by Amber Garza
“Thanks,” I said. It was weird having him here. Definitely not something I ever thought would happen.
“I can see why you were so desperate to return.”
I stopped walking. “I missed you.”
“Even with all of this?” He smiled.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I don’t think I realized how much I cared about you until I was back here.”
“I missed you too, Layla.” Stepping forward, he cradled my head with his hand and pressed his lips to my forehead.
***
“Play something for me,” Jasper said when we were at his house cleaning up. He and Nina had been staying with us for the past week. We thought it was smart to let things die down before allowing them to go back to the house in the forest. But I wasn’t that worried. If anyone showed up looking for the beastly boy, they wouldn’t find him anyway.
Jasper and I were the only ones in the study. Mom had insisted that my family help Jasper and Nina get their house back in order. Grant was pissed. Dad seemed to be coming around. But Kevin was the only one who had come with us eagerly. I think it was because he felt responsible in some way for all that had transpired.
I glanced at the piano. “Now?” The thought conjured up a million memories of when we were kids trying to get out of chores. Often, I would use piano practice as an excuse. It used to make Kevin and Grant so angry when it would work.
“I’ve missed it,” he said by way of explanation.
The sound of chatter traveled from down the hall.
“I’ll keep working,” Jasper promised. “And if anyone asks, I’ll tell them that I insisted you play something. I’ll say that the sound of music motivates me.”
I giggled.
“Or you could just keep giggling. That is definitely music to my ears.”
Jasper may have looked different, but everything else about him was the same. He still spoke as if he came from another era, and he was still the kindest person I’d ever met.
Tossing a piece of trash into a nearby bag, I stood up from where I’d been kneeling on the floor. “All right. I’ll play something.” Once I’d sat down on the piano bench, I looked at Jasper. “Any requests?”
“Everything you play is beautiful. Surprise me.”
For a moment I sat at the piano going through my repertoire in my mind. But nothing seemed to jump out at me. Nothing seemed quite right for this moment. With my hands resting on the ivory keys, my gaze crashed into Jasper’s, and suddenly my fingers moved as if by their own volition. I’d written songs before, but this was different. This was spontaneous. My fingers were flowing freely over the piano as if this were a song they’d played many times before. It was like the song had been residing inside of me all of my life, and it was finally released.
Maybe it was.
Closing my eyes, I allowed the song to carry me. When it was finally finished, I opened my eyes, blinking as if coming out of a trance. Jasper stood over me, his expression one of awe.
“That was so beautiful.” His fingers brushed the hair back from my face before he kissed my cheek tenderly. “Just like you.” Warm air caressed my skin.
“Whoa,” Kevin’s voice startled me. I flinched. Jasper leapt back. “We’re all out there busting our butts, and you two are in here making out? How did you get on that plan?”
“We weren’t making out.” Clearing my throat, I smoothed down my hair. “I was just…you know…playing a song.”
This made Kevin laugh. “Watch out, Jasper. That’s how she gets out of having to do work. Playing the piano. She’s been doing it since we were kids.”
“That’s because I had to practice,” I reminded him.
“Oh yeah. She had to practice,” Kevin said sarcastically, making air quotes around the word practice.
I rolled my eyes, but Jasper chuckled along with him. Maybe I would’ve been angry if it didn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Seeing Kevin and Jasper getting along gave me hope that the rest of the family would one day embrace him as well.
“Well, in her defense, I did ask her to play me a song,” Jasper said, coming to my rescue. I rewarded him with a broad smile.
“Man, you two really are in love, aren’t you?” Kevin eyed us curiously.
Exchanging glances, we nodded.
Kevin’s gaze scoured the room, and he let out a low whistle. “This room really did take the brunt of it, huh? I wonder what they were looking for in here?”
That was a good question. In fact, I wondered what they were looking for at all. I had already been found, and if Jasper confessed to taking me why did they need evidence from his home? Maybe they didn’t. Maybe they just enjoyed destroying the place. They did seem to take pleasure in torturing him.
