Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
It felt good to be outside after being cooped up in her apartment for days. Maura’s visit had been the nudge Jasmine needed to stop feeling sorry for herself and get outside again.
She had called her parents and assured them she was in good health and promised her father she would be back to work on Monday.
Knowing she didn’t have to face Maxwell helped.
She missed him like crazy and hated that he had left the practice, but her heart couldn’t take seeing him.
She resolved to work hard toward recruiting a new doctor as soon as possible so her father and Dr. Park weren’t overwhelmed having to take on Maxwell’s patients.
Climbing out of her Acura with her Chipotle meal, Jasmine walked toward the front of her building.
This was the first real meal she would have in days, having subsisted on crackers, cheese, and potato chips since she hadn’t had the energy to cook.
One day she would look back on this period and berate herself for being so pathetic over a man.
“Jasmine!”
She glanced over her shoulder. Jayson was jogging toward her.
She tensed. “What are you doing here?” she asked, glancing behind him because she half expected to see Maxwell with him.
“I didn’t plan to come here, but you didn’t show up to work all week.”
“You’ve been hanging around my job?”
“It’s not as creepy as it sounds. I popped over there early each morning before work to see if I could catch you.”
“How did you find out where I lived?”
“We live in an age where we can access all kinds of information. Also, I’m rich.” He smiled, but she didn’t smile back.
She didn’t trust him.
“If Maxwell sent you, you’re wasting your time. You should leave.” She walked briskly toward the front of the building.
Jayson fell into step beside her, his long legs unfairly allowing him to put forth much less effort than her shorter legs.
“I know you don’t want to talk to me, so you can just listen. Maxwell misses you, and it’s my fault the two of you are broken up.”
Jasmine came to an abrupt stop. “Did he tell you to say that?”
“No.”
“You really expect me to believe you?”
His face changed, as if he was giving the question serious consideration. “Actually, I don’t expect you to believe me, but you know Maxwell. You should believe him. I know he’d love to hear from you.”
“I will not be calling Maxwell because there’s nothing for us to talk about,” Jasmine said in a firm voice.
“I disagree.”
“I don’t care if you disagree, Jayson.”
He let out an exasperated sigh. “Look, I’ve never seen my boy like this, and I’ve known him for a long time. He misses you like crazy.”
“Well, he should’ve thought of that before he let a woman into his bed.”
“I let a woman into his bed. Maxwell and I have keys to each other’s homes.”
“I know. He has a key to your townhouse, and you have a key to his condo. What does that have to do with the woman who was in his bed?”
“Jenny is her name, and I let her into his place, as a surprise.”
“A surprise?”
He cleared his throat. “I won’t go into details, but she’s an old friend of ours, recently divorced, and she’s always kinda had a thing for Maxwell. We were chatting one day, and she asked me for a favor. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
Jasmine stared at him in disbelief. “If I believe what you’re saying, your answer is very confusing. You know me, and you know Maxwell and I were in a relationship. In what world is letting another woman into his house the right thing, Jayson?”
“No need to attack me,” he said in a defensive voice.
“Is this the kind of thing the two of you do often?”
“Slow down. I’ve confessed my sins, but if you want to know anything else, talk to Maxwell.
I just want you to know that he didn’t have anything to do with Jenny being at his place.
Here’s the truth. When he came back into town from Boston, we were supposed to be hanging out and running the streets together like old times.
But that’s not what happened. First, he spent six months working in the Morehouse program as a volunteer and chose to lay low for a while.
Then he started his job as a pediatrician around the same time he met you.
Next thing I know, he doesn’t have time to do anything.
No trips. No wild parties. He’s not the same person that I hung with in high school and college, because even in college with pre-med classes, he made time for a good time. ”
Jayson took a deep breath and released it with a sigh.
“I messed up, okay? If you weren’t in the picture, the old Maxwell would’ve appreciated what I did for him.
I need you to forgive my boy, and then he’ll forgive me, hopefully.
Then everything will be back to normal, sorta.
