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.

can see her, and so

in Justin's eyes hid any trace of emotion on

haven't let go, have you?" A lump rose in Jasper's throat, and his

deeper, marked by a few

have I treated you since we

years his senior, a brother who had always

family, his life seemed bleak, as

the first to show him care, standing by him when the household staff mistreated him and offering him

put his own life on the line to help

would have been the one sitting in the wheelchair

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

are the permanent part of it too, just to keep me going." Panting slightly, Justin

that I don't deserve

Alyssa.

spend time with

all humans have

away from home on my own for so many years, I often feel

ask myself if my life is just going to drift

the companionship of someone

life—to get married, start a family, and have a happy and

brother, once so detached from the world, longed for a family? And the woman he

Jasper's chest tightened.

Justin had shared a smile in the snow -covered