We woke up around eight but didn't get out of bed until nine. After breakfast, I went for a shower while Adam took Molly for a run. I tidied the house and gave the floors a sweep to fill in some time. I've noticed that men don't care too much about stuff. They keep the basics, no memorabilia, no photos, ornaments, or diaries. Everything seems to be black and white for men, no grey. Sometimes, I wish I were like that. Life would be so much easier.

The backyard was as unkempt as the front. He wasn't into gardening, and Molly had dug holes in places.

I checked out the garage. A Harley-Davidson was parked in the corner. This puzzled me. Daniel had asked him if he was into bikes. Adam's answer had been vague. It bothered me because he'd never mentioned bikes before Daniel had asked him. Dread swirled in my stomach. There was so much I didn't know about this man. I drew in a breath, closed the door, and turned on the hose to water the few shrubs growing near the back steps.

Adam came around the corner of the house, puffing and covered in sweat. He put his hands on his hips as he gasped for air. I decided not to mention the bike but instead made fun of him. "Has it been a while since you've done that?"

He nodded and held up two fingers.

I grinned. "What two days?"

He gave me a sarcastic look, so I said, "Oh, two weeks."

Adam grinned, then said between breaths, "Don't...do...that." I cocked my head so he shut the tap off. "It means... they'll grow."

I smirked and glanced around. "Yeah. I can tell gardening isn't your thing."

He made out he was going to chase me. I squealed and ran inside.

Adam stripped off his shirt as he came through the door. "I need a shower."

I gathered my things, put my handbag on the kitchen bench, and flicked on the kettle. Adam's phone rang. Matchbox Twenty blared. I looked from where it sat in the middle of the table to the bathroom door. The water continued running. It continued to ring, so I picked it up, hit talk, and said, "Croe's phone."

A man's angry voice said, "Who the fuck is this?"

Before I could say anything, Adam appeared, soaking wet, wrapped in a towel. He wrenched the phone from my hand and said, "Croe." His eyes blazed at me as he listened then he turned away from me as he said, "Just some stupid bitch I picked up." My heart pounded as he said, "How the fuck would I know, I didn't ask."

My brain went into turmoil. I was just some stupid bitch?

Adam's voice came to me again, "What the fuck is this, twenty questions?" Then he laughed and said, "What...do you think we played chess? Of course, I fucked her."

I struggled to breathe.

He laughed again and said, "Yeah, she did the job, you sick prick." He listened and then said, "I'll be there."

I stared, frozen in disbelief at his words.

Adam ended the call and spun towards me, his face infuriated and threatening. He used the phone to point at me, his voice like thunder as he emphasised the words, "Don't. You. Ever. Touch. This. Phone. Again!"

My chest pounded. I couldn't get my breath. I grabbed my bag and ran.

"Jasmine!"

As I shot through the gate, I heard my name again.

"Jasmine...!"

I bolted towards the station, but something in my conscience told me not to go there. Not knowing the area, I crossed a pedestrian overpass that led to a large park filled with trees and bushes. I found a thicket, sank to the ground on my hands and knees, rasping for breath. I lay, completely numb, curled in the shadows, clutching my bag.

I woke stiff and sore under a large tree, unsure where or why I was there. Then it hit me, Adam's angry face, his unexpected words. I didn't understand any of it. The world spun, and I struggled to breathe. Sweat ran down my face, and my stomach heaved. I scrambled to my knees and vomited. Spew landed on my hand. I rolled onto my side, wiped my hand on the ground, and then crawled to the next tree, dragging my bag with me. I leant against the trunk, sucking in deep breaths to steady my shaking body. I had to get myself together so I could get on the train and go home.

I didn't go home. I stayed on the train and got off at Newport and made my way to Belinda's.

She panicked at the sight of me. "What's happened? You look like shit."

I couldn't answer but burst into tears. She led me inside and made me go for a shower. I couldn't register what she wanted me to do, so she helped me get undressed. As she turned on the water, I whispered, "Can you ring Daniel? He's at my place."

I don't know how long I stayed under the water, but I remember Belinda crouched in front of me, saying, "Come on, honey, time to get out."

I pressed the heels of my palms against my eyes to stop more tears. Adam called me honey.

Belinda lifted my face and swept hair behind my ears. "He did this to you, didn't he?"

All I could do was nod.

