****
Chapter Fourteen
Jasper
I turned to Jasmine as soon as Skye left after giving me her final statement.
"Are you happy now?" I demanded, spreading out my hands as she stood there wearing a shell-shocked expression, stiff and unmoving. "I already knew without even trying that she would say that to me! I knew it then and I know it now. I may not have spent years with Skye, Jasmine, but I know her. Is this what you brought me back for? To face this kind of humiliation and rejection? This pain!"
My lips twisted cynically. "You tricked me! You fucking lied to get me back to Milan. Tried to manipulate the situation. You don't actually need me for Armaan."
I ran my hand through my hair, feeling so frustrated and angry. So hurt. I hadn't wanted this. Skye would never forgive me. I had known it all this time but to have her confirm it, it stung so bad. I had been fine. They had been fine without me. Tonight was just adding to everybody's pain.
"Jasper, she loves you-"
"I know she loves me. She was right here looking into my eyes. I can see that she still loves me." I shook my head and blinked up at the ceiling, swallowing hard. "You think someone who doesn't care would even bother to react like that after two fucking years?"
"You said the wrong thing, Jasper. It only made her more angry. You never take the other woman's side. Never."
"You're not the other woman, anymore. Why can't she see that? Cole understands our friendship."
"Cole is a guy," she said to me and rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you said that to her. I just saw the great Jasper Wells in action trying to get his family back and it sucked. You are so pathetic at this," she added, pursing her lips.
"Yeah, kick a man when he's down, Jasmine. Way to go."
She stared at me in exasperation. But I was too angry to care. She'd done this to me, put me in this position. One look into Skye's eyes and I'd known just how much I wanted her back. How much I wanted her to love me again. To be happy with me again. Let me fix things.
But not this way. This wasn't my way. I loved her but I wouldn't become my father. I wouldn't keep begging and trying to prove myself over and over again.
"Give her a few days. Let Cole talk to her. Go see her and your-" She stopped abruptly and looked away. "Just...go see them. It takes time, Jasper."
I scowled at her. "You're pushing me to do this? Why? Why does it even matter to you?"
"I told you. I care about you. I want you to be happy. Okay. I'm sorry I lied but you were so miserable, Jasper. You needed to come back. You need your people."
"They're not my people," I murmured and sat down on the couch. "Skye can never love me for who I am now. And who I am is the man who doesn't believe this is wrong," I insisted, gesturing between us. "I give up my friendship with you and that's when she takes me back? It's not even about choice anymore, Jasmine."
I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, feeling so weary. "You've been there for me. I would be dead today if it wasn't for you. But nobody's going to understand that, right? Because of what? The fact that we slept together a handful of times two years ago?"
"It's just the way things are," she told me quietly. "Sometimes you have no choice. If you want your family back, you're going to have to show Skye that I don't matter to you."
I laughed at that. That was so ridiculous. "You want me to get her back on the basis of a lie? Another lie. Because you do matter to me. You're one of my people now."
Jasmine screwed up her face in pain and chewed on her lip as she studied the stubbornness and determination on my face. Yeah, this was Jasper Wells. Skye wanted me to know she wouldn't forgive me because of my friendship with Jasmine. And I wanted her to know that my friendship with Jasmine was not going to be a problem when it came to me making amends.
"Love me as I am or don't love me at all. The only person I can say that about is Cole. If Cole can forgive me, for leaving, for staying away, for being with another man or woman, then why can't she?" I asked forcefully.
Jasmine's eyes were wide now. "Boy, you really don't get it," she murmured. "Okay, usually I don't do this because I don't like getting all sentimental and stuff but...if Skye had had an affair with a guy, lived with him for two years and came back to you claiming she wanted to remain friends with that guy, what would you do, Jasper?"
I was floored by that question. I didn't want to admit the answer to that one so I just bowed my head and rubbed the heels of my palms against my eyes.
"This is so fucked up," I said in a bitter tone. "I don't deserve her forgiveness. I'm just going to go back. She doesn't need me."
"Cole needs you though," Jasmine said softly. "Think of him too. I really don't believe he can let you go after seeing him with you tonight. It'll crush him."
"They're married, Jasmine. I won't ever jeopardise that. I can't be in a relationship with Cole and hurt her like that."
"Isn't that what you guys did at first though?" she asked me curiously. "Skye was only with Cole and you were willing to share him."
"God, this is different. If I went near her family,
