You Were Always Mine

51: Closing the Book

Jasmine

Out of all the places I swore that I would never go to again I find myself standing outside of Angel's family home all because my father and his idiot older brother thought it would be best for the both of us to move on if Angel were to believe that I was dead. The two of them never took it into account how stupid of a plan that was. A lie that huge is always bound to come back and bite you on the ass and after the reaction I got from Mrs. Hernández the other day at the Mall, I am sure she has already given her eldest son a piece of her mind. Whether Angel now knows if I am alive or not is yet to be discovered. I was going to reach out to him, but he has vanished from all social media, and his number is no longer active, which is now why I am standing outside of his front door.

I raise my hand to knock, suddenly feeling nervous about coming face to face with Angel after everything, and I mean absolutely everything that has happened between us and not just the events at the hospital. My knuckles rap three times on the door. Part of me wishes no one will answer, but that wish is not granted.

"Jasmine?" A startled Marco looks at me wide-eyed. I cross my arms over my chest, feeling a sense of anger rising.

"I'm sure you must be surprised to see a dead girl walking, huh?"

He sighs, running a hand down his face.

"I thought it would be a fresh start for Angel. I thought if he believed you were truly gone, he could move on faster, and it would be better for the both of you."

I scoff, shaking my head at him. "You act as though I am still hung up on him."

"It's not you who is hung up," he gives me a look as though he wants me to finish his sentence for him.

I let out a deep sigh.

"I know you and my dad probably believed that this was the best option for Angel, but I do not believe that it was. He needs closure, and so do I."

Marco looks reluctantly at me.

"I need to thank him for what he did for me. Please, Marco?"

He thinks about it momentarily and then steps aside, allowing me to enter into the home. It is quiet.

"Your mom here?"

"Her and Nevaeh went over to our Tia's."

I nod in understanding, turning around to face him. "So... Angel?"

He tilts his head towards the stairs. "He's back in his old room." I give him a tight-lipped smile and head for the stairs. "And Jasmine," I turn to look at him over my shoulder. "I told him the truth after my mom found out."

I raise an eyebrow at him.

"He was upset at first, but then he said it was probably for the best anyway."

And with that, he heads out, leaving me to finish making my way up the stairs to the small archway right at the top that leads to a small hallway with a door on either side. I take the one to the left, which leads me to Angel's room. I knock softly, but there is no answer. Again, I knock and receive the same response. Silence. Turning the handle of the door, I slowly open it.

Angel's room is just how I remember it, which is a surprise. I figured after Marco threw him out, he would have made this room into something else. But alas, here it is the same as it was when he was only eighteen. I shiver at the memories the two of us created in here, and I feel a bit nostalgic but mostly uncomfortable.

My dad was right. I should not be here. I turn to flee, ready to put distance between myself and this room filled with suffocating memories, but the croaking sound of Angel's voice has me stopping in my tracks. "Jasmine?"