So.. So sorry for the delay. I was distracted by the other story I started - which, in hindsight wasn't such a good plan, starting something new before finishing the old - and then I simply couldn't finish the last chapter. It just didn't fit. So yeah, this is not the last chapter. The next will be. Bit of a filler, though. There's no juicy Jaspenor in this one and I read somewhere that Robert is a bit more serious than Liam and Eleanor, so I'm pretty sure my Robert is nothing like the real deal, so apologies. But I just wanted to write Robert and say goodbye to Poppy and have some fun and fighting, because.. Well. Not sure actually. Next chap is the last. Loads of Jaspenor. Won't make you wait this long. Thank you to those who are still reading :)
Chapter 10
He didn't even see it coming, the raised hand. The inevitable burning sensation, when her hand flatly hit the side of his face, was entirely unexpected. And, he decided, undeserved.
'The fuck, Frost! I haven't seen nor heard from you in six bloody weeks.'
He knew it wasn't fair, not texting nor calling, but this whole thing with Eleanor was still so fragile and he didn't dare ignite her wrath or scare her away by leaving her side for too long. And honestly, in between guarding the future King and fucking his Royal sister, he simply hadn't found the time.
With the coronation coming up in just a matter of days, the Palace was in the highest state of alertness and there were people fluttering about and running around. Jasper cared very little for all of them and hadn't bothered to hide this, to the point that Robert and Eleanor had send him away because his 'attitude was becoming a thing' after him thumping one of the Royal Tailor's assistants on the nose when the young man – in Jasper's humble opinion– had become a bit too hands-on with the Princess. In all honesty, Jasper had practically been hunting any excuse to escape the hellhole that was the Palace at the moment and the fitter had conveniently given him one.
So here he was, standing in front of Poppy's door and he hadn't really expected her to be jumping his bones with joy, but his stinging cheek was another extreme altogether.
'The fuck right back at you, Pops,' he cursed. 'Fuck you did that for?'
She shrugged.
'Not quite sure,' she grinned. 'But it felt good.
She smiled broadly at him, one hand on her hip, and he found himself returning the stance.
'What?' he smirked and she punched him, softly, on the arm.
'Come in, Frost,' she said with a flourish, bowing exuberantly, and he rolled his eyes at her.
'Should I call you Lord now?' she asked thoughtfully. 'Or haven't you crawled that far up the Princess' hole yet?'
He pushed her inside the house as she laughed and flung the door shut a bit harder than necessary. Contemplated slapping her on the ass, but that was just a fleeting thought, because Eleanor would have his balls and he suspected Poppy would have a few choice words for him as well. Right before she'd pinch his cheeks and let him know the Princess should be happy to 'smack that'.
'Beer?' she called from the kitchen. He nodded, momentarily forgetting she couldn't see him. She tossed him a bottle anyway and dropped down next to him on the sofa.
'So, lover boy,' she started. 'Fill me in. Last thing I remember; you were puking in my bed. Can't imagine the Princess being too keen on that sort of shit. Or is she?'
'Poppy,' he sighed, but she held up a hand.
'She does of course have a history of spewing and barfing,' she continued. 'Believe me, you should check last year's issues of D-Throned. Very entertaining. Never thought she'd incorporate it during sex, though.'
He gagged.
'Poppy,' he said sharply. 'Are you being difficult on purpose?'
'Yes,' she answered frankly. 'Had you expected differently?'
And he hadn't, not really, but still he was surprised. She had told him to go and talk to the Princess and now it almost seemed like she was mad at him. He thought hers was a chapter well closed. Closed and burned by them together. Perhaps he had been mistaken.
'I am not mad at you,' she sighed, answering his silence. 'I am disappointed. You can't just hole up in your apartment, talk to no one and then suddenly turn in your resignation without any explanation. You left, no word whatsoever, and now you show up at my place and dare to look at me like I'm a woman scorned.
'I am not,' she continued. 'I am a friend hurt by her mate's absence.'
She flicked him against the ear, causing him to jump.
'We all know you're a dick who has no clue what human emotions are or what to do with it,' she said, 'but this was pushing it, even for you.'
He had to fight a smile and slung an arm around the back of the sofa, lightly touching her shoulders.
'I'm sorry,' he offered. She scoffed, but the smile she gave him was wide.
