25 His First and Last Love

Jasmine sat in her studio a brush in her hand. The denim overall that she wore on top of her white shirt was baggy but cute on her frame. As she drew, her burden was forgotten training her focus entirely on the canvas.

To a painter, with the hold of a brush, a whole new galaxy was created. This was not only an escape world, but also served to portray the artist's deepest darkest emotions. Colors were used to create patterns unknown to the world, yet with each stroke, different emotions were portrayed.

An hour passed by with Jasmine lost in her world. She finally placed her brush down and sat back to admire her work. The more she looked at the portrait, the more her emotions tumbled over from one point to another. The faces in the canvas brought the darkest memories that she strove hard to forget.

Three faces stood out. One was the male demon that sucked everything good out of her life. His face was enough to draw everyone in. Yet, the look in his eyes was what any careful person should be wary of. He had eyes that held grudges, carried prejudice, and lastly bore a huge burden of a tormented childhood.

For a second, an emotion akin to pity crossed Jasmine's eyes. She pitied Lorenzo, but pitied herself even more. What sin did she commit in the past that made the man cross her path? Her gaze grew colder by the minute. Closing her eyes, she wiped away any trace of emotion she felt towards that face.

Next, her eyes fell on the girl whose beauty was enough to cause a kingdom's downfall. Arya. Even her name was beautiful. What is a beauty though? Was it the external physical appearance? Was it how good one looked at first glance?

Beauty was skin-deep. That was what living her life in the orphanage taught her. It was more of one's heart more than their appearance. Arya was the sort of woman with external beauty but a rotten heart. She represents ninety-nine percent of human beings. Most would be seen as gentle and innocent towards strangers, but turn out to be monsters to their families.

Unlike Lorenzo's eyes whose depth could easily portray his nature, Arya's gaze was shrouded in innocence. The blanket was so thick, that no light could penetrate. Even so, the venom that she carried was well hidden like a cobra that bore its fangs after being attacked.

She was especially poisonous. Her words were worse than a witch and her actions were no different. Arya was responsible for all her suffering. Where Lorenzo was the executioner, she provided the weapon of destruction. 'Let's see who can be crueler.'

Her eyes then fell on the third person in the portrait. Jayden. The more she looked at him, the more her gaze softened. He was the only light she had found in the entire university. The only person who was sincere with every action towards her. He protected her secretly and openly. Defended and comforted her.

Her dull eyes glowed with appreciation and admiration. If she had an option, she would like to turn back time and tell him how much she appreciated having him. His existence in her life was what gave her the strength to persist as long as she did.

Jasmine got lost wandering in her memory of Jayden. Every part of him that she remembers was pleasant and soothing to her soul. Emilio watched from a distance. It was a rare thing to find Jasmine in such a mood. Following her gaze, his eyes landed on Jayden's smiling face.

Surprise glittered in his eyes. Was it a coincidence? Not wanting to believe it, he pulled out his phone and opened his gallery to compare the faces. It was the same man. Should he tell Jasmine about it? He contemplated for a minute and finally walked towards her.

" Princess, Does the man in blue have a special place in your heart? I can see stars in your eyes and a smile gracing your lips." He asked as a way of starting a conversation. Jasmine looked up startled. She took a long breath and went back to looking at her masterpiece.

" Tell me brother, when you look at him, what is the first word that comes to mind.? " she asked instead. Emilio looked at her work but this time, he was looking using his heart. The first thing he thought off after looking at the portrait was, " A ray of sunshine in the darkness." He found himself muttering.

" Looking at the image, the rest of the people around him have a dark aura about them. They either have a hidden gloomy aura or an open hostility. On the other hand, his smile is that of innocence and sincerity. His gesture is comfortable and content while his gaze is filled with warmth. I am not good at arts but that is what I can deduce from your masterpiece."

Jasmine found herself smiling. Of course, her brother's words were accurate. Jayden was all that and more. "He is a true friend. A friend I owe my sanity to. The only friend I would like to keep for eternity. He is that single person I would like to meet from my past and I would appreciate having in my future."

With every word she spoke, her emotions were filled with yearning and nostalgia. She wished to meet him. Yet, she could not look for him. This was because, looking for him might stir the wheels of time and expose her plans, prematurely. She didn't want that.

" Princess, there is something you need to see. I think the person you yearn to meet already met you. Look at this. I took this photo at the event. I have been having a hard time deciding whether to tell you about it or not. The person who collided with you was the man you talk about with so much fondness."

