Chapter 56: Breaking Point

Jasmine stood there in stunned silence. This was the last person she expected to see and the last words she expected out of his mouth.

“Need to breathe,” she wheezed out, and Nick let her go.

“I cannot tell you how much I’ve wanted to say that to you.” He tucked a hair behind her ear. The love in the simple gesture broke through the apathy that had dominated her mind for the last two months.

“I thought you hated me,” she mumbled. “I thought you wanted me gone forever. Between what your dad said and the story leaking, I thought…” she trailed off as she desperately tried to hold herself together.

“I know it wasn’t you. I could never hate you. Astrid found out our dad leaked the story with help from a Mrs. Susan Thornton.”

His knuckles tensed on her shoulders, and she looked down and slightly over to her mother, unable to fully meet her eyes. “You did this? You ruined my life? Did Dad know?”

Nick gently pulled her chin back to face him. “They tried, but they failed. I’m here now.”

Another friendly voice piped up, “And so are we.”

Her friends approached like a small army ready for war. Morgan, Astrid, Natalie, Merrick, Andrea—they were all there.

“We haven’t stopped trying to get you out of there. Not once,” Andrea said.

Nick caught her as she fell to her knees and sobbed into his chest. The rest of her friends kneeled and surrounded her in an awkward attempt at a group hug. It also was effective in creating a barrier between her, and her mother and ex. “Why did none of you reach out to me? I begged you all. How could you?” she forced out.

He took out her phone, and Andrea unlocked it for him. He opened her contacts and went into each one of her friends.

“We were blocked,” he said as he selected each one. “Someone went into your phone and made sure we couldn’t reach out. We tried every day.” He pulled out his own phone and showed the dozens of text messages that were not in her phone. Morgan and Natalie did the same. They’d never abandoned her.

“What about the apartment? Didn’t you guys get evicted?”

Morgan grinned deviously. “Nope, total fabrication to get you here. Andrea thought a legal document might be enough to convince your mom to let you leave. And apparently, Merrick is extremely good at making fake official documents. I told him he should get into the black market, but he refuses.”

“I’m sorry I prefer to stay on the law’s side, most of the time,” he said with a wink.

The comfort of Nick’s arms, the warmth of her friends surrounding her, and the truth allowed her steady her breathing. She was back where she belonged; her body knew it.

“Dude, that’s fucked up,” Aaron said in the vague direction of Susan. She’d already forgotten the two traitors were there.

Rage broke through the relief. “Shut up, Aaron. This doesn’t involve you anymore, so leave,” she snarled.

“Yes, it does. We need to figure out how I’m going to be in my kid’s life because I’m not just gonna forget about them and walk away as much as you want me to.”

A switch flipped in Nick. The darkness in his eyes and the tension in his every muscle erased the gentle love he’d been showing her since he’d arrived.

“Your kid?” he asked, the threat in his voice clear.

Aaron took an involuntary step back. “Well, yeah. You guys weren’t together until like May, and she was already pregnant by then, at least according to all the press.”

“Aaron, you idiot—”

“I got this,” Nick cut her off. “The story you read was a lie designed to protect me. So, whatever you think you know, throw it out. I confirmed a long time ago that that baby is mine, and I made the biggest mistake of my life by not accepting him and his mother immediately. Do the smart thing for once and leave because I’m not going anywhere. I love her, more than you ever did.”

Jasmine had never known this level of elation, not even at Cannes. Seeing the love of her life defend her and their baby and publicly accept them was the greatest joy she’d ever experienced.

Aaron shook his head. “No, I’m not going anywhere.” He took two steps towards Jasmine.

In the blink of an eye, he was on the ground, his cheek red. Everyone stared at Nick and his clenched fist.

Susan’s hand was over her heart. “Well, I never! I expected better from the Whitlock family. So uncivilized.”

Nick’s rage fueled Jasmine, and with the help of Natalie, she stood up. “Go home. Now.”

“Honey, I am only looking out for you and your well-being.” She went to stroke her cheek, and she slapped it away.

“You’ve never looked out for us once in our entire lives. All you’ve done is manipulate us for decades. And I can’t believe what lows you’ve stooped to just to keep your lifestyle intact. No more. I’m done. There is nothing left in me but pity for you.” She heard Aaron get to his feet behind her.

Andrea stepped forward and grabbed Jasmine’s hand. “Jasmine built a life here. And I’m going to as well. If the company is left to either of us, we’re going to sell it. You failed. Now go home.”

“Girls, you’re not thinking rationally. There are a lot of emotions right now—”

The sound of another punch rang out. Jasmine turned to see Aaron with his fists up and Nick’s head turned.

“Jasmine—”

“Leave.” The deathly calm of her statement and the glare in her eyes made it clear to Susan she was at the bottom of her priorities. The war was lost.

“Well, I hope you two are okay with putting your father in an early grave,” she said as a final jab and walked away from the fight brewing.

Jasmine shook it off and stepped in between the two men, the tension in her body making her shake like a leaf. Merrick placed a hand on Nick’s chest and tried to pull him away.

“Aaron, the kid’s not yours, just leave. This doesn’t have to go any further.”

“You’re lying. You just want him because he’s rich and to spite me. I’m not having it.” He pushed her out of the way to get back to the fight.

The rage on Nick’s face sent a chill down her spine. “Don’t touch her.”

A blur of movement and both men were throwing punches at each other. She could see glimpses of the bruises and cuts each were sustaining in the moments they stood still enough. A crowd began to gather and record with their phones. Nick was going to ruin his career if he kept it up. Merrick kept trying to throw himself into the fray to no avail.

“Stop!” she screamed, and she felt a popping sensation tied with a sharp pain in her abdomen.

“Oh my god,” Natalie said, and they all looked down.

“I think my water broke.”

Both the men instantly stilled and looked at the wet spot beneath her.

“Shit.”