(Jasper’s POV)
The drug makes everything fuzzy around the edges, but I’m not as far gone as Virginia thinks.
I’ve been awake for thest ten minutes, lying perfectly still while she arranges this sick little scene. Rose petals on the bed. My shirt tossed on the floor. Her dress thrown carelessly next to it.
When she stripped down to nothing and curled up against me, every muscle in my body wanted to recoil. <b>But </b>
I stay frozen, waiting to see what she ns to do…how far she’ll take this.
Then I hear footsteps in the hallway. A familiar voice calling my name.
Scarlett.
My heart stops. So this is her n? To have Scarlett witness us in bed together? I want to open my eyes. To sit up and bring an end to Virginia’s sick game. But as I am about to shift, something stops me in ce.
Some twisted need to know what Scarlett really thinks of me. How she would react to this scene.
“Oh,” Virginia’s voice is soft, surprised. “You came.”
Through my barely open eyelids, I see Scarlett freeze in the doorway. The look on her face… God, the look on
her face destroys me. It’s as if I’ve ripped her heart out.
“I’m so sorry,” Virginia continues, her fingers trailing across my chest. It takes everything I have not to flinch
away. “I know how this must look. But Jasper… he begged me to stay. He said he couldn’t bear for me to
leave.”
No. No, I didn’t. I never asked her to do anything, let alone begging her to stay. I never knew Virginia could tell
a lie with such conviction.
“We didn’t mean for it to happen,” Virginia continues smoothly. “But when I told him I was leaving… he broke
downpletely. He said he’d been lying to himself, that he’d always loved me. One thing led to another and …I <i>hope </i><i>you </i>don’t mind.”
What the hell? I want to scream. To sit up and p some shame, some sense back into her. But Scarlett…will
she fight for me? Will she care that I slept with Virginia? The desperate need to know stops me from acting.
Virginia keeps talking, painting this picture of a desperate reunion between childhood sweethearts. It’s sick. Twisted. Every word thates out of her mouth renews everything I thought I knew about her.
But then Scarlett speaks, and her voice is… calm.
Painfully calm.
She moves closer to the bed, and I feel her studying my face. Her voice gets stronger as she calls my name.
Once. Twice.
I almost open my eyes and respond to her call. But I need to hear what she really thinks glues me to the bed.
“How interesting,” she says, and there’s something different in her tone now. Something sharp, cold, condescending. “For a man who supposedly made passionate love to you for hours, he’s remarkably… out <fn1c8e> ?????? ???? find?novel</fn1c8e>
cold<b>.</b>”
Wait. What?
That’s not the reaction I expected. I’m still wearing my underwear. Virginia never actually… we never…
“We… we’ve been at it for hours…. he’s exhausted…”
“Really? He was so drunk he hasn’t even stirred since I walked in here shouting his name, but he was lucid enough to do the deed with you?”
Virginia is rendered speechless. And so am I.
“You know what else is interesting, Virginia? It wasn’t Jasper, but you who texted me tonight. You orchestrated all of this, didn’t you? The hotel room. The champagne. The rose petals. This whole pathetic scene is your set–up.”
I’m surprised. I didn’t expect Scarlett to see through Virginia’s lies so quickly. But then I remember her telling
me Virginia pretended to have panic attacks to get me away from her. Now, I feel like a fool for not believing
her.
“You know what? It doesn’t matter.”
What?
“This. These childish games. You don’t need to do this, Virginia.”
I hear Virginia gasp, her shock no less than mine. She stutters, asking about me, and I hold my breath in
anticipation for Scarlett’s answer.
“Jasper was my past,” she says. “My mistake.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. My mistake. Is that what I am to her now? A mistake?
“I have Lily now. I have my bakery. I have a life that doesn’t revolve around him, trying to hold onto something
that was never really mine to begin with.”
A deprecating smile stretches my lips. She doesn’t care about me. She doesn’t care about what rtionship!
have with Virginia.
I’ve lost her, truly andpletely.
“I’ve moved on, Virginia. And maybe it’s time you did too.”
Her footsteps fade towards the door and when I hear it close behind her with a soft click, I know she’s gone.
Just like that. Without hesitating, without causing a fuss, she walked out as if I never meant anything to her.
She doesn’t care. Not about Virginia’s schemes. Not about losing me. Not about any that happens between <ol><li>us. </li></ol>
As she said, perhaps I really was just a mistake to her.
A few minutes pass as the realization sets in, leaving me feeling cold and hollow. I remain still, dazed, until I
hear Virginia moving around the room.
“Well,” I say, eyes cold, voice rough. “That was quite a performance.”
been-”
Virginia spins around, her face going white. “Jasper! You’re…you’re awake. How long have you
“Long enough.” I sit up, the room spinning slightly. Whatever she put in my drink is still in my system. “Long
enough to hear about everything that happened between us.”
“Jasper, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to…yes…I wanted to test Scarlett-”
“Test Scarlett?” Iugh, but there’s no humor in it. “You drugged me, Virginia. You stripped me down and climbed into bed with me. How is that testing anyone?”
She backs toward the door, her mask finally slipping. “She needed to know the truth. That you’ll always
choose me over her.”
“The truth is I’ve never chosen you. Never loved you as anything <i>more </i>than a sister. The truth is you just destroyed my trust in you!”
Tears start streaming down her face, but they now look only fake to me. Everything about her looks fake. “Get dressed,” I say, grabbing my shirt from the floor. “We’re going home. James and ir are going to be stoked to hear what you did tonight.”
Violet Moon
#Vote#!
<b>3 </b>