It’s time to make that decision.

28

Georgina

Everything that's happened so far has made me anxious as fuck.

As I make my way to the hospital, I keep glancing over my shoulder. I don't see Jas, but I know he's somewhere nearby. He wouldn't just let me wander around by myself. He's protective of me now, determined to make sure I don't get hurt.

I arrive at the hospital and work my shift in silence, only answering when I'm spoken to. By the time lunch hour rolls around, I'm tired and worried about Katya and Dinah's questions. I wonder whether I should skip the lunch date altogether, but I know it would only make my friends suspicious, so I grab a cafeteria sandwich and meet the girls at our usual table.

"There she is!" Dinah waves me over and I smile tersely as I sit down, digging into my barely edible sandwich. "We've barely heard from you lately, Georgie. Where have you been hiding?"

I look into her eyes, briefly wondering whether I should tell her what's been going on for weeks now. Dinah's one of my closest friends, yet something tells me she wouldn't understand.

"Just been busy," I finally say, teeth digging into my sandwich.

Dinah gives me a doubtful look, but then Katya launches into a story about one of the guys she's been seeing, momentarily distracting us all. She even manages to get me to laugh along with her story, though my mind is focusing on anything other than my friend's dating adventures.

"Guys, I have a favor to ask you," I find myself saying.

"Oh?" Katya raises an eyebrow. "This doesn't have to do with that Jasper guy, does it?"

I don't answer, giving them a grave look before going on. "I was hoping you two could check in with me more often. Call me, maybe drop by the apartment if you don't hear from me. Would that be okay?"

"Why?" Dinah demands. "Are you going somewhere?"

Weakly, I shake my head. What the hell was I thinking? I can't tell them the truth, they'll think me crazy. But my friends surprise me by taking one of my hands each, and I raise my head to look at them.

"We're here for you," Katya assures me. "We want to make sure you're okay. We'll do whatever you need us to do."

"Thank you," I breathe. The relief is so intense my eyes water. "I'm worried about the cats. If you could just check on them once every few days, I'd be really grateful."

My friends exchange worried glances but end up nodding without asking me any questions.

"You'd tell us if you were in trouble, right?" Katya blurts a moment later.

"Katya!" Dinah shoots her a warning look before patting my hand. "Babe, you don't need to tell us what's happening, just make sure you stay safe and out of trouble. And if you need anything, you can always call either of us for help."

"Thanks." I smile and set the rest of my sandwich aside. "It means a lot, seriously."

They exchange another worried look, but neither of them says anything. I guess they don't want to overstep – I've been known to pull back before when I thought they were being too demanding. There had been countless times when my friends had attempted to set me up before. It was only this year that I'd agreed to it – and after the disaster with the doctor, and now with Jas, I’m beginning to think I would've been better off without ever dating the guys they picked for me.

By the end of the day, I am once again exhausted. Thankfully, the traffic isn't too bad and I arrive home at dusk.

I notice a car in front of the building that doesn't look like it belongs one bit. I recognize it. I've seen it before.

It's that guy, Lucio. Jas' employer.

I furrow my brows, beeping the keys to my car as I approach the building. A man is standing in front of the car, and he smiles like a snake when he sees me, sending shivers down my spine. My eyes find the spider tattoo on his hand, and I shiver involuntary when I see the creepy, crawly legs etched permanently into his skin.

"Can I help you?" I speak up loudly when I'm near enough for the sound to reach him. The guy smirks and I give him a wary look, crossing my arms and coming to a stop in front of his car.

"Perhaps," he says with a smooth Italian accent. "I'm looking for Jasper."

"I don't know where he is." I raise an eyebrow. Even if I did, I wasn't going to tell this guy. "Anything else?"

He takes his hands out of the pockets of his expensive suit and approaches me with long, confident steps. He grabs me by the chin, surprising me when he pulls me closer. "You think you're all that because you're the dog's flavor of the month? He doesn't give a shit about you, little nurse."

I slap his hand away and the bastard laughs at me as I stumble back. He didn't grab me hard, but humiliation still sears my skin where his fingers rested on it. "Get the hell away from me."

"I have every right to be here. I'm not trespassing – this is public property. Now let's clear a few things up, you and me."

He approaches me again and I shrink back, immediately hating myself for being weaker than him. I want to smash his face in for scaring me, but I know I'm helpless, and given the guy's background, I wouldn't be surprised if he was carrying a gun somewhere.

I swallow and glare at him as he continues his calm, cool speech.

"You're nothing to him," he says. "He doesn't do love, or feelings, or relationships. The sooner you realize that, the better. And I'd encourage you to make it as soon as you can, little nurse. The man's got work to do and he has no use for some sad little bitch hanging around him waiting for a glimmer of his affection."

How dare he speak to me that way?

I don’t care if he’s connected to the mafia, but I won’t be disrespected by him or anyone else.

“Is that why he’s always with me?” I lift my chin. “Are you perhaps jealous?”

“You fucking bitch –” he lunges at me and before I can retreat or run, someone pulls him away from me.

I watch in horror as Jasper backs the guy up against his own car and slams him down on the hood.

In a split second, three guards get out of the car I'd presumed was empty, all pointing guns at Jas' head.

He punches Lucio anyway.

“Stop it.” I tremble, calling his name over and over again to shift his attention before he gets himself killed.

But Jas is blind and deaf to everything. All he sees is the red mist in front of his eyes, descending and blurring his vision until all he wants to do is fucking kill.

"Jas, please!" I cry out again, screaming when one of the guards points their gun at me.

Jasper retreats back at the threat, his eyes still glimmering with tension.

Lucio motions with a hand for the guards to aim away, and they do. The man picks himself up, chuckling as a trickle of blood runs down his chin. He wipes it off before buttoning his blazer.

"That was the last time you disrespect me," Lucio tells Jas calmly. "You might have thought yourself a master, but once a dog, always a dog. You’ll pay for this."

He gets in the car and slams the door, while the guards do the same. The vehicle speeds off while I try to catch my breath and Jas stares after them with distaste.