Despite the luxurious comfort of the bed she was sleeping in, Lapis could not fall asleep. It wasn't the boisterous storm outside that kept her awake; it was the unease in her mind. Her thoughts raced with everything that had happened and what she had learned in just a short span of time. Whenever she did slip into a restless slumber, her dreams consumed with memories. In one, she was five again. She was alone, standing in a park after the sun had set, crying for her mommy. She was lost and cold and hungry. All the young Lapis wanted was her mother, but she could not be found. Usually, when she cried, her mother would come running for her. Not this time. This time, there was nothing but the creak of the swings in the wind and the distance murmur of children as they went home with their mothers.

Lapis woke up in tears at the painful memory. The feelings of abandonment lingered around her as she sniffled silently. It had been years since she had thought of her mother. She had pressed down and locked away those emotions years ago. It was simply easier to think of her mother as a shadow of the past than an actual being in her present. But now, Pandora's Box had been unlocked, and those repressed feelings were seeping back to the surface. Damn, Jasper, for opening up that box, Lapis thought. Though, really, she could not blame Jasper for unleashing those memories. It wasn't intentional. Or, at least, Lapis did not believe it was.

When Lapis was finally able to calm herself down, she tried to fall back asleep. It was not the crying little girl that plagued her dreams this time. Lapis was being pinned down by an invisible force as the rain beat down on her. She heard a low, sadistic chuckle and the sound of a zipper. Lapis could not move; she was paralyzed as she felt hands wonder up her sides. She wanted to scream, but her throat was thick and dry. Suddenly, there was a splash of blood and the force holding her down dissolved away from her limbs. Frantically, Lapis scrambled to her feet and attempted to flee. A cruel hand grasped her ankle and forcibly yanked her back down to the ground. However, the ground was no longer solid. It had turned into cold, dark water and whatever had Lapis was pulling her down beneath the rocky waves. Lapis woke up gasping, drenched in sweat and her heart racing.

Sunlight filtered through the windows, signaling the beginning of a new day. Lapis squinted her eyes against the harsh light, scowling. She felt like shit. Her eyes ached; her head was throbbing; her body was sore. Lapis wanted to go back to sleep, but the urge to use the bathroom was too great. Angrily, Lapis kicked off the comforter and sheets and stomped into the bathroom. She caught a glimpse of herself in the dark mirror. Her hair was a mess, and she looked rougher than she did last night. Her cheek was discolored with shades of red and purple. There was the faint scratches along her face; her bottom lip was slightly swollen and marred with a cut. Lapis scrunched her face in disgust at her reflection and winced as pain shot through her. After relieving herself, Lapis knew trying to go back to sleep was futile. She was awake even if she still felt exhausted.

Lapis peeked her head outside the door, looking around the empty hall. She could hear the sound of the TV playing from the living room. The whole apartment smelt like coffee and bacon. Her stomach rumbled with urgency. She needed to locate the source of the delicious scent. Hesitantly, Lapis left the room and made her way to the kitchen. Jasper was leaning against the dark marble counter, looking down at her phone. Her thick hair was pulled back in a messy yet classy bun. She was wearing a sleeveless, silky red blouse that showed off the fine muscles in her arms and the blotchy stripes against her skin; she had a pencil thin black skirt, black tights, and fancy black heels. A gold necklace with a pink diamond hung from her neck and nestled into the valley of her breasts. Jasper radiated ladylike intimidation.

"You look like shit," Jasper said after glancing up at Lapis. "Are you okay?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"I'm not surprised. Are you hungry?"

"Oh God, yes."

"Well, I have some coffee brewing, and there is some bacon, eggs, and fruit for you." Jasper motioned to the premade plate sitting on the counter. Lapis faced brightened at the sight of food, and she eagerly grabbed the plate. She was too hungry to be cautious. Lapis did not even bother to find a place to sit as she scooped the food into her mouth ignoring the pain chewing caused. It tasted heavenly. The bacon was crispy; the scrambled eggs were fluffy; the strawberries were juicy and fresh.

"This is amazing," she complimented.

"Thanks, "Jasper replied. She poured some hot coffee into two mugs and handed one to Lapis; offering her cream and sugar. Lapis turned them down and enjoyed the bitter taste of black coffee.

'You know," she began, making idle chat, setting down the mug on the counter and took a few more bites. "I expected you to have a cook or something."

"Shit, I don't have that kind of money, Blue. And, why to waste the money on something I can do myself?"

"I guess that makes sense. What do you do for a living?"

"Investments."

"What kind of investments?"

"The money making kind," Jasper replied, vaguely.

