He studied me for a while longer and then his eyes went to my phone which I had left lying on the table. Reaching out, he grabbed it to turn on the screen and showed me my wallpaper.
"You said this was to remind you of the biggest mistake of your life," he stated roughly. "I thought you meant marrying him. But that's not the truth, is it?"
I looked away from that picture. The deep blue eyes and gorgeous face of the man who had loved me so much that he'd forgotten himself in the process. More tears streamed down my face. Fuck, how I hated this. How I hated that he had reduced me to this just by sending me a piece of paper and a pathetic card. I'd get back at him for it in my own way if he was here.
When I looked back at Jasper, he had lowered the phone and was gazing at the videos again with a broken expression on his face.
"We're both idiots," he muttered sadly.
I scowled at him. "It's too late for me, Jasper. I've sunk so fucking low that there's no coming back from my kind of hell. I've hurt too many people. Fucked up too many lives. Nobody wants me now. Not even Armaan," I whispered raggedly. "But you can go back. Look at you. You haven't moved on either. At least there's redemption for you. You're a good person, Jasper," I told him but he was shaking his head, as usual.
"I've told you a hundred times. I'm not going back, Jasmine," he stated firmly. "I don't deserve them after what I did." His face crumbled as he said those last words. "I wish Cole would hate me just as much as Skye does. It hurts but I wish he would. It'd be easier for him to move on. He hasn't moved on, Jasmine. Every fucking time I talk to him, I see the longing in his eyes. For a man like me. A cheating, lying bastard." Jasper's breath came out in gasps as he too started to sob. "I tried to make him hate me tonight. I tried to crush whatever hope he had by...god, I feel sick when I remember the way he looked at me. When I told him about Logan..."
I swallowed hard when I heard the pain in his voice, when he finally confessed what Cole still felt for him. Jasper had cheated on his boyfriend of seven years and that guy still loved him and wanted him back without question. I had only asked for my freedom and for more time. I’d left because Armaan didn't understand that my presence in his life was only hurting him. But still, my husband had decided to divorce me.
I didn't know what Skye felt for Jasper now but Cole still cared. Love like that was so fucking rare. Cole was stronger than most men if he was willing to work through his pain to have Jasper in his life. Even after what Jasper had tried to do with Logan, I was pretty sure Cole would still call next Friday, still want to see Jasper's face and talk to him.
I wasn't the idiot here. Jasper Wells was. Almost a decade of having someone love you that deeply and he was trading that for pity parties in the middle of nowhere with his pathetic friend. Nothing I said ever worked. He was adamant not to return to them. He was convinced he didn't deserve it, that he'd just experience his father's fate. But fuck it, wasn't that better than this? Wasn't holding that little boy he watched religiously online better than crying about it? It was written all over his face, how much in love he still was with all of them.
I narrowed my eyes at him, breathing through my pain, mentally preparing myself to do what I was about to do. I hated manipulating people. I had hated that quality in Armaan. But I had also learned a thing or two from my husband. And now, it was time to use those skills.
"Jasper?" I spoke softly, in a pleading tone.
He glanced at me miserably, his eyes dark with pain, expression so haggard.
"You’re my friend, right? You care about me a lot," I continued, taking his hands between mine.
Jasper nodded slightly. "Of course," he responded gravely.
"Friends need to be there for each other," I said firmly. "I have always been there for you. Every single time you acted like you were about to lose it, I was the one who held you down these past couple of years."
He appeared puzzled and God, I hated reminding him of all that. I'd done that because I cared, not for any other reason.
"Have I ever asked you for anything in return?" I whispered earnestly.
Jasper blinked a couple of times, opening his mouth a little. I was going to strangle him if he said, 'Yeah, my dick.' I really was. This was a serious moment we were having, goddammit. Jasper seemed to read the murderous intent in my eyes so he kept quiet and just shook his head.
I took a deep breath. "Well, I'm asking you now. You owe me so damn much. I took care of you. Now you gotta do something for me, okay. As my friend. I'm going to Milan to attend this engagement and you're going to come with me."
Jasper was stunned by my statement. "Why would you do that to yourself?" he breathed out in confusion. "Watch him be with someone else?"
I threw up my hands. "I don't know. The guy was always complaining that I never showed up for him. 'Show up for me, Jasmine. Please do this one thing for me. You don't have to do anything else, just be there to support me.' That was his biggest issue with me. So you know what? I'm
