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

bothers you, I'm sorry." The darkness in Justin's eyes hid

voice, he asked, “Jasper, do you still have feelings for her? You haven't let go,

grew deeper, marked

but ask yourself —how have I treated you since we

moments of warmth shared with Justin, four years his senior, a brother who had always been

family, his life seemed bleak, as he was met with

show him care, standing by him when the household staff mistreated him and offering him a sense of

had put his own life on the line

would have been the one sitting in the wheelchair today, unable to move

to

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

know that I don't deserve

Alyssa.

she's willing to spend time with me

all humans

from home on my own for so many years, I

life is just going to drift

crave the companionship of someone |

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

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

Jasper's chest tightened.

Justin had shared a smile in the snow -covered courtyard, their eyes filled