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The following days were really hard. It was radio silence from the team, only one call coming from Dom explaining where they were and to not contact them unless it was an urgent emergency.
Her job at the shop was still steady, and her relationship with JJ was great—he was now caught up on the whole Brian was a cop and how he practically betrayed them. He was shocked and blown out of his mind, but he was there to comfort her.
JJ felt guilty—he practically pushed Jasmine to go out with Brian because he genuinely thought he was a good guy. Turns out people disappointed more than they anticipated, and Brian was one of those. He led his best friend through the path of heartbreak once again. But he was that shoulder for her to cry on, even if it annoyed him.
"Jas, you're needed in aisle two," her manager said. She nodded and left the cash register and to help the customer. She hated having a shift with her manager, but JJ had to trade because he had something to take care of. Jasmine was sure he was lying just because he didn't want to hear her whine anymore, but hey, each at their own.
The day went by really slow, and she finally found herself at the end of the shift and ready to leave that place. She was collecting her stuff as her manager finished some last-minute paperwork before she closed. "Hey, Simone." The older woman looked up. "See you later."
"Don't be late, Sutton."
"I wouldn't" and with that, she was out of the store and into the streets. It was a busy day and the streets found themselves full of life and people. Normally this was the time Mia or Brian came and picked her up but since everything went to shit, she opted for walking. Was it ideal? Not even close, but it gave her the time to be alone with her thoughts and reminisce.
Things for Jasmine have never been great. Losing her mother due to cancer and her father taking his life after losing his wife and then the car accident that left her without her brother and a scar along her leg, Jasmine Sutton's life was never good.
But she had her found family with her and now she only has Mia and JJ. It was like the trauma never goes away and she's back to step one with her recovery and visiting her doctor every day.
It hasn't been long since Dom escaped and Brian was now wanted for aiding and abetting a criminal, but it certainly feels like a lifetime ago when she was happy and in love. She doesn't know when it will happen again.
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"Jasmine," Dr. Calvin caught her attention. "You were telling me how you felt."
The woman sighed and tore her eye from the window and looked at her doctor. "I'm numb. I mean, I'm happy with Mia and JJ but I miss Dom and Letty, and Jesse, Leon, Vince, just everyone. I miss having my family complete."
Dr. Calvin squinted her eyes and stared at the young woman. "And what about Brian?"
The sole mention of his name made her blood boil and her heart hurt. His betrayal was the one thing she couldn't handle right on top of everything. "I don't care about Brian," was her reply.
Dr. Calvin shook her head. "We both know that's not true, Jasmine. You cared for him, a lot, and now he's gone, and he betrayed you. You must feel something."
Jasmine let out a long sigh. "I hate him." Dr. Calvin raised an eyebrow in astonishment. "I hate what he did to us and I hate what he did to me. I hate that he used me, and I hate I fell in love with him. I hate that he's a cop because I despise cops with all my being. I hate that I—"
Jasmine stopped herself from continuing that sentence and avoided looking at Dr. Calvin. "You hate that you what, Jasmine?" The young girl shook her head. "You need to finish the sentence so you can process your emotions."
"I hate that I don't hate him as much as I should."
There it was. She hasn't accepted that to anyone, not even herself—this was the first time. This was a strange feeling Jasmine has been going through since she found out Brian was after her family and he was a cop. She wanted to hate him, but things with him, even if they were a lie, were far too real for her.
"I hate that every moment we had together meant the world to me. I hate that he did this to me and my family. I hate that he ruined everything. But I can't hate him like I should. I don't know if I can."
"And why do you think that is, Jasmine?" Dr. Calvin asked.
Jasmine took a deep breath. "Because I love him, or better yet, I fell in love with him, and not even this has made me fall completely out of love with him. Because he made me feel things no one had ever done, and he cared for me like no one has. It was like he was one of my safe places in such a short amount of time."
This was the most vulnerable and open Jasmine has ever been in a session with Dr. Calvin. Even when she was first recovering and talking about her family, Jasmine was really vague with her thought and feelings. Except for today, she was full-on telling it to Dr. Calvin how it was.
In the first part of the session, she opened up about what it felt like to lose Dom, Letty, Leon, Jesse, Vince all at once. Then about her family and how she felt without them and how she felt with her newfound family. And now talking about the things with Brian. It was incredible progress and development for Jasmine Sutton.
"Anything else you want to add, Jasmine?" Dr. Calvin asked as she looked at her clock, seeing it was time to end their session.
Jasmine nodded. "Will I ever be okay, again?"
Dr. Calvin took a deep breath and sent a smile to the woman. "Things take time. You felt like you needed to start the process again, and that's what we're doing. There's no rush, Jasmine. But you will be okay."
The next words that came out of Jasmine's mouth shocked the doctor. She never thought she would hear Jasmine Sutton said those words ever again. And not so close after this whole situation unfolded. But she was not someone to deny her patients her wishes, especially one so important to this particular one.
"We can start trying that, as long as you're ready to get in the driver's seat."
