Blake’s POVI drove into the small town, and as soon as my car touched the narrow road, I heaved a bitter sigh as the memories of the accident came crashing down on me all over again. That one mistake I made that I'm living to regret and it cost me the one person I've ever loved in my entire life. The mistake that haunted me every night.I could remember her complaining about the smell of gas but I was so caught up with my anger about the end of the vacation which Daniek had caused, and when I knew about it, the brake failed. The truck had come at us so fast, and I remembered the sound of crushing metal, Jasmine’s scream, my own voice shouting her name or so I thought. Then everything had gone dark.I shook my head hard and hit the steering wheel. “Damn it. Why didn’t I listen to you?”I got out of the car, my legs weak but my heart burning. I had no choice but to face this place. Somewhere here was the truth of what had happened to her, to us.I stopped an old man walking with a sti
Jasmine POV Daniel’s grip on my wrist was too tight. His hand pressed against my skin, and I felt pain shoot up my arm. I tried to pull away, but he held me harder.“Daniel… let me go,” I said, my voice shaking.His eyes were sharp, cold, like he was fighting something inside him. “Not until you give me your word,” he said.“My word? About what?” I asked, though I already knew.He leaned closer, his face just inches from mine. “Stay away from him. Promise me now, Jasmine, or I will do something we will both regret.”Fear spread through me. My heart pounded so loud I thought he would hear it. “You’re hurting me,” I whispered.He didn’t move his hand. “Then say it. Give me your word, or I will lock you inside this house, and you will never step out again.”Tears gathered in my eyes. “Daniel, please…”“Promise me,” he said again, his voice lower now, like a warning.I could not breathe well. I thought of myself, of my child inside me, of what could happen if I said no. Daniel was strong
Jasmine’s POVI sat on the edge of the bed, my hands pressed against my stomach as I thought about what happened yesterday. That man… Blake. His eyes, his voice, the way he looked at me—it haunted me. I tried to push the thought away, but it stayed. It clung to me like it had a place inside me.Daniel was in the kitchen, making breakfast. I could hear the sound of plates and spoons. He was humming softly. I should have told him about meeting Blake, but something stopped me. I didn’t know why. Maybe because it felt too strange, too personal."Why did I feel like I knew that man? Why did his words shake me?"I whispered to myself, "It’s not possible. I don’t know him. I only met him yesterday."Still, in my chest, something heavy pulled at me. It was like my heart wanted to remember something that my mind refused to accept. It was like there was a well that just got filled up after seeing the man that I never knew existed.When Daniel walked in with two plates, he smiled. "You look lost
Blake’s POVMy eyes continued to be fixed on her as I stood by the table. I knew that face. I knew those eyes. My chest beat so loud that I thought the whole place could hear it. It was her. It was Jasmine. My Jasmine.I shifted a little bit closer to the table. “Jasmine,” I called again. The waiter who was still standing close to her took a step towards us as if to come in between us. “Sir, stop right there,” he said.I frowned at his behavior. “I know her,” I said, my voice cracking because I was desperate. “That’s my wife. That’s Jasmine.”The other waitress, a woman, moved closer to her. She held Jasmine’s hand like she was protecting her. “You’re scaring her,” the woman said. “Please, step back. If you don’t, we will call security.”I felt my heart break. Scaring her? I could never scare her. I shook my head. “No, you don’t understand. I’m not scaring her. I love her. I know her better than anyone. She’s my wife.”The waiter stepped closer and blocked my way. “Sir, you need to s
Blake’s POVMy eyes continued to be fixed on her as I stood by the table. I knew that face. I knew those eyes. My chest beat so loud that I thought the whole place could hear it. It was her. It was Jasmine. My Jasmine.I shifted a little bit closer to the table. “Jasmine,” I called again. The waiter who was still standing close to her took a step towards us as if to come in between us. “Sir, stop right there,” he said.I frowned at his behavior. “I know her,” I said, my voice cracking because I was desperate. “That’s my wife. That’s Jasmine.”The other waitress, a woman, moved closer to her. She held Jasmine’s hand like she was protecting her. “You’re scaring her,” the woman said. “Please, step back. If you don’t, we will call security.”I felt my heart break. Scaring her? I could never scare her. I shook my head. “No, you don’t understand. I’m not scaring her. I love her. I know her better than anyone. She’s my wife.”The waiter stepped closer and blocked my way. “Sir, you need to s
Blake’s POVMy mouth dropped open. I rubbed my eyes with my hand, hard, again and again. For a moment I thought maybe I had lost my mind, maybe hunger was playing games with me. But no… when my eyes cleared, she was still there. Jasmine. Sitting just a few tables away and a book open in her hand, and in her arms… a child.I froze.My heart hammered inside my chest like it wanted to break free. My lips trembled. I wanted to stand, I wanted to call her name, but my voice caught in my throat.Her eyes lifted from the book and landed on me. For a second, time stopped. Her gaze held mine. My chest burned, my skin prickled, and I felt like the ground under me had vanished. She quickly broke the contact, dropped her eyes back to the book, and shifted the child in her arms as if I was no one, as if she had never seen me before.I couldn’t breathe.“Sir,” a sharp voice dragged me back. The waitress stood at my table, notepad in her hand. “Are you ready to order or not?”I blinked at her, still