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.

see her,

sorry." The darkness in Justin's eyes

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

grew deeper, marked by a few

share the same mother, but ask yourself —how have I treated you since we were kids?" "You've treated me very well," Jasper answered,

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

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

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

one who had put his own life on the line to help Jasper escape that terrifying

have been the one sitting in the

to this wheelchair for

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

know that I don't deserve

Alyssa.

time with me

humans

on my own for so

my life is just going to

companionship of

family, and have

the world, longed for a family? And the woman he

Jasper's chest tightened.

recalled the earlier scene at the orphanage, where Alyssa and Justin had shared a smile in the snow -covered courtyard, their eyes filled