Reflecting

Mike finished explaining what makes a good partner in the normal world to me. Apparently stabbing your partners best friend in the hand in front of him caused 'bad vibes' and just makes everyone want to walk away from the situation with the crazy guy.

The crazy guy being me.

"I still don't get it. It's not like I created trouble out of nothing." I said.

"It hurt Jasper to see that."Mike explained.

"Why though? I didn't stab him." I huffed.

"You might as well have. The way you just did that to his best friend was insane. Regardless of any past beef, you went entirely too far. That wasn't a normal reaction," Mike chastised me.

Who did he think he was to lecture me like that? Having a badge must be getting to his head if he thinks I'll listen to him about anything.

"Anything else, super cop?"

"You might've put Jasper in a tough spot by doing that. I just hope you can control yourself with the next person."

Jasper reentered the room with Sam trailing behind him and I could almost immediately see what Mike was talking about. Jasper looked incredibly guilty right now, like a dog after being caught misbehaving. I hadn't intended to put Jasper in such a difficult position, yet my actions had undoubtedly stirred up feelings of regret within him.

I met Jasper's gaze, feeling a pang of remorse wash over me. He had only wanted to facilitate a reconciliation between Sam and me like he wanted, but instead, I had resorted to drastic measures that had left everyone involved feeling uneasy.

Next time I'll just make sure no one is around when I lash out.

"You are a really good sport," I murmured, attempting to alleviate some of the tension in the room. "I can compensate you as things got a bit out of hand."

Sam nodded, his eyes reflecting a mixture of understanding and forgiveness. "It's okay, Alex. Let's just focus on moving forward from here."

"Fine," I said before turning to Jasper. "Are you mad?"

"No, just shocked," Jasper said. His eyes held a mix of surprise and concern as he looked at me.

"We solved it like you clearly wanted me to," I pouted, feeling a twinge of guilt for involving Jasper in my messy past.

"Why'd you stab him though?" Jasper asked, his voice tinged with curiosity and disbelief.

"To make him feel as much pain as I did," I explained, my tone laced with bitterness.

"Well, I felt it! I'm shocked to learn my old friend is the owner of Lombardi's. We don't have to guess it anymore," Sam half smiled after a moment of silence, though there was a hint of unease in his expression.

"If you tell anyone, I'll come after you again," I said, my voice sharp and threatening.

"We won't, we're pretty good at keeping things private. It's part of the job," Mike chimed in quickly after hearing my threat, attempting to diffuse the tension in the room. "Let's not escalate."

"So how'd you two get together?" Sam asked suddenly, his tone trying to shift the focus away from the tension.

"We went to Malamig Village," Jasper said, trying to steer the conversation towards a lighter topic.

"You slept in a motel?" Sam asked me, his curiosity evident.

"There was no choice. It was that or the car," I sighed, feeling a sense of resignation about my past circumstances.

"What's wrong with sleeping in a motel?" Mike asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Alex is picky," Sam explained, a hint of amusement in his voice. "If the room isn't exactly how he likes it, he won't sleep well."

"I'm not as picky after prison," I admitted, feeling a mixture of vulnerability and self-awareness.

"Not any nicer either," Sam muttered, his comment stinging a bit.

"I've never been a nice person," I reminded him, my tone holding a note of defiance.

"Guess that's pretty true," Sam chuckled.

As the conversation flowed and laughter filled the room, I found myself surprised at how quickly things returned to normal. Despite my initial reservations and the tension from earlier, Sam took my attack in stride, displaying a resilience that I hadn't anticipated. He didn't bring up the incident again, instead engaging in lighthearted banter and sharing anecdotes about his own life. Mike, on the other hand, seemed to be the polar opposite of Sam—overly generous and naive, viewing the world through rose-colored glasses.

During the conversation, Sam opened up about his struggles in finding a girlfriend, sharing humorous yet relatable stories of his encounters with what he referred to as "psychos." Meanwhile, Mike took the opportunity to regale me with tales of Jasper's high school days. According to him, Jasper was not only the best athlete in his year but also had a unusual passion for musical theatre, despite obviously lacking talent in that area. Mike recounted how disappointed the girls were to learn of Jasper's sexual orientation, with some even becoming obsessed with him.

However, the most unexpected revelation came when Mike casually mentioned Jasper's longest running stalker named Emily Todd. Jasper's reaction was a mix of embarrassment and discomfort, which I understood immediately. It was clear why he had never mentioned this to me before. Emily's identity as my sister made the situation all the more amusing, and I couldn't help but laugh at the irony of it all.

As the afternoon wore on, Sam eventually mentioned that he had to pick up his son, signaling the end of their visit. With promises to return, Mike bid us farewell and followed Sam out of Lombardi's. Left alone with Jasper, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief and satisfaction. Despite my initial apprehensions, everything had gone better than I expected it to. Perhaps there was hope for normalcy and acceptance after all.

As I turned to Jasper, I sensed a lingering awe in his gaze, a silent acknowledgment of the boldness I had displayed earlier. Deep down, I knew very well my actions towards Sam had been irrational, driven by a mix of frustration and a desire to assert control over the situation. Yet, in that moment, it had felt like the quickest way to release pent-up emotions and move past the tension.

I understood that there were likely better ways to handle the situation, more civilized approaches that didn't involve violence. But in all honesty, I didn't care much about that at the time. All I cared about was finding a way to enjoy the rest of the evening without the weight of animosity hanging over us.

Would Jasper see my actions as a betrayal of trust, a sign of instability that he couldn't overlook? Would he be angry with me for attacking his friend in such a manner?

As Jasper prepared to leave for work the next morning, I couldn't help but address the lingering tension. "You think I went too far too," I stated simply, feeling a mix of apprehension and vulnerability.

Jasper paused, his expression softening as he turned to face me. "Yes, but I was told this needed to happen to be over with. I'm not mad at you or anything, in fact Sam told me himself that this was the only way to ensure peace between you two. I'm just feeling guilty for bringing him here even though I knew not to," he assured me, his voice gentle yet firm.

Relief washed over me at his words. "Oh. I thought you were thinking about dumping me," I admitted, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders.

"No way, Alex. I know your attitude towards him and I know how ruthless you can be. I also know your temper very well. If I was going to dump you for that, I wouldn't have asked you out," Jasper reassured me, pulling me into a hug and planting a kiss on my forehead.

I sighed, feeling a surge of gratitude towards him. "Well, when's the next time you have a day off? I'll make it up to you," I offered, eager to mend any lingering tensions.

"You don't have to do that, Alex. I've known how you were for months already and I was wrong to bring him here," Jasper replied, his smile genuine and reassuring.

"You're not just saying that?" I asked, seeking validation and reassurance.

"If I thought it was a problem and changed my mind about you, I would've arrested you on the spot," Jasper said with a chuckle, his words laced with playful sincerity.

"Okay," I nodded, feeling a sense of relief and warmth spreading through me at his unwavering support.

Jasper then shifted the conversation, mentioning an email he had received from Emily about a shareholders meeting. My initial reaction was one of frustration at the delayed notification, but Jasper's calm demeanor helped soothe my irritation.

"We were busy. Anyway, there's a shareholders meeting coming up and Emily wants me to be there. It's on the day after tomorrow, so we have more than enough time to plan things out," Jasper explained, his anticipation evident in his voice. "I can't wait to see what you come up with."