry.
“Jasmine, the only reason I didn’t say a word when I found out you were sneaking around with Alec is because he is an honorable man,” Riley says. “His word is his bond, and he never breaks his promises. If he made these promises to you, then I urge you to trust him and wait to hear what he has to say. I’ll beat him up myself if he hurts you.”
Tears slip down my face, and Riley draws me into his arms. “I may not know much about Alec’s family, but they are very complicated. You can only build a solid relationship on trust, Jas.”
“But seeing him with that woman,” I sob. “I cannot deal with this, Riley. Her father is a billionaire.”
“So is Alec. He doesn’t care.”
“But I do,” I insist. “How do I compete with that, Riley? How?” I wipe the tears from my face. “It’s all too much for me. ”
Riley holds me in his arms as I break down in tears, and it surpasses my expectations to see how well he’s handling this. He has remained levelheaded despite expressing his disappointment in Alec. I hope I can have Ana’s back like this when the time comes because this shows extreme trust between the two friends.
“I’m so sorry, Riley.” I try to pull away, but my brother doesn’t let me.
“It’s okay.” He pats my back. “It’s okay to cry.”
I nod, leaning into his arms and letting him comfort me. My head races with thoughts of Alec and Eve, and I wonder what they are doing right now. Riley believes Alec is a man of his word, and he did promise to stay loyal to me, but I can’t help but think of him as a mere man. Eve is a beauty; can he resist her? Especially when she seems to be so into him.
I can think of a thousand reasons why this relationship cannot work, starting with the fact that we’re in two different financial castes. There’s nothing I can offer Alec.
“Do you know when Alec will be back?” Riley asks.
“He said Sunday,” I respond. “But right now, I don’t know if that still stands.”
“It’s okay. When he comes we will—”
The door bursts open and we whirl towards it to see Alec standing at the doorway.