“Maybe I should join you two. It looks like you could use some help in this room,” Kevin said.
“Are you sure that’s the only reason?” I asked dryly. As much as I loved Kevin, I enjoyed my time alone with Jasper.
“From what I walked in on, it does appear that you could use some supervision.” Kevin winked.
“Ah, and you’re the one who should provide that?”
“Well, I am your elder.”
This made me laugh. “Only in age. Not maturity.”
“That’s a matter of opinion.” Kevin grabbed the garbage bag and dragged it to the corner of the room. Then he started throwing trash into it. I was sad at how many of Jasper’s books had been ruined. Pages littered the floor. What did they think would be in them? “So, Jasper, what was it like? Being the beastly boy?”
“Kevin!” I scolded, shocked at the bold question.
“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind answering.” Jasper looked up from where he was shoving a deck of cards back into the box. “It was lonely. Isolating. And at times, scary.”
“Sounds rough.” Kevin’s face sobered up, and I hoped he felt guilty for asking. But then his lips curled upward deviously. “So, tell me. Is there any truth to the rumors? Like, did you really scare those boys so badly the one went mute? And have you ever tasted human flesh?”
“Really, Kevin!” Anger sparked.
“No, it’s okay.” Jasper broke out into laughter, surprising me. “We could definitely use some humor. It’s been far too serious around here.”
I wanted to be angry with my brother for the insensitive questions, but I couldn’t. Not if Jasper found humor in them. He was happier and more relaxed since the transformation, but I rarely saw him like this. He was usually reserved and a little quiet. I liked seeing this side of him. The one that laughed with abandon, let loose a little.
It was a side I hoped to see more of in the future.
17
THE MANSION
“NINA FOUND MY dad,” Jasper told me a few weeks after his transformation. We’d finished the cleanup on his house, and he and Nina were staying there again. But we spent every free moment we had together.
“He’s still alive, then?” I had honestly been hoping he wouldn’t be. That sounds terrible, but after what he’d done to Jasper, I didn’t trust him. He’d tried to kill Jasper once. Who’s to say he wouldn’t do it again?
“Barely. Apparently, he’s very ill.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say. Normally, if someone told me their dad was ill I’d tell them I was sorry, but in this instance that didn’t seem appropriate.
“He has a mansion in Gold Crest.”
“Wow. That’s a ritzy area.” Not that I was surprised. Clearly, Jasper came from money. One more reason to dislike his dad. He’d lived with wealth his entire life while his son resided in a run-down house in the middle of the forest. “So, what are you going to do?”
“I think I want to go see him.”
“You what?” Shocked, my eyes bugged out. We were sitting out in his garden, the sun beating down on us. Nothing was growing through the soil, but we had successfully planted many seeds. Hopefully soon, fruits and vegetables would sprout, bringing this place to life.
“Accordi
ng to Nina, he won’t live much longer. This is my one chance to get closure.” He scooted closer to me, his fingers closing around mine. “If I don’t take it, I think I’ll ultimately regret it.”
“But you’ve spent your entire life hiding from him. And he sounds dangerous. What if he hurts you…or worse?” I couldn’t bring myself to actually say the word. Since I’d first met Jasper, it felt like I’d been on the cusp of losing him forever. Finally, it seemed like we were out of danger. Even the townspeople had backed off. All of the searches of the forest had come up empty, and they were growing weary of trying to locate the beastly boy. All they’d found was a young man living in a house in the middle of the forest with what they assumed was an aunt or grandma. For a couple of weeks, reporters had staked out our house, but they’d since given up as well.
“He’s too weak to hurt me. Besides, there’d be no reason to anymore. What he hated about me was my deformity.”
“But he might think you’re after his fortune,” I pointed out. “Or he might be angry with Nina for hiding you from him.”
“He might be, but Nina has assured me that he’s not a threat any longer. He’s simply an old man on his deathbed.” I understood Jasper’s need to believe that, but I wasn’t as trusting. “I want you to come with me.”