'Now tell me, boy,' she said, her American accent sounding almost authentic, but perhaps this was simply because he compared hers to Liam's. 'What's been happening?'
He told her everything. Everything.
From the day he had first slept with Eleanor, to him fucking the Queen. From the King's murder to Robbie's reappearance. The twins illegitimacy, Beck, Samantha, the King's Cup. From the birthday party, the second one, to Cartizze and his new job. As the nearly crowned King's bodyguard and apparently the Princess' bed warmer. Her mouth was open, his beer warm and the sun setting, by the time he was finished.
'I thought you didn't want the epic love story,' Poppy murmured, her expression both impressed and shocked. 'But I see you're doing just fine creating one on your own.'
She leaned her head back, resting it on his arm as she whistled softly.
'Well,' she sighed. 'Not really fine. But I suppose you don't see it that way.'
He could see the wheels turning in her head, see her process all that he had just told her. He wondered if she'd think differently of him. Whether he cared if she did. He decided, when she turned, looking at him from the corner of her eye, that he would. She was important to him and her opinion mattered. She didn't give it to him, though. Her opinion.
'Are you happy now?' she asked him instead. And the question surprised him, took him off guard.
He was living in the Palace again. Hadn't sold his apartment yet, because he didn't let go of things easily, but the Palace felt like home. Not that he had spent a lot of time in his own quarters. At the end of his shift more often than not he'd find himself in the Princess' room. Sleeping, fucking, but never talking. Come sunrise she was always quick to throw him out. Very homey.
But he was back. He was back in her life and he loved her – and he was pretty damn sure she loved him to – so it was only a matter of time. She was stubborn and he was happy.
End of story.
Right?
'No.'
It almost hurt to admit it, but no. He wasn't happy.
For fuck's sake.
Poppy had the decency to not look smug about it, but he knew.
'How'd you know?' he asked and she smirked.
'Because, milord,' she said slyly. 'You and the Princess are both exceptionally stupid and also both very skilled in making each other miserable.'
He let his finger rest on her shoulder, applying soft pressure and she moved closer. She pressed her cheek against his shoulder and he sighed. He dropped his chin atop her head.
Frowned and sighed again.
'I'm not unhappy,' he said eventually.
'Just not happy,' she finished for him.
'Not happy,' he assented.
She was about to speak, but the soft buzz of his phone beat her to it.
Robert.
He gave her an apologetic look as he pushed himself up from the sofa and retreated to the kitchen to answer the call.
'What are you doing?' the Prince's voice demanded through the phone. 'Never mind. It doesn't matter. Just tell me where you are and I will pick you up.'
He didn't sound panicked in any way, just thoroughly annoyed. Most likely the Palace ruckus had reached Robbie's limits as well. The Prince seemed to take everything in stride and looked unperturbed but Jasper knew that half the time Robert was just as irritated as he was, perhaps even worse.
'What's going on?' Jasper asked. 'Trouble?'
'Depends,' Robert answered. Jasper could hear the grin in his voice now. 'Walked out on Mum and the twins, grabbed a Rover from the garage, blasted through the gates and am now driving towards the City, thankfully without security on my tail.
'However, before James gets his titties in a twist and contacts MI-5,' Robbie continued, 'I thought it smart to contact you and force you to hang out with me, since that is your job and I am not ready to return to Gehenna yet.
'So, Frost, protector of my body. Where are you?'
Jasper didn't really think about it when he answered, 'Poppy's,' but the Prince's silence was telling.
'You still there?' he asked after a while, when Robbie had yet to speak.
'Yes, yes.'
'Poppy, you say?' Robbie asked and he managed to go from sounding distracted to suspicious in a matter of seconds.
'The girlfriend,' he said and he corrected himself immediately. 'Ex-girlfriend.'
Jasper scoffed, closed his eyes for a second. He leaned against the refrigerator and ran a hand quickly through his hair.
'Not girlfriend, not ex-girlfriend,' he chided. 'She's just a friend. A good friend.'
'The best!' he heard Poppy yell from the living room.
'The best,' he conceded. He knew damn well she could hear him which meant most likely Robert could hear her.
For fuck's sake.
'She's very conceited, isn't she,' Robbie said. 'Tell Poppy your other best friend is on his way. I presume she has some whiskey. And I do not mean the cheap sort. Text me the address.'
He hung up before Jasper had a chance to reply.
