Jason stepped into his penthouse, the soft thud of the door closing behind him cutting off the noise from the city below. He let out a long, frustrated sigh, running a hand through his damp hair.
The place wasn't bad—not high-class like the multi-million dollar estates he was used to, but better than most.
Minimalistic, clean, quiet.
But it lacked the shine, the luxury that usually surrounded him.
It felt...too normal.
And sometimes that was the point.
The penthouse was a far cry from the chaos of his old life.
The parties, the drugs, the fake friends who clung to him like parasites.
He could almost hear the echo of laughter that wasn't really happy, see the haze of smoke that used to hang in the air of those high-end clubs and private lounges.
He clenched his fists, the memory of it all tightening around his chest like a claw.
Joselle, with her perfect smile, always whispering in his ear to take another hit, to lose himself just a little more.
And his so-called friends, egging him on, knowing damn well they didn't give a damn what happened to him.
All of them... users.
His jaw tensed as the anger bubbled up inside him.
He wasn't that man anymore. Not the reckless, careless fool who drowned himself in excess drinks.
The betrayal had changed him.
Joselle had changed him.
He yanked his robe tighter around him, trying to shake off the thoughts. But just as he was about to let it go, his phone rang, its sharp tone slicing through the quiet.
He glanced at the screen. Joselle.
Jason let it ring, not in the mood to deal with her.
But the phone buzzed again. She was persistent, as always. With a sigh, he grabbed the phone and answered, his voice calm but cold.
"Joselle."
"Jason," she began, her voice sounding rushed, but trying to mask the edge of frustration with a fake sweetness. "Where the hell have you been? I went to your old house, brought food and everything. No one's there. You didn't tell me you moved."
He leaned against the counter, letting her words hang in the air for a moment. The last thing he wanted was to explain himself to her. "Yeah, I moved."
A pause. Her voice grew tighter, less sweet. "Really? Why? What's going on? You could've told me."
Jason let out a soft chuckle, though there was no humor in it. "Why should I tell you?"
Joselle's silence on the other end of the line spoke volumes. She was used to having control over him, over the situation. But Jason wasn't the man who used to bend to her every whim anymore, and that clearly didn't sit well with her.
"Because..." she said, her voice softening again, sliding back into the role she always played. "Because I care about you, Jason. You know that. I am willing to overlook the fact that you kissed another girl so we can come back together."
More like I am willing to find more ways to cling to you and get those top modeling gigs because I can't walk the runway.
Jason rolled his eyes.
He clenched his jaw, his hand tightening around the phone. "Sure. You care. How sweet of you."
"Ugh. You are being infuriating, Jason. Just tell me where you live. I brought food."
Jason scoffed, rolling his eyes at the empty apartment. "I can cook, Joselle. Thanks."
The tension on her end was almost tangible, her voice coming back sharp.
"Cook? You don't even keep food in the house, Jason. Remember how I had to send someone to stock your place every time I came over? You're going to starve."
He pinched the bridge of his nose, her sharp tone of voice dragging his mood down. "I'll be fine, Joselle. I am not twelve."
There was a pause, then her voice turned saccharine sweet. The voice she used when she wanted something. "Alright, well, how about tomorrow then? We could hang out. I've been meaning to talk to you. It feels like we haven't had a real conversation in weeks."
Jason felt the corners of his lips twitch in irritation. She wasn't going to let this go, and he was too tired to argue.
"Tomorrow's my free day," he said flatly. "I'm not wasting it on you."
Silence. He could practically feel her reeling on the other side of the line, and for a brief moment, he wished she'd hang up on him. But then her voice came back, cracking around the edges.
"What… What have I done to deserve this, Jason?" she stammered, her frustration bubbling over into a mix of anger and self-pity. "All I'm trying to do is help you! I've been worried sick, you haven't even bothered to call me back. You're acting like I'm some stranger, like I don't know you!"
Jason remained silent, his jaw tight.
Joselle took his silence as encouragement to keep going. "Do you even care that I've been trying? Do you care about anyone anymore? Ryan's been calling you for weeks! Miles said you haven't replied to any of his texts, and Henry—God, Henry was asking me if you're okay because you've just disappeared on all of us. They're your friends, Jason! What the hell is going on with you? Why are you pushing everyone away?"
She was really going for it now, her words speeding up as she let loose the flood of pent-up frustration. "And then I find out you've moved? You didn't even tell me! I had to find out through some property transfer paperwork? Like I'm some outsider? After everything we've been through? How could you not tell me?"
Jason sighed, pressing his hand to his forehead, trying to stave off the headache brewing beneath the surface. She wasn't done. She was rarely done.
"And you know what else?" she continued, her voice cracking as the tears started to build. "I've done nothing but try to be there for you. I've brought food, checked on you, reached out to your friends, and you act like I'm the problem! Like I've done something to deserve this cold shoulder you've been giving me. I don't deserve this, Jason. I don't!"
Her voice was rising, breaking into sobs, the kind she knew would twist the knife in him just enough to get him to relent. She was probably gripping her phone like a lifeline, tears already streaking down her face, waiting for him to break.
But he didn't. He just stared at the floor, numb.
"Look, I don't know what's going on with you," she kept ranting, her voice louder now, filled with that of confusion and anger. "You disappear, you shut us all out, and now you're living somewhere else, acting like I don't exist? Do you even think about me anymore? Or am I just some annoyance to you now?"
Jason's patience had worn thin. He didn't need this. Not tonight. Maybe not ever again.
Without another word, he hit the end call button, cutting her off mid-rant. He stared at the phone, listening to the deafening silence for a second before exhaling. His fingers hovered over the power button for a moment, and then with a decisive click, he turned the phone off. No more calls. No more Joselle.
For now.
He let out a long breath, rubbing his hand over his face, his mind reeling. He didn't even feel guilty for hanging up. That part of him, the part that would have scrambled to apologize or make things better, was long gone. Left behind in the wreckage of his past life—along with Joselle, Ryan, Miles, Henry, and all the rest of them.
His stomach growled, pulling him out of his thoughts. He stalked over to the fridge and yanked the door open. Empty. Just as he expected. He opened the freezer with a flick of his wrist—still nothing but cold, empty shelves staring back at him.
"Great," he muttered under his breath, slamming the door shut with a little more force than necessary.
No food. No Joselle. He leaned back against the counter, running a hand through his hair. He briefly considered ordering something, but then again, that would mean turning his phone back on. And right now, the last thing he wanted was to deal with more calls from Joselle or her oh-so-concerned friends.
Then, an idea hit him.
The kind that gave him a light bulb moment.
Jason smirked to himself. He pushed off the counter, grabbed his jacket, and threw it on. If he was going to deal with the night, he might as well have a little fun. He took the elevator down, his mind already locked on where he was heading.
It didn't take long before he reached the door of her home.
He knocked, and after a few moments, the door creaked open.
Kiara stood there, clearly caught off guard, wearing an oversized T-shirt and a look of surprise.
"Hey, beautiful," Jason said with a grin.