Chapter 177

Rose sat frozen, her eyes filling with tears as the words settled in her mind. She raised her hand and covered her mouth tightly, trying to suppress the sob building in her throat.

Wilma was sick. He had been sick for months.

She had spent all this time staying far away from him, completely convinced that he had simply been hurt by everything that had happened between them. She had believed that after the night they shared, after they had slept together and opened up to one another, his heart had been shattered when she pushed him away. She had never once imagined that his dark illness had returned to consume him from the inside.

"I neglected him," Rose whispered, her voice barely audible behind her trembling fingers.

Cassy immediately reached across the table, taking Rose's cold hands into her own. "Rose, don't do this to yourself."

Rose shook her head side to side, her posture slumping forward. "No." A single tear fell off her jaw, dropping onto her shirt. "I deserve to feel guilty."

"You don't."

"I do." Rose lifted her head, looking directly into Cassy's blue eyes. "Everything Wilma has ever done for me, he always said yes." Her voice broke, thick with grief. "He never told me no. Not once."

She pulled one hand free to wipe her cheeks. "He protected me. He kept putting himself between me and everything that could hurt me." She lowered her gaze, staring down at her lap. "And now that he was sick, I wasn't there."

Cassy gently rubbed the back of Rose's hands with her thumbs. "Rose..."

"He has been sick for months," Rose said, crying harder now as her shoulders shook. "And I was being selfish."

Cassy pulled her chair closer, wrapping a strong arm around Rose's shoulders. "If I were you, I probably would have done the same thing."

Rose shook her head again, pressing her hands to her face. "No. I shouldn't have."

Cassy continued patting Rose's hands, speaking gentle words to calm her down while Rose struggled to regain control of her breathing.

Across the small table, Jasmine had been sitting quietly, picking at her plate. Suddenly, she froze, setting her fork down with a loud clatter. She pressed her palm against her mouth and let out a sudden, heavy burp.

Rose looked up, wiping her cheeks with a tissue. "Bless you."

Cassy turned her head toward Jasmine, her brow furrowed. "What's wrong with this one?"

Jasmine waved her hand back and forth in front of her face. "Sorry. Sorry."

She quickly reached for her glass, taking a large gulp of cold water before picking up her fork to try again. A few seconds later, another burp escaped her lips.

Jasmine frowned down at her food. "What is wrong with me?"

Rose looked at the plate, studying the thick dark sauce. "Could it be the meat?"

Cassy looked at the dish as well. "It might be the meat." She slid her own plate across the table toward Jasmine. "Stop eating that. Here. Take my pasta."

Jasmine shrugged her shoulders. "Okay."

She picked up the fork, twirling a few strands of pasta, and raised it toward her mouth. But before she could swallow, she stopped entirely. All the color drained from her face, leaving her skin pale. She swallowed hard, her throat working nervously, then slammed her hand over her mouth.

"Excuse me. Excuse me," Jasmine muttered hurriedly.

She pushed her chair back and rushed across the floor toward the restroom door near the back.

Rose and Cassy exchanged a long look across the wooden table. A few seconds later, the clear sound of vomiting echoed faintly from inside the restroom.

Rose frowned, looking toward the hallway. "What is wrong with her?"

Cassy stood up slowly from her seat. "I don't know." She stared toward the bathroom door. "Has she been sick?"

"I don't know."

Cassy sighed, resting her hands on her hips. "One thing I know is that work hasn't been normal for her either. She hasn't been travelling much because of everything happening with you."

Rose's face filled with concern. "Maybe everything is finally getting to her."

"Maybe."

They stood near the table, waiting quietly. After a few minutes passed, Jasmine walked back out into the main dining area. Her face looked flushed, and she wore a deeply embarrassed expression as she approached them.

"I'm sorry," Jasmine said, sliding slowly back into her chair. "I don't even know what's wrong with me."

Cassy studied Jasmine's pale face carefully. "Is it that bad?"

Jasmine frowned up at her. "What?"

"Whatever Rose made you go through."

Jasmine immediately shook her head, waving both hands in the air. "No, no, no. I took a break from work, yes, but it has nothing to do with my health. I've actually been resting." She looked down at the pasta plate with disgust. "I don't know what's happening all of a sudden. I can't eat."

Cassy's expression shifted instantly, her eyes narrowing as a thought crossed her mind. "Wait."

Jasmine looked up at her.

"You said you can't eat?"

"Yes."

"The smell of the food turns your stomach?"

"Terribly."

"And you just threw up?"

Jasmine nodded her head.

Cassy stared at her in complete silence for a long moment. "When was your last period?"

Jasmine rolled her eyes, making a light noise in her throat. "Duh. My period is irregular." She shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes I don't even see it."

Rose looked directly at Jasmine's face. "And you've been active lately?"

Jasmine hesitated, tapping her fingers against the edge of the table. "Not really." She paused, calculating the days in her head. "Actually, for about a month now, I haven't been active."

Rose nodded her head slowly. "Okay." She looked closely at her friend. "Even so, when you're going home, you should get a pregnancy test."

Jasmine's dark eyes widened in complete shock. "What? For what? No, no, no. There's no need for that."

Cassy stepped in, agreeing with Rose instantly. "For real. Just test."

Jasmine shook her head back and forth. "I'm not going to the hospital."

"You don't have to," Cassy said gently. "Just get a test. At least you'll know."

Jasmine let out a long sigh, leaning back in her chair. "Fine." She pointed her index finger at both of them. "I'll get one just to prove that nothing is wrong with me."

Cassy smiled slightly. "Okay."

They eventually gathered their things to leave. Jasmine picked up her shoulder bag, resting it over her arm.

"Rose, come on. Let's go together," Jasmine said, pointing toward the parking space outside. "Follow us. We brought the car. We can hang out for a little while."

Rose immediately took a step backward, away from the two of them. "No."

Jasmine frowned at the sudden rejection. "Why?"

"I don't want to."

"Why?"

Rose shook her head side to side, her hands trembling at her sides. "I don't want to put anyone else in danger."

Jasmine stopped, staring at Rose in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I've already lost Cynthia," Rose said, her voice dropping into a quiet whisper. "I don't want something happening to another person because of me."

Jasmine took a step closer to her. "Don't say that."

"I'll take a cab."

"No."

"Jasmine"

"What do you mean you don't want anything to happen to us?"

Cassy stepped between them, extending a hand to hold Jasmine back. "Let her be."

Jasmine looked at Cassy in surprise.

Cassy sighed softly, looking at Rose with deep understanding. "She's going through a lot."

Rose lowered her head, staring down at the dirty tiles near the door. "Maybe the person who caused all of this wanted to attack me." She swallowed hard, a painful lump forming in her throat. "Maybe I should have been the one who died."

Jasmine's face fell completely. "Rose..."

"Cynthia shouldn't have died because of me."

Cassy reached out and touched Rose's shoulder gently. "Don't think like that."

Rose said nothing, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground.

Cassy turned her head to look at Jasmine. "Let's just leave her for now. She needs some time."

Jasmine hesitated, looking back and forth between them with worry. "Are you sure?"

Cassy nodded her head firmly. "She'll be okay."

Eventually, Jasmine left for her home, while Cassy drove straight to the Parkhouse near the ocean.

When Cassy walked inside the grand main room, Wilma was already standing near the tall windows, waiting for her return. The moment his eyes landed on her, a deep frown formed on his forehead.