“You do?” Things had been moving so fast between Jasper and me that I should’ve been scared. In past relationships, I’d always wanted to take things slow. But, for some reason, the pace didn’t scare me. It felt right. What did scare me, though, was that my parents had been pressuring me about school.
If I had never had the accident, and if I’d never spent two months holed up at Jasper’s, I would’ve already left for college. But because of my extenuating circumstances, the school had allowed me to take this semester off and start next semester. The problem was that I didn’t know if I’d want to leave Jasper in a few short months. He’d become my world, and the thought of leaving him broke my heart. But my family didn’t understand. Even Mom, who liked Jasper, didn’t get why I’d want to give up my college education for him. And I knew it sounded stupid. College had been my dream for so long. However, I’d never been in love before. At least not like this.
It felt like the kind of love that only came around once in a lifetime.
“Of course I do.” Jasper touched my face gently. “You give me strength, Layla. I’m going to need you by my side when I face him.”
“Well, when you put it like that.” I teased.
“Does that mean you’ll come?”
“Yes.” I smiled.
“Thank you.” Placing his lips over mine, he gave me a kiss of gratitude.
***
The only times I’d seen Gold Crest was when my family passed through it on a drive elsewhere. This was my first time stopping. And it was as spectacular as I’d imagined. When we arrived at Jasper’s dad’s mansion, we were granted entry through a large gold gate that opened after we’d been buzzed in. Nina had made arrangements to visit through the family attorney. He had been Jasper’s mom’s attorney, and, therefore, the only living person who knew of Jasper’s existence. Nina had given him strict instructions to let Jasper be the one to tell his dad who he was.
As Jasper drove down the long driveway leading to the house, I reached over and placed my hand on his thigh. I acted like it was a way to comfort him, but I suspected I was the one who needed comforting. The house loomed above us, too many windows and doors to count. My house was nice, but this was something else entirely.
“What did your father do for a living?” I asked.
Jasper looked in the rearview mirror, awaiting the answer from Nina who sat in the backseat. She’d been quiet most of the drive, but that wasn’t abnormal. I’d learned that Nina was a woman of few words.
“Maxon grew up in a family that had a lot of money, and he inherited quite a bit. Then he was smart with investments. He practically owned every piece of real estate in the town where Jasper was born.”
I nodded, impressed. If only he had used all his wealth for good.
It wasn’t only the home itself that was eye catching, it was the sprawling field of vibrant green grass surrounding it. When we emerged from the car, I noticed a creek running along the edge of the property. This entire estate was like its own little village.
With Jasper’s fingers threaded through mine, we climbed the sweeping stairs leading to the large, ornate double front doors. A butler dressed in a black and white tuxedo greeted us in a stoic manner and led us down several hallways and a spiral staircase before depositing us in the doorway of a massive bedroom. A canopy bed sat in the center, thick curtains hiding the person inside of it. A nurse left a glass of water on the nightstand and then hurried toward us.
“You may go in now,” she said in a high-pitched, nervous tone.
Nina lightly touched Jasper’s arm. “You two go in. I’ll wait out here in case you need me.”
I had assumed she’d go in with us. Out of the three of us, she was the only one who’d met Maxon before. As Jasper ushered me inside the spacious room, I peered over my shoulder, glancing back at Nina. She wasn’t looking in our direction, and her lips were curved upward in a funny smile. A chill brushed over my skin. But then her head bounced up, her gaze meeting mine, and she wore the same serious expression as always.
Had I imagined the smile?
It’s true that I’d never liked Nina that much. She was rough around the edges, and hard to read. So, maybe it was only in my mind. Jasper trusted her, so there was no reason why I shouldn’t as well. She’d cared for him all these years, even at her own expense. Even at the risk of her own life. Therefore, I had to believe she was a good person.
When I finally got close enough to glimpse the man in the bed, it was difficult to imagine that he was once dangerous and powerful. This man was frail and small, his eyes hollow, his face drawn and pale.