It turned out Poppy did have the cheap sort.
Robbie eyed the bottle with distaste, his nose wrinkled in horror.
'Is she serious?' he asked Jasper incredulously. The latter shrugged.
'Yes,' Poppy said sharply, 'she is serious. I am sorry it's not up to your royal standards.'
Robbie ignored the muttered 'dick' but they both knew he heard it.
'Well,' he sighed. 'This must suffice then. Until we find a venue better suited to our wishes.'
'Our wishes?'
Robbie smirked.
'You didn't think I'd be going back to the palace already, Jasper?
'I just escaped.'
Jasper and Poppy shared a quick look, which Robbie caught, but he chose not to comment. He took a sip – straight from the bottle, who gave a damn, it was shitty anyway – and crossed his legs. Patiently. The second mouthful was worse than the first, but by his fourth he was necking it without any reservations.
'So what's your plan, then?' Poppy asked. She added, 'Your Highness' as an afterthought.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully while Jasper inconspicuously took the bottle from him. He passed it on to Poppy who drifted off to the kitchen, to return a few seconds later with three bottles of beer. She handed one to Robert, who mockingly sighed.
'I was just getting used to the taste of arse in my mouth,' he smirked. He accepted the beer nevertheless, but not before Poppy rolled her eyes at him.
'I don't know where to go,' Robert whined. 'I just needed to get out. Thought smacking someone would do the trick, but Mom wasn't impressed. Apparently that particular trick only works for lowly bodyguards shagging the Princess.'
Jasper inhaled sharply and Robert glanced at him, smirking.
Thought I didn't know, did you, Jasper?
'But then Mom started yapping on about marriage,' he continued. 'Finding a wife, producing an heir, serving the nation and securing the line. I'm not even bloody King yet.'
He then grinned.
'But apparently marriage talk is a good enough reason to flee the palace,' he said. 'Since no one has followed me yet.'
'God bless us when you're actually getting married,' Poppy muttered.
'God bless his wife,' Jasper said.
Robert dismissed them both.
'Plebs,' he sneered. 'You know nothing.'
He chugged the remainder of his beer, holding up the empty bottle for Poppy. She stubbornly crossed her arms, intending to stare him down, but Jasper softly touched her elbow, a ghost of a smile on his face, so she took it. Her exaggerated bow only seemed to please Robert.
'How's Eleanor,' Jasper asked as soon as she disappeared in the kitchen. He knew Poppy could hear him still, but it just felt awkward asking with her in the room.
Robert shrugged.
'Annoyed,' he said. 'Mostly because she can't smoke, can't drink nor use drugs. And of course you're not there.'
'Told her I'd text her once I found you,' he said.
'To let her know I am safe and with my detail, obviously,' he said. 'Not because she cares about you or something preposterous like that.'
'Of course,' Jasper agreed.
'Remind me to do so once we're somewhere that's actually fun,' Robert smirked.
'And now that's out of the way,' he said, 'can we please just go and get shitfaced, before responsibility rears its ugly head again and I'm forced to act all mighty and royal again.'
'So this is not you acting royal and mighty, then?' Poppy asked incredulously.
'No, he's just a dick in general,' Jasper supplied.
'True,' Robert agreed. 'And both of you'd do well to remember that this dick is your Heir Apparent and soon to be King. So a bit of respect, please. Especially you.'
He looked sharply at Poppy, who gasped offended.
'Insulting my whiskey,' she sputtered. 'Drinking my beer. Barging into my house, but I'm the one that needs to show respect.'
Robert purposefully ignored her.
'Now,' he smiled. 'Let's go to that quaint place you brought us last time, Jasper. I'm up for some dancing and drinking.'
He held up his bottle of beer, smirking.
'To a night of debauchery, sinfulness and indecency,' he cheered.
Poppy rolled her eyes.
'You know those words mean practically the same,' she muttered.
Robert shrugged. 'Doesn't make them any less true.'
He was unfamiliar with roadies, but happily accepted one when they all piled into the ordered hackney and Poppy revealed to have smuggled a small assortment of special beers inside her purse which to him seemed too tiny to house such an indecent amount of alcoholic beverages.
'I'm starting to warm up to her,' he told Jasper. 'At least she knows her beers.'
'I am ignoring him from now on,' she in turn informed Jasper. 'King of Pricks.'
