jasper’s p.o.v.
“it’s best if you don’t see her anymore.”
i freeze in my tracks in the hospital hallway and turn around to see valerie’s mom teary-eyed and she doesn’t look me in the eye when she talks.
“what?” i ask breathily, barely audible.
she brings a hand up to her face and rests her elbow on her wheelchair handle. “she-she just… she’s been through so much and you were the one who put her up to all of this,” she starts off and every syllable breaks my heart. “and yet she still asks for you.”
“i love her—“
“do you?” she asks and looks up at me and my blood runs cold. “do you, really?”
“i do,” i whisper. “she loves me, too.”
“too much, jasper. that’s the problem.”
“i don’t see how that’s a problem,” i say hurriedly and i go to say something else but she starts to talk.
“we all love you, jasper. but it’s time to expand new horizons and i think it’s best if valerie isn’t put through any of—“ she gestures around her. “this… anymore.”
“this is bullshit,” i say quietly and my own eyes fill with tears. “i’ve known her for so many years and you can’t do this!”
she shakes her head. “i’m so sorry.”
“think of your daughter,” i choke out and look at her with wide eyes. “think about your daughter’s happiness.”
“think about my daughter’s sanity,” she says back, looking at me with pleading eyes. “think about her, too! she’s in here because-because of you, and if you really loved her, you wouldn’t do this to her!” she fires back, in tears.
“you’re just trying to tear us apart,” i say and i stumble back. “you’re—“
“—i’m thinking of what’s best for her, jasper…” she finishes.
“she’s my everything—“
“—if you love something,” she starts and i know what she’s going to say next and i’m not prepared for what she’s going to say next. “let it go,” she whispers.
“no,” i say, shaking my head and closing my eyes tightly. “no…”
“your parents—“
i open my eyes quickly and my head starts to pound. “what about my parents?”
“they think it’s best, too…”
“this isn’t fucking romeo and juliet!” i yell and a doctor passes by me with a look of horror on his face. but i don’t care. my hands are shaking and my throat hurts from yelling, but i don’t care at all. “this is real and everything’s okay, okay? just-just—“
“if things were different, jasper, i’d believe everything was okay. but right now, they’re not okay.”
“i can try to make things okay—“
“you can’t, jasper.”
“just let me try.”
she turns around in her wheelchair and i’m left alone.
“you can’t do this!” i yell, but she’s already down the corridor. i slide down the wall and slump myself down. i can’t believe this. i can’t.
i grab my hair in frustration and i stand up fast, making myself dizzy. but i bolt and i run through the hallways and i’m so close to where she is but i get grabbed from behind and it’s a male nurse and he shakes his head sadly at me.
“i was advised,” he says. i take my arm out of his grasp, but he holds on tighter. he leads me out to the waiting room and everything feels numb and nothing feels right. “i’m sorry.”
but he isn’t. nobody is sorry.
“your parents—“
“they think it’s best, too..”
i run. i run towards anything and everything, but most importantly, i run to my home and i run. i see valerie’s smile in my head and i try to shake it out of my thoughts, but it’s latched in there and i pump my arms to run faster and i do. i nearly run into people but i can’t see what’s behind me. all i can see are blurry images and all i can hear is my strained breathing.
but i run. and i fucking run.