I was unaware of what happened, but I woke up lying on the bed. Daniel was holding my hand and talking in hushed tones. He said, "He belongs to a gang. Bikie gang. They're referred to as the Skar*ma. They're into amphetamines, and in particular methcathinone, star, bathtub speed, wonder star. There are heaps of names for it. They say the high lasts longer and is more intense than cocaine. I knew the instant I saw the star tattoo on his neck. It's their symbol. I'm gonna kill him."

"How do you know this?" Belinda whispered.

"Because I'm into bikes, and you get to talk to people. I met a guy with one leg at the pub once. He gave me the brief. How the hell did she meet him?"

"She met him on the train. Do you think she's been drugged because she hasn't said a word except to ask me to call you?" Belinda sounded panicked.

Daniel growled, "Do you know where the prick lives?"

"No, but she had a..."

Belinda's words faded in the distance. I dreamt of Stan injecting me, saying, "Come to the bathtub, come and see the stars." Then Stan became Adam standing over me, yelling, his mouth moving in slow-motion. "Don't! Touch! The! Phone! You! Stupid! Bitch!"

My head spun when I woke up. Daniel was asleep on the lounge. Belinda slept with her arm over me. A sudden wave of nausea hit me. I ran naked to the bathroom and bent over the loo. Daniel swore and then covered me with a towel and swept my hair back. He must have followed me. When I stopped puking, I threw myself into his arms and sobbed. He carried me back to the bed. Belinda had drawn the covers back, then tucked me in and made me some tea.

When I calmed down, Daniel said, "What happened? Did he hurt you? Give you drugs?"

I shook my head as I sipped the tea, then held it out to Belinda. "It has sugar. I don't have sugar."

She pushed it back towards me. "I know, but you need it. Sugar is good for shock."

I didn't know if that was true, but I accepted it and took another sip.

"Jazz. Tell me what happened?" Daniel insisted. "I want to know where he lives because I'm gonna kill the fuckhead."

"Please don't." I looked over at him. "Please stay out of it, Daniel."

"Tell me what happened, Jasmine." He was angry but was trying to sound calm.

I told them the whole story from the phone call and how he always got strange calls. When I was finished, they sat staring at me.

"So, he never drugged you?"

"No, he was always nice. He told me he loved me." I gasped, "I don't understand. I don't understand any of it."

Belinda and Daniel had called in sick. She'd rung Kæ'feı 'Rɒbərt to say I was unwell and wouldn't be in.

"Do you mind if I stay here, Belinda? I can't go home in case he comes over," I said. "I can't see him."

"Yes." She swept her hand down my hair. "Stay as long as you want."

Daniel growled, "I'll stay at your place, and if the bastard turns up, I'm gonna kill him."

"Please don't." I stared at Belinda and added, "Tell him not to." I looked back at Daniel. "It's my problem. If he's dangerous, I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you."

"I won't kill the prick but..." Daniel smirked. "I'm definitely gonna hit him."

I attempted a smile to ease their worry. "Will you get me some clothes, maybe a couple of sets, something I can wear to work?"

"Why don't you take a couple of days off?" Belinda brushed my hair once more. "I'll ring and tell them you've got suspected Swine Flu.

Daniel huffed. "She has got Swine Flu. That fuckhead's a pig." He stood, kissed my cheek and said, "I'll be back soon."

Belinda put on a movie. She wanted to watch something funny. I insisted it be, The Notebook.

"Jazz, this isn't a good idea, you're gonna bawl."

"I don't care, at least I'll get it over and done with at once."

By the time Daniel returned, we were on the bed, sobbing our hearts out. He shook his head and said, "What is this, the Girls Brigade gone mad?" He drew two large blocks of chocolate from his back pocket. "Lucky, I got two." Daniel dove onto the bed between us, pretended to cry and said, "I need some chocolate." He spooned me, then decided it was a bit perverted, so he spooned Belinda instead. I thought it might be the beginning of something between them.

Belinda rang Kæ'feı 'Rɒbərt again that afternoon and said I'd be away for the rest of the week because I had suspected Swine Flu, the perfect excuse. I don't like lying, but I couldn't go to work. She answered a question with, "Who?" and then "When was this?"

When she got off the phone, I asked, "What did they say?"

"They hope you get better soon. Adam went in asking for you. They said a tall, good-looking guy with dark hair came in after lunch and wanted to talk to you."

I clenched my teeth and blocked him from my mind.

WTF!! Adam, Adam, Adam, I'm lost for words.

Daniel please stay out of it.  Stay Safe.

I hope Adam doesn't follow Jasmine.

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