It took some soothing words from Jasper and another beer – 'A Dutch one, I promise, it's good' – to convince a bristling Robert to not kick her out of the cab.
They decided on Apples Pears in Whitechapel, despite Jasper's protests that Robert would certainly be recognized there. The Henstridge stubborn streak was strong in this one as well, so they were winging it, forcing Robert to wear a fake Burberry baseball they had picked up on the way. He refused to wear Poppy's Adidas jacket over his dress shirt, though, saying the cap was already messing with his charm and exclaiming loudly he was unwilling to look like a complete chav. Bloody idiot.
The doorman eyed them curiously and Jasper slipped him a couple of tenners.
'Royal visitor, huh,' the man grinned.
Another bullseye and the doorman smirked.
'Just some rich bloke, then,' he agreed.
Jasper nodded at him and followed Robert and Poppy inside.
Robert had already secured them a table – probably by scaring the previous occupants away – and Poppy was in the middle of ordering some beers and shots.
Jasper took the seat next to Robert, leaning towards him.
'The bouncer recognized you,' he said. 'Paid him off. Not sure whether he'll keep his mouth shut, though.
'How much did you give him?' Robert asked.
'Are you going to pay me back?'
'No.'
'Then it doesn't matter.'
Robert laughed quietly, clapped him on the back.
'That's why I like you, mate,' he said. 'That's why I like you.'
He adjusted his cap and winked at a girl passing their table. She blushed and when she joined her friends again, she was quick to point both Robert and Jasper out to them. Jasper pointedly looked the other way, but Robert waved daintily at them.
Poppy made gagging sounds as she joined them again, carefully balancing three bottles of beer and three shot glasses.
'Apparently two extremely shaggable blokes just entered the premises and all these sex-deprived hussies don't know what to do with their fannies now,' she groaned. 'Please tell me they're not talking about you lot.'
'Obvious enough they are,' Robert smirked. 'Jealous?'
'Just being practical,' Poppy replied. 'One of them is bound to recognize you. How about keeping a low profile and not making heart eyes with them?'
She waved a hand in front of Robert's face, who was making eye contact with the girl from before.
'Doorman already recognized me,' he said, slapping her hand away. 'Don't cock block me.'
'His attitude is a cock block,' she muttered. She glared at the group of girls. Jasper was decidedly impressed when they actually seemed intimidated.
'To debauchery, sinfulness and indecency, even if those words mean practically the same,' Robert smirked, holding up his shot glass. 'To Jasper protecting my body and little Miss Poppy scaring away all the pretty girls. Oh, what a night.'
He chugged his own shot, then continued to throw back Jasper's and Poppy's as well, smirking at them triumphantly. Poppy sighed and got up to order them another round. She sent Jasper a scathing look, tried to look stern, but the smile threatening to break through undid her efforts.
Within the hour they had the table filled with empty shot glasses, beer bottles and girls previously called hussies by Poppy. She was talking to them animatedly now - she would later blame it on the alcohol - , while Robert was showing off his questionable moves on the dancefloor. He had forced Jasper to join him, but besides standing on the dancefloor, Jasper hadn't done much – 'You're like a bloody statue, mate,' Robert had complained, 'Simply in awe of your astonishing moves, Your Highness,' Jasper had replied drily – and Robert had quickly dismissed him.
The Prince had found a table to dance on and was waving over one of the serving girls. He spread his arms wide.
'Another round of shots,' he shouted and cheers went up.
'You get a shot, you get a shot, everyone gets shots!'
'Great. And now he thinks he's Oprah,' Poppy sighed, well into her drinks, and Jasper cracked a smile, slinging an arm around her shoulders. He shook her, kissed her on the side of her head.
'You okay?' he asked. She nodded and took another deep sip.
'I'm going to be so hungover tomorrow,' she complained, but she was smiling and he ruffled her hair a bit.
'Stop drinking,' he suggested. She made to answer, but then Robert appeared, pulling her up by the arm, spinning her around with such force Jasper briefly lost sight of her.
'Can't stop,' she yelled at him over the music. 'Need alcohol to handle this maniac.'
At some point Robert decided to switch tops with Poppy and he donned the Adidas jacket, much to the delight of all present. He attempted a Cockney accent, which failed miserably – a true Henstridge – and he had Jasper doing damage control with a group of young blokes from near Bow Bells who were extremely unimpressed with Robert's mockery of a Cockney Londoner, no matter how royal the imitation.