Jasmine grabbed the phone from his hand and looked at the picture. Her heart skipped a beat at the man before her eyes. Then she chuckled. The look on his face was hilarious. His eyes were glued on what she assumed was her unconscious body. Shock and disbelief were written all over his face. Jasmine laughed until tears streamed down her cheeks.

Her laughter was heartbreaking. It soon transformed into a sad sob. Her savior. Her only hope. She cried for the lightness to be brought with him, for the pain he helped her overcome. She cried for the sacrifices that he made. She cried for his and her fate. " I-I wish I could one day reciprocate your feelings for me. I miss you, buddy. I do."

Emilio hugged her, afraid she might break even more. This was a scene he was used to seeing. Comforting her was all he could do. Not many could go through what she did and survive with their mental health intact.

She was a warrior who had suffered many scars and wounds. Both visible and invisible.

He was going to be a shield for her, now and forever. For as long as he exists and this was true for the rest of his family. ' We shall make them pay for the pain they caused you. Give them the same torture and return with some interest. This I promise.'

*********************************

While Jasmine was wallowing in sorrow and pain, Jayden was going almost crazy trying to figure out what he had encountered. He held on to his head trying to calm his pounding heart. This has been his condition every time he thought about his encounter with the masked girl.

He knew what he saw, yet believing it was the challenge. Two years ago, Jasmine was pronounced dead, after she jumped in front of a moving car. He was not around but the pain he felt was raw until this day. Following her death, his hatred for the group of people responsible for her death kept increasing by the day.

Two years later, he came back to exact vengeance on the same culprits. He had made plans to hurt them all: the same way they hurt his love. His biggest regret was not telling Jasmine the truth from the beginning. He was torn between staying loyal to his friends and saving an innocent soul.

By the time he made his choice, it proved to be too late already. Jasmine was too far gone to be brought back to reality. She had become a skeleton of what she used to be. Contrary to what many would have done, his one-sided love grew each day. There was no one brave enough to endure the things she did.

Every time he saw the pain caused by his best friend, his heart would bleed for her. Helping her proved to be disastrous at some point in time. Whenever Lorenzo discovered that Jasmine and Jayden were close to each other, it was Jasmine that got the brunt of it.

Jayden found out too late about it. Lorenzo would physically abuse Jasmine during the last year of their stay together. He would make sure to not leave a mark on visible parts of her body just to satisfy the monster that was inside his being. Jayden found out too late.

" Jasmine, I am sorry. Didn't you know how much your existence meant to me? Didn't you know that you owned my heart, body, and soul? Didn't you know that I would do anything for you, even if it involved selling my soul to the devil? You left without a goodbye, my love."

He could only cry thinking of everything he found out after her death. He didn't know. God. He never knew. Not knowing what she was going through was the biggest crime he had committed in life. What was a man to do?

He loved too deeply and bled with her. There was no physical scar to showcase as evidence of his pain. What was present was deeper and more painful. It was the hole in his heart that kept bleeding crimson up till now.

Was the lady he saw his beloved? Was she alive? A painful smile took over his lips. The image looked both pitiful and sad to a spectator. Jayden's teary eyes and smiling lips were a contradiction that would make one wonder what he was thinking off. It was bitter-sweet.

The shrilling of his phone brought him out of his mind. He picked the call with a plethora of emotions in his heart. Anticipation was at the forefront. As he listened, his facial expression alternated between surprise, shock, disappointment, and happiness.

He placed the phone down and wiped his eyes. He didn't care who the lady was. He was going to look for her and state his intense desire to protect her. He failed to protect his first love. He would protect her look alike. From the information he got, she didn't need his protection but he would offer it anyway. For his Jasmine.

He pulled out an old photo from his drawer and looked at the girl in the picture. It was taken the first time they met. She had adapted to their lifestyle real quick and never failed to make them laugh. She brought warmth with her. The kind that thawed every negative feeling he had.

Each moment that they spent with her, he had envied Lorenzo for claiming a diamond which he, unfortunately, treated like common sand. Every time he tasted her food, he dreamt of the day she would be his. He wished to be the one to cook for her, pamper her, and gave back her smile.

He missed her warmth. Her scent and her presence. He missed her sensible and considerate nature. Although she never reciprocated his feelings, she never made him feel bad for loving her. She treated him with respect and care as a friend would. He missed her.

" If you are my Jasmine, I swear to the Heavens and earth that I will go to hell and back to keep you safe. I failed once but this time, there is nothing I wouldn't do to keep you safe. I promise. I hope to meet you again. " He kissed the beauty in the picture and closed his eyes.

"I miss you, my one and only love."