Flowers for you

Sweet-Pea

When I arrive back in the car, after carefully placing the key back under the coffee table, Jasper was outside.

His hands crossed over his chest like he was afraid he would break apart if he didn't hold himself together.

"Hey," I call to him as his eyes dart from one house to another.

"Fancy neighborhood," he comments, and I allow myself to smile.

"Yeah," I answer, now watching the houses as well. It was eerily quiet for a neighborhood. But I guess rich people like it this way. I find one of Nathan's neighbors going out for a jog. She waves at us and I wave back. Jasper shoots me a curious look and I roll my eyes at him.

"Where to?" I ask after a while and he shrugs, like he normally does and looks up at Nathan's window.

"Find anything?" He asks me, and I look at him. What was he expecting me to find?

"If you think for a moment that I am that type of girlfriend, then you are so wrong," I tell him, getting inside the car. Why on earth would I spy on my boyfriend? Or doubt him for that matter? He wasn't even here.

He walks over to the car and opens the door but doesn't get inside.

"What type of girlfriend are you then?"

"The kind that will leave you behind if you don't get your ass inside the car," I tell him, and he laughs. Soft but hallow telling me he was still grieving. Why do men have to try and act tough? I glance at him in the rearview mirror as I drive out of Nathan's neighborhood. He stared outside, his green eyes losing more of their color each time I look at him. First it was Jasmine, now it was Nana. I grip the stirring wheel. No. First was Rosemary. Then his parents...now this. I didn't want to feel sorry for him. I knew he didn't want that either, but I can't imagine being in his shoes and still managing to...help me.

"You can stop, you know," I blurt out as we drive to our neighborhood. It takes him a moment to acknowledge me, his eyes catching mine in the rearview mirror.

"Stop what?"

"Helping me," I continue, not liking the edge in his voice.

He scoffs at this and I prepare myself for an onslaught of whatever he was about to say. But then he goes quiet.

"No," he says quietly I almost didn't hear him. "No more being alone."

I sigh. "But Jasper, you've gone through so much I can't-"

"Can't what?" There was anger in his voice and I am sadder than pissed at him right now, I decide to just drop it.

"I'm sorry," he says after a while and I let out a deep breath.

"I can't watch you get hurt again," I finally say, and we sit in silence for a while as I stare at the red light in front of us.

"I'm always going to be hurt, Pat," he looks out the window, his hands rubbing his legs like he was trying to stop them from shaking so much. "Ever since Rosemary...I've been hurting, and it won't stop. It won't stop until I find out who is responsible for it."

"Until we find out," I correct him. This makes him laugh, and I feel slightly relieved by it. I didn't know how much I needed him to laugh until I heard it. Something was wrong, very wrong and we had to find out quickly before more people...die. I stop myself from thinking about my dream. From thinking about Jasmine. Instead, I park the car in front of Jasper's house. The lights were off. That meant nobody was home. He sighs and turns to go out. He hesitates, and I hesitate and there is this awkward air around us.