The owner of the bar personally brought them a bottle of champagne – the expensive sort, for You-Know-Who – and if there was a heaven, Jasper was certain Robert had reached, judging by the look on the man's face when he got to pop it. Whether it was because of the Harry Potter reference or the champagne, Jasper wasn't certain.
'No sex in the champagne room,' Robert shouted, having found his table again and standing on top of it, spraying champagne all around.
'You're supposed to drink it, you nitwit,' someone in the crowd who hadn't yet recognized him as the Prince shouted and only Jasper's quick reflexes saved the boy from being hit in the face with a bottle of Krug.
'What a bunch of idiots, these subjects of mine,' Robert smirked a moment later, having climbed down from his stage and taking his original seat next to Jasper. 'I love them.'
He poured Jasper a flute of champagne and they both sat in silence for a moment, watching Poppy continue to twirl around solo.
'She's completely out of her mind,' Robert said thoughtfully. 'I understand what you saw in her.'
'Yeah,' Jasper said wistfully. 'Too bad she wasn't your sister.'
Robert looked at him, a pensive smile on his face. His cheeks were red, a clear sign of his intoxication, and one of his sleeves was covered in what looked a suspicious lot like candle-grease even though there were no candles around.
'Too bad for you, yeah,' he said eventually.
'Don't even go there,' Jasper warned.
Robert grinned.
'Wouldn't dare to,' he said. 'My sister is having sex with the help. Mom would have an aneurysm if I too started shagging a commoner.'
He winked at Jasper and chugged one of the beers on the table. Grabbed another almost full bottle and downed that one as well.
'Pretty sure those were both not yours,' Jasper said.
'I'm the King,' Robert smirked. 'Everything is mine.'
He laughed at his own joke – at least, Jasper hoped it was a joke – and kissed his bodyguard on the cheek. It was a wet one. Jasper recoiled from it.
'Still not your biggest fan,' Robert said. 'But I think I love you just the tiniest bit.'
Jasper shifted in his chair uncomfortably.
'Thanks, I guess,' he said slowly.
Robert opened his mouth to say more, but Poppy interrupted him, shoving him aside as she wedged herself between him and Jasper.
'I think I just made out with that buffer at the end of the bar,' she informed them. 'So it might be time to go before I start stripping and make a complete fool out of myself.'
It took some convincing Robert – who was of the opinion that stripping was not a bad thing – but eventually they stumbled out of the bar. The street was almost empty. There were some drunk stragglers about, the three of them excluded, but no paparazzi or anything else of the sort.
'Just some rich bloke, right,' the doorman grinned as they left and Jasper slipped him another fifty quid.
They dropped Poppy home first and if she hugged Robert just a bit too long and then completely forgot to greet him, Jasper pretended not to notice. She was a grown woman. She knew not to go there. At least, he hoped.
The ride back home Robert chattered uninterruptedly, rehashing the entire night. He was still wearing the Burberry cap and Adidas jack, playing with the zipper as he spoke.
'Thank you, Frost,' he said as they moved through the tunnels, into the palace. 'I needed this.'
'It was nothing,' Jasper said. 'I'm your bodyguard. Your wish is my command.'
'Ha,' Robert exclaimed. 'I'm telling Eleanor.'
He stumbled back to his room, a silly grin on his face.
'Debauchery, sinfulness and indecency,' he told Jasper over his shoulder. 'Mission accomplished, methinks. Still disappointed about the stripping, though.'
Jasper waved a hand at him, taking a right at the end of the corridor. The thought of retiring to his own room hadn't even crossed his mind. She'd probably be sleeping, but he didn't mind. He had missed her. All he wanted was to bury his nose into her hair and fall asleep with his arms around her, preferably one hand on a tit. Preferably, not required.
He pushed open the doors to her bedroom with his back, making sure not to make any noise when he closed them again.
Not that it would've mattered.
'Fuck you, Jasper!' And a weird sense of déjà vu was about to hit him, but the book got there first. It bounced off the side of his head and thumped on the floor heavily. He didn't have time to check for any damage to his face, because she was already swinging around, ready to throw another object. He was prepared this time and caught it deftly in his hand – a Bible and he raised his eyebrows before rounding on her.