"Sounds illegal," Lapis said but immediately regretted it. She really should not be making assumptions about Jasper's life. Especially if it is something that could potentially dangerous. Jasper smiled, flashing her teeth and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Now why would you think it would be something illegal?" Lapis could not tell if Jasper was serious or not. Her tone suggested humor, but her posture came across as if she was challenging her. Lapis pressed her lips together, shrugging and pushing around the little bit of food left on her plate.

"Nothing particular. You give off this mafia vibe." Jasper chuckled, shaking her head.

"I am not involved in the mob."

"Good to know." Lapis did not press any further and Jasper did not offer more of an explanation. She was more than willing to drop the subject. The less she knew about Jasper, the better. Especially if she was involved in anything that was illegal. Without another word, Lapis went to the sink and rinsed off her plate.

"You can just leave your plate in the sink," Jasper said. Lapis nodded in response and set it down. It was probably best that she left today. Lapis did not want to overstay her welcome and despite Jasper's generosity, Lapis still did not entirely trust her. There was something about Jasper that Lapis could not put her finger on. And Jasper's connection to her mother was far more painful that she wanted to admit. It made things even more complicated. However, she was not quite ready to go back onto the streets. Lapis would be looking behind her back for the next two months. What would she do next time? Would she be as lucky? Lapis hated to admit she was terrified to go back; she hated that she was afraid.

"Um, thanks for everything," Lapis said, leaning against the edge of the sink.

"Don't mention it."

"Well, I'll get out of your hair. I just need my clothes."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that," Jasper began, her face was grave and contemplative. Lapis felt her stomach did a little flip and heart thundered in her chest.

"What did you do to my clothes?"

"Nothing. Jesus Christ, Lapis. I thought we established I mean you no harm or anything." Lapis did not say anything and only nodded. She did not mean to sound so panicked. Honestly, Lapis could not think of anything Jasper could have done to her clothes that would have been that horrible; unless she refused to give them back. Even then, Jasper did not seem to be addressing her clothes. Lapis felt stupid. Jasper sighed and pushed a stray strand of hair away from her face. It took her a moment before she spoke.

"I owe it to your mom. She was a good person. She was good to me. And it's not fucking fair she ended up where she did. It wasn't fair to you either. And after what happened last night...I want to offer you a place to stay. You can have my guest room and stay as long as you like. You won't have to beg for money. You will have food and a roof over your head. I'll get you some new clothes…"

"No thanks," Lapis interrupted briskly even though a part of her wanted to accept. A comfortable bed, regular meals and being off the streets sounded fantastic, but she felt like she would owe Jasper later on. She was still very suspicious of her motivations. It was hard for her to believe this was some favor to her mother. Her mother had abandoned her. She was not some good person who deserved to have something nice done for her. Even if it did benefit Lapis. Jasper was taken back and scoffed as if she did not expect Lapis to refuse.

"Look," Jasper said, gritting her teeth. "I really want to do this. You won't owe me anything. This is something I owe your mother. Even if it's just for two weeks. Give yourself time to recover from what happened. Stay off the streets; be safe: After two weeks, I'll get your car back. I will give you some new clothes and a little extra cash. I owe you that."

"Wow. You must have really done something fucked up." Something dark flashed across Jasper's features that made Lapis regret commenting. She seemed to be doing that a lot this morning. Lapis stared at Jasper, crossing her arms over her chest. Two weeks. Two weeks in a lavish apartment with access to food and a hot shower. After two weeks, she would get her car back with interest. Yet, something about Jasper's determination, that was almost bordering on desperation, unnerved Lapis. Several questions ran through her mind. Had Jasper really done something so terrible to warrant the type of redemption? What sort of business was she in that granted her this kind of luxury? Could she really spend the next three months sleeping at the shelter? What about the nights when the shelter filled up? Could she be put in the same situation again? What if she ran into those men? Suddenly, a thought occurred to Lapis.

"So, if I still say no, you would let me go back to the streets? No car, no clothes, nothing," she asked, suspicious but woeful. If Jasper was that sincere, maybe Lapis could manipulate the situation in her favor.

"Of course not." Lapis felt a surge of triumph and relief but kept her face stoic and pensive.

"I'd alert the proper authorities, and you would be returned to your foster family," Jasper answered quickly. Lapis' mask fell, and her mouth dropped in disbelief. Fuck! Jasper had her. How did she know she would say that? How in the hell was she a step ahead of her? No. There was no fucking way that she would go back to her foster family. She felt like a prisoner in that hellhole of a home. Jasper smirked slyly. And Jasper knew this, Lapis realized. Lapis' lips twisted into an angry pout. Jasper had planned this and she had walked right into it. She was damned if she did and damned if she didn't, wasn't she? Slumping her shoulders in defeat, Lapis begrudgingly agreed to stay with Jasper. It was just two weeks, right? It would be over before she knew it. Right?