Free Surrender to Me by Monica James Page B

for the machine to stop its taunting, but the
malice behind Jasper’s words stop me.
    “Leave it,” he sneers, and I do as he asks.
    Lowering my eyes, I listen to my life expire before my ears.
    “Anyway, I am just calling because I missed not seeing you today. I
have become accustomed to seeing your beautiful face, and it’s really the
highlight of my day, so get your ass over here and make it up to me.”
    Harper lets out a soft chuckle. “And by the way, I found the most
perfect place for a spring wedding. I am a patient and persistent man Ava, and
you know I always get what I want. So, I leave you with one question, why won’t
you reconsider? Because we both know it’s only a matter of time till you
surrender to me... Bye my love.” And the line goes dead, along with my heart.
    I am frozen. I literally can’t move from the spot I am standing in.
The only thing I can move, are my eyes, and as I shift them up to glance at
Jasper, I wish they were unmoving like the rest of me.
    His head is bent forward with his messy hair covering his face. His
shoulders are hunched, and by the way he is leaning forward with his hands
interlocked between his parted legs, I know this is going to end badly.
    “I...” I attempt to speak, but Jasper holds up a finger to silence
me.
    I know he needs a moment to digest everything, and I will give him
all the time he needs.
    But as the silence stretches out to a painful stillness, I feel my
heart beating to an unhealthy rhythm, and I wonder if someone could actually
die of a broken heart. By the way Jasper is sitting motionlessly, I know what
is about to take place; he’s going to leave me.
    I can’t let this silence continue. “Jasper, please let me explain.”
    He snaps his head up like he’s awoken from a dream.
    “So, this is what you wanted to talk to me about? About him?” His
voice sounds uneven and hoarse as he knows the voice on the machine belongs to
Harper.
    Taking a deep breath, I whisper, “Yes.”
    “How long?” he questions.
    His head is still slightly stooped, and I know this is because he
doesn’t want to meet my eyes. My deceiving, dishonest eyes. 
    I remain silent as I try to piece together the best explanation
without making things worse.
    “I think now is about the time you start explaining.”
    Wishing he would lift his head and look at me, because I can’t read
how he’s feeling, and I need to look into his eyes so he can witness my
honesty.
    “Look at me,” I whisper, barely audible.
    He slowly elevates his head, and I gasp as I witness the cold look
in his usual loving eyes.
    “I’m sorry Jasper.”
    Jasper suddenly gets up, bracing his hands behind his head as he
starts pacing.
    I am too scared to move, so I stay rooted, but my eyes follow his
frantic movements.
    “Jasper,” I plead, watching him walk back and forth like a caged
lion.
    “No, give me a minute,” he says, putting out his hand to stop me.
    I bite my trembling lip.
    Finally he comes to a stop right in front of me and slowly meets my
eyes, but he doesn’t speak.
    “Jasper, please... say something.”
    He takes a few short breaths. “What could I possibly say that would
make any of this okay?”
    I reach out for him, but he shrugs away like my touch would burn
him.
    “It’s not how it looks. I know that message made things look really,
really bad, but it’s not.”
    “Oh,” he says, letting out a sarcastic laugh. “So your ex didn’t
just call you, declaring how much he misses you and that he found a perfect
place for your spring wedding! Forgive me Ava, I must have misheard all that.”
    I feel sick inside, because I know whatever I say is not going to
excuse the fact I have lied to Jasper. I wish I had told him before he heard
the message, because this has just made everything so much worse.
    “Harper and I are just friends. That's it, nothing more. There has
never been anything more than that. I promise.” I am pleading with him to
believe me.
    “How long?” he