'The fuck, Eleanor,' he shouted back at her and he did a quick sweep of the room, because she was obviously high or intoxicated or both and fuck.
'Fuck you,' she repeated, but there was nothing left to throw and he had reached her, so she couldn't, not even if she wanted to. She backed away from him, stepping out of his reach, away from his grasping hands.
'Don't touch me,' she hissed. 'Just don't.'
His mind was too slow catching up, so he opted to stay quiet, lest he say something stupid. Which, of course, wasn't the right course of action.
'So you're just going to stand here, gaping at me like a demented fish?' she said sharply.
He did exactly that, wracking his mind where he had gone wrong.
Left the palace, went to Poppy, got stalked by Robert, went out, brought the future King home safely like the stand-up bodyguard he was – he consciously had to refrain himself from patting his own shoulder and fuck alcohol -
'Earth to Jasper,' she hissed. 'Are you for real right now?'
She pushed him, harder than he had expected, and he had to step back. She followed, shoved him again.
'Where have you been, Jasper,' she asked, poking a finger into his chest, pushing him back further.
'And don't lie to me.'
He was taking too long to answer, he could see it in her eyes and he could already see all sorts of weird thoughts running through her head, but for fuck's sake, they were back to this again?
'Eleanor,' he started, but she held up her hand, effectively silencing him.
'This is my life, Jasper. All of it. It will always be crazy. And you'll always get annoyed and be pissed at one person or another.'
She pushed him, then swung away from him again, moving back towards the bed.
'But this is my life. You knew this and you promised you'd be here for me. You promised not to leave me. You did leave though. But then you came back, I let you come back and you promised me the same bloody thing. To be here for me and not leave me. And I was the fool who believed you. Again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.'
She scoffed, turned back around and looked at him.
'Guess I'm a fucking idiot then.'
He was staring at her, dumbfounded. Wasn't processing any of this. He was exhausted, had simply wanted to crawl into bed with her. Mold his body against hers and just hold her. Perhaps sneakily slip in from behind – and the thought alone made him smirk – but he wasn't smashed enough to not realize none of that was going to happen now. Not when she was staring daggers at him and he had no fucking clue why.
'You wanted me to go, right,' he said slowly and when her eyes narrowed, he almost – almost – started to doubt himself. But he pushed forward.
'After I hit that fitter. You said I was getting on everyone's nerves and a night out of the palace would be good for me. Told Robert to dismiss me.'
'Because your attitude was becoming a thing,' she finished for him and he breathed out, relieved his memory hadn't cheated him.
'And so the first opportunity you get, you go to there again,' she said scathingly. 'Thought I didn't find out, did you? Spending the night with some bint and then thinking you can come crawling back into my bed with me none the wiser.'
She rolled her eyes, chuckled derisively.
'You really think me this stupid, Jasper?'
He could only stare. Study her. Was she for real?
'I went to visit a friend,' he said.
She scoffed.
'A friend I haven't seen for weeks because I'm spending all my time with you.'
'Since when is Poppy a friend?' she asked and perhaps there was something in his stance or his face, but she mistook it for surprise and laughed.
'What?' she smirked. 'Didn't think stupid, old Eleanor would find out? That the amazing Jasper from Las Vegas spent the night beneath his ex-girlfriend's skirts?'
'I hope it was satisfying enough,' she said, 'because there's nothing here for you anymore. You can go right back to that slag.'
She stood before him, challenging, her chin held high, and he felt his anger rise. Suddenly, unavoidably, and the sudden need to grab her was almost overpowering.
For fuck's sake.
'She is my friend,' he said through gritted teeth. 'The only friend I had for the past months. So you better watch your mouth when you talk about her like that. Princess.'
'Cute,' she grinned. 'He's defending his slapper. At least she's good in the sack, then.'
'Eleanor,' he said, but she shushed him.
'It's okay, Jasper,' she said coldly. 'I should've known better. Lying and deceiving is all you're good at.'
'You're talking bullshit, Eleanor.'
She continued as if she hadn't heard him.
'I actually believed her when she told me that shit, you know,' she said. 'Her not being your girlfriend. Us not being a game. I even believed you. Saying you lo-'
She stopped herself.
'You had me there for a moment. Falling into the same trap. What was the con this time, Jasper? Or are you still making a play for the Koh-I-Noor? Different partner this time, same damn story?'
