38. Jasper
THIRTY-EIGHT
JASPER
Ishove him away from me, the sound of my blood thumping erratically in my ears. No, he's wrong. He's just trying to get me riled up so that I beat his ass, and get myself kicked out of the hospital. There's no way that Scarlett feels that way about both of us, it's not possible.
"Where the hell are you going, Jasper? You can't run from this," Xavier demands as I stumble down the hallway, putting distance between us, so I don't end up in a violent confrontation with him. "Jasper!"
Every recent interaction with her runs through my mind like some fucked up reel.
The way she looked when she came home from her night with him.
How she wouldn't promise to stay away from him when I demanded it, even though he could ruin her career.
The fact that I found her with him again, allowing him inside of her body.
The both of them standing underneath the water, straining, lost in the throes of pleasure, and unaware that I was even there until I shattered the door, and yanked Xavier out.
FUCK! I crash into the nearest wall and slide down it, unable to catch my breath.
Patients and hospital staff give me a wide berth, passing me with curious glances, as I bring my knees to my chest with an overwhelming sense of failure and devastation.
Could Xavier be right? Does she love us both?
I drag my hands down my face in exhaustion, replaying Xavier's words over and over.
"She didn't choose you, Jasper. She didn't pick me either, but I didn't lose my shit and go after you like some psycho."
"She's in love with you, but she's also in love with me. She won't choose between us, no matter how much you or I would want that."
"Are you prepared to lose her for good, Jasper, 'cause I'm not. I never will be. I've waited fucking years to be with her, and I won't give her up, even if that means I have to put up with you in the picture."
That bit gets my attention again. He's waited years to be with her?
As far as I could tell when I dug into his background, there would have been no opportunity for them to meet before this case, never mind having known each other for years.
What the fuck is happening here? Something is not adding up.
I pull out my phone. "Douglas, pull everything we have on Xavier Poine, his childhood, education, work life, dig fucking deep. If he's been on a date in the last five years, I want to know about it. Yes, this is about the fucking case! Get me that info!"
I force myself to rise and head back toward the hallway, where we were waiting, wanting to question Xavier myself, now that my brain isn't short-circuiting.
The minute I turn the corner, I see Nurse Bree speaking with him, and all my other thoughts flee, leaving my mind only on Scarlett, as I rush toward them in panic.
"Ah, there you are! She's out of surgery.
They were able to remove the glass, and no organs were damaged in the process.
She's being moved to recovery now, and you can see her once she's settled. "
I release the harsh breath I was holding, and notice Xavier does the same.
He hugs Nurse Bree like an emotional psychopath, and the stern woman giggles like a schoolgirl.
"Go on with yourselves, boy-toys. Go grab a coffee, freshen up, and buy your girl some flowers.
" She smiles in my direction, before winking at Xavier, and disappearing back to the nurses' station.
Buy your girl some flowers. She didn't direct that at one of us, instead, it was at both of us.
Jesus, does everyone realize what the fuck is happening between the three of us? Everyone but me, apparently?
God, I feel so fucking blind and stupid.
She was never going to be with just me. She wouldn't even acknowledge that anything had changed between us.
Xavier and I stare at each other, and I can see he wants to say something to me, but I'm at my threshold of the bullshit I can take.
I quickly turn around and head in the other direction, hoping to make my way back to my car before my head explodes.
"Jasper, where the fuck are you going?" His voice trails behind me, but I refuse to turn around and acknowledge him. I get in the elevator, and watch as the doors close on his furious expression.
Once I'm sitting in my front seat, I realize I have nowhere to go.
I can't leave without seeing Scarlett, and confirming with my own eyes that she's going to be okay.
I stare at my reflection in the rearview mirror, and I don't like the man I'm seeing glancing back at me.
The one who's desperate to hold onto Scarlett Lyssa, by any means necessary, and is even considering being in a relationship with her while she's also with someone else.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I struggle to get it out, in a panic that something changed with Scarlett's condition since I ran like a coward from the hospital. "Garnier," I bark without looking at the screen.
"Agent Garnier, you need to come into the office. One of the techs has picked up something that looks suspicious in Xavier Poine's background," Douglas croaks with anticipation on the other end.
I fucking knew it. "I'm on my way now."