Can’t Win Me Back

Jasper remained silent.

His hands balled into tight fists at his sides, trembling ever so lightly as a dark expression settled over his face.

After amoment of silence, Justin offered a casual smile, ignoring the tension on Jasper's face as he moved past him.

"Justin, I've always respected you since I was young." Jasper's voice broke the silence, hoarse and strained, with his back turned to Justin.

“There are things I can compromise on, but some matters, I can't." Justin, his back still facing Jasper, narrowed his eyes and asked, " Such as?" "My need to see her now." A fierce determination lit Jasper's darkened eyes.

"Justin, I won't deny your feelings for her.

It's none of my business.

But you have no right to stop me from seeing her either.

"If you and Ms.

Alyssa are officially together, I'll never go near her again.

You won't even need to say a word.

I'll give you both my blessings and wish you a happy life together." As Jasper said "happy life", his throat tightened, and a bitter taste of bile rose at the back of his mouth.

Still, he continued, "But as long as she's not yours, we're equals in her eyes.

her,

sorry." The darkness in Justin's eyes hid any trace of emotion on

you still have feelings for her? You haven't let go, have you?" A lump rose in Jasper's throat, and

deeper, marked by

ask yourself —how have I treated you since we were kids?" "You've treated me very well,"

his mind, moments of warmth shared with Justin, four years his senior, a brother who

Jasper first entered the Beckett family, his life seemed bleak, as he was

standing by him when the household staff mistreated

life

have been the one sitting in the wheelchair

you can see, I'll be bound to this wheelchair for the rest of my

the permanent part of it too, just to keep me going."

know that I don't

Alyssa.

spend time with

humans

on my own for so many years, I often feel

life is

too, crave the companionship of

get married, start a family, and have a

the world, longed for a family? And the woman he wanted to share that with

Jasper's chest tightened.

the orphanage, where Alyssa and Justin had shared a