'Eleanor, shut up.'
'Why?' she challenged. 'Because I am telling the truth?
'Because Jasper from Las Vegas is still the same bloody drifter he used to be? The same cheat? The same liar?'
'Eleanor!' and he surprised himself by the volume of his voice. He scratched the back of his neck, breathing in deeply to calm his racing heart. Anger would get them both nowhere.
'What am I to you?' he asked after a couple of seconds.
She arched a mocking eyebrow, snorted. He took a step towards her, before she could answer.
'I'm serious, Eleanor,' he said. 'What am I to you?'
Silence.
'Six weeks, Eleanor. It's been six weeks. And I've been here every step of the way. Just like I promised. But what the fuck am I to you? Just a convenient lay? Somebody who's there until the real deal comes along? Entertainment until eBeck returns and you can spread your legs for him.'
She slapped him hard across the face.
He had been expecting it, maybe even deserved it, but he still wasn't prepared for how much it stung.
'Keep his name out of your mouth, Jasper,' she hissed at him.
'Then keep Poppy out of yours,' he said.
'I haven't been with Beck in months,' she said. 'More than a year, even. He is not a part of this. She is.'
'Why?' he asked.
'Because you went to her,' she cried out, frustrated. 'You say you love me and then you go and fuck her. How is that even right? All this time you were claiming to be there for me, you were still fucking her.'
'What am I to you?' he asked her again. 'Because to me you're the world. You're everything. You think I would fuck that up by having sex with someone else? Where would I even find the time to screw someone else? I've been with you every bloody night.'
'Except tonight,' she bit back. 'Tonight you were with her!'
And this was getting ridiculous. Was getting on his nerves.
'That you even have the audacity to come here, still smelling of her,' she snarled. 'Go back to your whore, Jasper. I'm not spreading my legs for you anymore. Go and spread your lies somewhere else. You're nothing to me.'
She wrapped her arms around her waist, the only sign of her hurt.
'You're not even man enough to give me an explanation. Good for nothing but sticking your knob inside a cunt you're not supposed to be fucking.'
His hands were on her arms, tight, and he let go as if burned, suppressing the urge to shake her.
'Shut the fuck up, Eleanor,' he hissed and she was in his face, defiantly, but he couldn't care less.
'I don't owe you a fucking explanation,' he said lowly. 'You sent me away. I went out. Now I'm back. Deal with it. You're not a child. Bother someone else with your paranoia.'
He shrugged off his jacket, draped it over the back of the sofa.
'And don't ever take Poppy's name into your mouth. Not if you don't have anything nice to say.'
He started unbuttoning his cufflinks. The shirt was dirty – sometime during the night Robert had spilled beer on him and there were some suspicious stains on the back as well. He had a couple of shirts in Eleanor's room, grabbed one of them where he – well, she - had last left it, hanging from a lamp next to the bed. He slipped into the black shirt, rolled his previous one up in a ball.
She was still looking at him, face unreadable, and he edged around, moving past her, picking up his jacket on the way. His hand was on the doorknob when she spoke.
'Where are you going?'
She managed to sound as arrogant as ever, but he knew better.
'To my room.'
He then sighed.
'You're angry and I'm tired. We're not having this conversation right now. I've been here for you, every damn day and every damn night. I told you, you are the only for me, and I meant it. I love you and I know you love me too. But I can't keep this doing this. You need to figure your shit out. Either you're with me or you're not.'
He ran a hand through his hair, rested his head against the door.
'I am going back to my room. You know where it is. If you need me, if you know what you want, come find me. Hell, send someone to get me. Text me, call me. I'll be here right away.
'But I can't do this right now, Len.
'I know I fucked up before and I'm sorry, but this is ridiculous. And you need to figure it out for yourself. I can't help you with it.'
He was halfway through the door when he stopped and turned around. She was looking at him and all the anger had bled from her body.
Forlorn.
They were a Shakespearean play.
Epic, Poppy had said, but Jasper suspected differently.
Tragedy.
It took him four steps to reach her, two breathes to wrap his hands into her hair and a heartbeat to pull her close. Impossibly so.
'I'm not leaving you,' he whispered against her lips. 'I'll never leave you. I'm just giving you time. Time and space. Until you're ready.'
True to his words, she did not see him the following days.
A King of infinite space.
She would've laughed if it wasn't so bloody tragic.