I mean, we won’t be running the streets together like we used to, but at least I’ll have my brother back. ”
Jasmine almost felt sorry for him. “If what you’re saying is true, I’m sure he’ll forgive you eventually, and the two of you can go back to wreaking havoc on the women of Atlanta.”
“What do you mean ‘if’? I’m telling you the truth.
And frankly, I’ll have to find someone else to be my wingman, because Maxwell’s done with all that.
Honestly, he was never completely like me.
My parents let me run wild, and I kind of pulled him along with me, but Maxwell has always had his limits.
He’s always known when to say no. I didn’t.
He’s pulled me out of a few crazy scrapes, believe me.
He had goals. He wanted to help people. I wanted to get laid and make money so I could spend it on me or whatever hot woman I was trying to get into bed.
He and I are friends, but... we’re not exactly the same.
“Look, I don’t have a whole lot of family that I can count on.
My mother lives her life in a bottle. My father doesn’t give a crap about me.
He got me the job that I have, and as far as he was concerned, his job is done.
My half-siblings don’t really talk to me because our mothers are in competition with each other for some strange reason.
There are only a handful of people that I can count on in this world, and Maxwell is one of them.
And I might lose that.” Emotion filled his voice, and he cleared his throat.
“I will never forgive myself if I’m the reason he’s not happy.
Would you please call him? If you don’t want to flat out forgive him, at least talk to the man. ”
Though Jasmine listened to every word he said, she waffled on whether she could believe him. He certainly sounded sincere. “I’ll think about it.” That was all she was willing to offer.
His shoulders slumped. “Thanks for listening.”
“When was the last time you talked to him?” Jasmine asked hesitantly.
“Almost a week ago. We had a big fight. He hates me.” Jayson grimaced.
“He doesn’t hate you.”
“No, he hates me,” he said confidently.
“I’m sorry, Jayson, I... I need time.”
Jayson slowly nodded. “I understand. What you saw was probably shocking, and you don’t know what to believe.
For what it’s worth, I want you to know how sorry I am for what I did.
You weren’t supposed to get hurt. I know it sounds lame, but I wanted to remind Maxwell of who he used to be.
But that man loves you. I’ve never known him to behave this way when he was in a relationship, and I hope you give him another chance.
I don’t know if I could handle knowing I’m the reason he lost the one woman he ever truly cared about. Take care.”
Jayson walked away slowly, and Jasmine watched him for a bit before she resumed her trek to the building.
“Hey, Jasmine.”
She turned. Jayson was standing between two cars.
“When you talk to him, would you do me a favor? Don’t answer, but think about what I’m about to say. Tell him I’m sorry, and I hope he can forgive me. Because I want to be friends again. I miss my brother.” He climbed into an almond-colored Denali and started the engine.
Jasmine kept walking and let herself into the building.
When you talk to him... He assumed it would happen, but she wasn’t so sure. At least not anytime soon. When she had told him she needed time, she had meant it. If for no other reason than she had to catch up at work after her abrupt absence for a week.
“I miss you so fucking much. Tell me what to do. Tell me, please.”
That was the last message she had received from Maxwell before she finally blocked him. The voicemail had sounded good. It had sounded heartfelt and genuine. But she knew better, right? After all, she’d been here before, and past experience had helped her develop a thick skin.
There was no denying what her eyes had seen at the condo, but that hadn’t been the point of Jayson’s visit. The point was to take the blame for what had happened.
Could she trust that Jayson was telling her the truth? As he said, Maxwell was his boy. His brother. It wouldn’t be hard for him to lie for Maxwell.
Jasmine let herself into her apartment and leaned back against the door. “I don’t know what to do.”
She may not know what to do, but she knew what not to do. She would not rush into a decision concerning Maxwell and his guilt or innocence. She didn’t need to. She was in the self-preservation phase of the breakup and had two main goals over the coming weeks.
The first was to catch up at work.
The second was to hold onto her sanity and not let heartbreak destroy her.