No Looking Back
Jasmine walked out of the café, her heart pounding. The finality of her words to Luke should have left her feeling relieved, but instead, she felt… numb.
She had waited for this moment. Dreamed about it, even. Telling him off, watching him sit there in regret. And yet, standing there on the sidewalk, she didn't feel victorious.
Just tired.
Her phone buzzed in her hand.
Rita: Did you meet him?
She sighed before replying.
Jasmine: Yeah. It's done.
Rita: Good. You okay?
Jasmine hesitated.
Jasmine: I will be.
And for the first time, she believed it.
---
The Weight of the Past
Back at the apartment, Jasmine found Rita curled up on the couch, scrolling through her phone.
Rita looked up. "So?"
Jasmine dropped onto the couch beside her. "He wanted me back."
Rita snorted. "Of course, he did."
Jasmine leaned her head back against the cushion. "He said he never stopped caring."
Rita scoffed. "Yeah, caring so much he let you suffer in that house while Belle took your place."
Jasmine let out a humorless laugh. "Exactly."
Rita studied her. "And how do you feel?"
Jasmine exhaled. "Like I should be happy, but mostly, I'm just… exhausted."
Rita nodded in understanding. "It's because you carried that pain for so long. And now that it's over, you don't know what to do with all the space it left behind."
Jasmine turned to her. "How are you so wise all of a sudden?"
Rita smirked. "Survival instinct."
Jasmine chuckled, feeling some of the weight lift.
Maybe it wasn't about feeling victorious. Maybe it was just about letting go.
---
A New Invitation
The next day, Jasmine's phone buzzed again—this time, with an invitation.
Belle: Can we talk?
Jasmine stared at the message.
After everything, Belle wanted to talk?
Her first instinct was to ignore it. But then curiosity, or maybe a need for closure, made her type back.
Jasmine: Where?
Belle sent an address—a quiet café, much like the one where she had met Luke.
Jasmine sighed.
"Guess I have one more ghost to bury," she muttered.
---
Facing Belle
Jasmine arrived at the café to find Belle already seated, looking… different.
She was thinner, paler. The confidence she once carried so effortlessly was gone.
Jasmine slid into the seat across from her. "What do you want?"
Belle stirred her coffee, not meeting Jasmine's eyes. "I know I have no right to ask, but… I wanted to apologize."
Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "Apologize?"
Belle exhaled. "For everything. For coming into your home, for taking Luke, for making your life hell." She finally looked up. "I was desperate, Jasmine. My uncle convinced me Luke was my only chance at a future. I believed him."
Jasmine folded her arms. "And now that it's all fallen apart, you want forgiveness?"
Belle shook her head. "No. I don't expect that. I just… I don't want to be that person anymore."
Jasmine studied her. She didn't feel anger, not anymore. Just pity.
"You ruined my life," Jasmine said bluntly. "And you let Luke do it, too."
Belle swallowed hard.
Jasmine sighed. "But I think you ruined yourself more."
Belle's eyes glistened. "I think so, too."
A long silence stretched between them.
Then, Belle whispered, "I hope you find happiness, Jasmine."
Jasmine stared at her for a moment before nodding.
"You too."
And just like that, she walked away.
Another ghost laid to rest.
---
Unfinished Business
Jasmine never thought healing would feel this complicated.
Some days, she woke up feeling lighter, the weight of Luke's betrayal fading like a bad dream. Other days, it crushed her, sneaking up when she least expected it.
Tonight was one of those nights.
She sat in her car outside Rita's apartment, gripping the steering wheel. The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of emotions—meeting Asher, slowly rediscovering herself, learning to exist outside of Luke's shadow.
Yet, despite everything, she still felt… unfinished.
A part of her was still angry.
A part of her still wanted answers.
And there was only one way to get them.
---
A Confrontation Long Overdue
Jasmine hadn't seen Luke in months.
She wasn't sure why she was here, standing outside the building he now shared with Belle. Closure? Revenge? She didn't know.
But when the door opened, and Luke's eyes landed on her, the air shifted.
His face paled slightly, but he masked it with a tired smirk. "Jasmine. Didn't expect to see you here."
She crossed her arms, ignoring the way her heart still clenched at the sight of him. "I need to talk to you."
He hesitated before stepping aside. "Come in."
The apartment was just as she imagined—neat, modern, and lacking any trace of warmth. It felt staged, like a place someone existed in, not lived in.
She sat on the couch while Luke leaned against the kitchen counter, arms folded. "What do you want?"
Jasmine let out a slow breath. "Why did you do it?"
Luke's jaw tightened. "We've had this conversation."
"No, you talked, and I walked away. But I never got an answer. Why did you choose Belle?"
His gaze flickered, something unreadable passing over his features. "Because you made me feel like I owed you my life."
Jasmine froze.
Luke exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Every argument, every fight—it always came back to the kidney. You never let me forget it."
Her throat tightened. "I saved your life, Luke."
"I know," he said, his voice quiet. "And I'll never stop being grateful for that. But you held it over me like a debt I could never repay."
Jasmine opened her mouth, then closed it.
Had she really done that?
Had she unknowingly made him feel trapped?
"You chose Belle because you thought she loved you without conditions," she said finally.
Luke looked away. "At the time, I did."
Jasmine's chest ached. "And now?"
He met her eyes. "Now I know I made a mistake."
For the first time, she didn't feel anger.
She just felt… done.
"You did," she said simply, standing up. "And I hope one day, you learn to live with it."
Then she walked out, leaving Luke in the home he had chosen.
---
A Friend Who Knows Better
Jasmine wasn't sure where she was driving until she ended up in front of Asher's house.
She hesitated before knocking, but he opened the door almost immediately, as if he knew she'd be there.
"Rough night?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Come in."
Jasmine stepped inside, sighing as she collapsed onto his couch. "I confronted Luke."
Asher leaned against the armrest, watching her carefully. "And?"
She swallowed. "I think… I think I finally understand."
One eyebrow lifted. "And what do you understand?"
She took a deep breath. "That we were doomed the moment I gave him my kidney."
Asher didn't speak right away.
Then he said, "You don't owe him your forgiveness just because you understand."
Jasmine blinked. "What?"
"You heard me." Asher's gaze was steady. "You can get closure without excusing what he did to you."
Her throat tightened. "I don't know how to separate the two."
Asher studied her before reaching for a bottle of whiskey on the table. He poured them both a glass and handed one to her.
"Then let's figure it out together."
Jasmine stared at him, something warm spreading in her chest.
For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel alone.
She raised her glass. "To closure?"
Asher smirked. "To better men."
And as they drank, Jasmine realized something.
Maybe she wasn't fully healed yet.
But she was finally moving forward.
---