“Heard I was having visitors today.” He coughed, readjusting his position in the bed. His gaze dropped to me. “Well, aren’t you a pretty lady.” As he spoke the skin on his face flapped like a bird’s wings as it flew.
“Umm…thank you?” My gaze flickered toward Jasper and I raised a brow.
He smiled. “Yes, she is pretty.”
The old man frowned at Jasper. “Please tell me you’re not another lawyer. Which ex-wife is after my money now?”
Even on his death bed he sounded like nothing more than a greedy, money-hungry, miserable man. Biting my lip, my gaze slid up to Jasper’s face, wondering if he was having second thoughts about this. It wasn’t too late for us to leave. His dad would never know who we were. But Jasper stood tall, his jaw tight. And that’s when I knew he’d never back down. Most likely, he’d dreamt of this moment his entire life. Now that it was here, I had no doubt he’d make the most of it. Determined to help in any way I could, I gave his hand an encouraging squeeze.
“Um…no, I’m not an attorney,” Jasper said.
“Then what else could you be? Oh, wait. This isn’t about my properties, is it?”
Jasper shook his head, taking a step forward. “No, this is personal.”
“Personal?” The old man’s gaze flickered back to me, and he grunted. “You’re another one of them, huh? A girl claiming to be my daughter? Let me just give you a tip, honey. I have a lot of illegitimate daughters, but none of you are getting a dime, okay?” Sliding down, he waved us away with a flick of his arthritic wrist. “You might as well leave instead of wasting your breath.”
“She’s not one of your daughters.” Clearing his throat, Jasper reached up with his free hand and ran his fingers through his tousled dark hair. “I’m one of your sons.”
A rough, cough-filled laugh erupted from the old man’s mouth. “Nice try, but that’s impossible. I don’t have any sons.”
“Yes, you do. I was your second son. My mom was Maria.”
The man stiffened, his eyes narrowing into tiny slits on his face. “Maria didn’t give birth to sons, she gave birth t
o monsters.”
Jasper froze, his grip on my hand tightening as if he needed me to hold him upright. Even though I was sickened by his dad’s words, I forced myself to remain composed.
“I know.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a stack of snapshots. Then he threw them onto the old man’s bed. “I was a monster.” The pictures that littered the bed were of Jasper throughout his life. Some of them were hard to look at. As a small child, his deformity seemed even more pronounced. “Because of you.”
With shaky fingers, his dad picked up a few of the pictures. Then he dropped them as if they were on fire. “Where did you find these? Where is this child?”
“I’m right here.”
“Stop messing with me. Tell me where this child is. Who has him?” As he became agitated, spittle dribbled down his chin, staining his thin lips and wrinkled flesh.
A nurse ran in. “You’re upsetting him. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Panic flashed in Jasper’s eyes.
“He’s fine.” Nina stepped up, interrupting. “We’ll only be a few more minutes.”
When Jasper’s dad spotted Nina, he raised a brow, his body stilling. “You look familiar. Who are you?”
“My name’s Nina. I used to work for you. I was the nurse who helped with the birth of your second son.”
“You can go,” he said gruffly to his nurse. “I’m fine.” Once she was out of earshot, he pushed himself up to a seated position. “Okay, who are you people and what do you want?”
Nina placed her hands on the edge of the canopy bed, bobbing her head toward Jasper. “Sir, this is your son. I delivered him, and then I took him away like you asked.”
He looked down at the pictures again. “You stole my son. I should have you arrested.”
Nina kept her composure. “I only did what you asked, sir.”
“I did not ask you to take my son and raise him as your own.”
“You told me to take him away. I think your exact words were to ‘get rid of him’. What do you think the police would think of that? Surely, he wasn’t the only son you tried to get rid of.” The old man’s face reddened, and I knew Nina was getting to him. Honestly, I was surprised. I’d never seen Nina this bold and self-assured. I wasn’t sure she had it in her. “I think the police would agree that I did the right thing by sparing the child’s life. And before you spout off something about my word against yours, your attorney has signed statements from many witnesses during the births of your sons.”
