Can’t Win Me Back

Jasper steadied his breath the moment he pushed the door open to Alyssa's hospital ward.

For some reason, he was feeling really nervous.

There was almost nothing that could ever unnerve him.

Other than Newton, Alyssa was the only other person who could make him feel disquieted.

A strange serenity filled the room, broken only by the faint hum of the medical equipment.

Alyssa was still awake.

She was sitting upright against the headboard.

Her gaze was fixed on the darkness outside the window; her face turned to the side as if lost in thought.

The new moon cast no light; there were no stars.

She seemed to be staring at nothing, into the endless pitch black.

Jasper froze in the doorway, his eyes widening slightly as he took in the sight of her.

His breath hitched in his chest.

This woman, once so full of optimism and light, now appeared fragile, defeated.

Her spirit seemed so broken that it felt as if a single touch could shatter her completely.

It wasn't until a few moments later that Alyssa seemed to notice his presence.

Slowly, she turned her head.

met

as

were red, and her muscles were tense, betraying

a thermal

somber as he asked, "Are you feeling better?" Alyssa

in which a cannula was inserted,

gesture." The image of Alyssa curling up pitifully into a ball in the freezing snow appeared in Jasper's

ball of

He couldn't hold back.

yourself over and

whiter as

you, I will keep

Jasper spoke to her in a rather stern tone, perhaps out of that feeling of annoyance

pig-headed, possibly because she was still

it that day?" "T was in a rush to find someone." In acroaky

over what he

very important tome." 1 Alyssa's lips curled into

she realized she shouldn't have

She used to

away, making it all too easy for him

again next time." Jasper placed the thermal flask at the side of

and continued, "It's not worth it for you to hurt yourself

do anything foolish for you again."

she had felt completely destroyed, wishing for

was

opened the thermos flask and removed its inner

voice, he said, "That's good to know." Alyssa clenched her jaw, fighting back the tears as she struggled to