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Novel Catalog
Chapter_84
Alyssa’s fingers froze mid-polish, her heart skipping a beat as she heard the voice. She knew that voice too well, though she never thought she’d hear it again in this context.
The man stepped closer, his tall, imposing figure cutting through the dim light of the workshop. His dark eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, there was a flicker of something unspoken between them.
“Jasper…” Alyssa whispered under her breath, her heart tightening as she stared at him. She quickly turned away, trying to hide the turmoil in her chest.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice low and steady, though her pulse was racing. She couldn’t let him see how much his presence affected her.
Jasper took a few more steps into the room, his eyes never leaving her. “I had to see you, Lyse. After everything, I couldn’t stay away any longer.”
Alyssa’s hands were shaking, her mind swirling with thoughts and emotions. The memories of their marriage, the pain, and the frustration all rushed back in waves. She clenched her fists to steady herself.
“You’re the one who left,” Alyssa said, her voice wavering slightly. “You left me, remember? You don’t get to just waltz back in whenever you feel like it.”
Jasper’s jaw tightened, and he took another step toward her, though he didn’t push any further. “I know I messed up, I know I hurt you, and I know I didn’t deserve your forgiveness. But I’m here now. I want to fix this.”
Alyssa closed her eyes for a moment, trying to block out the intense gaze that he held her in. “You can’t just fix things with a few words, Jasper,” she replied, shaking her head. “You can’t undo everything that’s happened. Not like this.”
“I don’t expect you to forgive me right away,” he said quietly, his voice softer now, tinged with regret. “But I have to try, Lyse. You mean everything to me, and I can’t lose you for good.”
Alyssa turned back toward the workbench, her hands gripping the polished gem so tightly that it almost hurt. She couldn’t look at him. Not now, not when her heart was so raw from everything he had put her through.
“Why now, Jasper?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. “Why after all this time, after everything you’ve done? Why come back now?”
Jasper didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he took another step toward her, his voice low but filled with conviction. “Because I was wrong. I wasn’t ready before, but I am now. I never stopped caring about you, even when I was too foolish to admit it.”
Alyssa’s breath caught in her throat, the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She wanted to push him away, to tell him to leave, to make him understand the hurt and the betrayal she had carried with her all these years. But a small part of her—the part she’d been trying so hard to bury—was listening to him, to the sincerity in his voice.
“Don’t make this harder, Jasper,” she said, her voice breaking slightly as she turned away. “You can’t just fix everything with apologies. You can’t just fix what you broke.”
Jasper’s eyes softened, and he stepped even closer. “I’m not asking for everything to be fixed at once, Lyse. But please, let me show you I can change. Let me prove it to you.”
Alyssa stood there in silence, torn between the past that had hurt her so deeply and the possibility of a future she wasn’t sure she could trust anymore. The air between them was thick with tension, with unspoken words and unshed tears.
In that moment, everything seemed to hang in the balance, and Alyssa realized that the decision she was about to make could change everything.
But she wasn’t ready to decide yet.
For now, she just wanted to keep her distance. She just wanted to breathe.
“Leave, Jasper,” she finally said, her voice stronger this time. “Please. I need time. I need space.”
Jasper stood frozen, the words hitting him like a physical blow. His eyes flickered with pain, but he nodded slowly, not pushing her any further.
“I’ll wait for as long as it takes, Lyse,” he said softly. “But I’ll be here when you’re ready.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the workshop, leaving Alyssa standing in the silence, her heart pounding in her chest.
The helicopter’s engines roared to life again, and with one final glance back, Jasper was gone, leaving Alyssa alone to face the storm of emotions that still raged within her.