Emotions or fate?

"Well, it's hard to find someone who appreciated me for who I am, and Irvyn was the one who could see right through my issues. I don't think anyone else could do the same, or neither I can have any more effort and strength remaining to invest into anyone else." Yvette was calm, while saying all those, and not even the slightest hint of sadness was in her voice. She must be so strong, Jasmine thought to herself. Well, she always has been, since the day back in college, Jasmine walked up to her and reached out to her with a hand of friendship.

"Man, really, you guys are the best. Truly meant for each other." Jasmine spoke up, proudly. "I'll be heading out then. See you at dinner."

"Yeah. See you. I'll be calling over Summer and Josh too, if you are fine with it." Yvette raised her voice a little, making sure Jasmine heard her just fine from the door, and was only convinced when she got a thumbs up as a response.

"So, angry and emotionless dork, huh?" A deep male voice spoke up right next to Jasmine, as soon as she was about to step into the elevator.

"Jesus Christ, hello?! What the actual fuck?" Jasmine jumped up, almost tumbling on her foot by that sudden voice speaking up close to her. She would recognize the voice anywhere, anytime, and still would get this much scared of it.

"Oh God, could you not overreact every time you meet me? And what's that shout, what if someone had heard you?" The man spoke up again, in the same cold, deep tone but with a slight hint of urgency this time.

"Then could you not creep up to me like that every time I meet her? What are you, some overly protective stalker? I am not aiming to snatch her." Jasmine finally calmed down a little, breathing in a few times. She slowly got in the elevator, pressing the ground floor button. And the man followed her in. He didn't respond to her, until the elevator started moving.

"You could actually, for all I know. Need to do my share of responsibility, right?"

Jasmine glared at her right, trying to intimidate this guy as much as possible, even though she was quite shaky inside. So many years of knowing him, and so many times she has seen him being in a totally embarrassing and out of nature way, but still, she feels terrified of this 'once the most powerful businessman in Westford' guy. "Well, for your kind information, Mr. Irvyn Collins, I don't swing that way. So, your wife is perfectly safe, and still madly in love with you."

The man fell silent upon hearing those words from her. Judging by the stern look he was giving, anyone would think that he might be totally unfazed by that information. But Jasmine totally could see the slight grin on his face. Oh, look at this dead-ass guy being giddy over the mention of his wife, what is he, a middle schooler? She wished she could show others, or even Yvette this face. But sadly, she never met any other person who could see spirits and souls, like she does.

"Yknow, I am actually jealous," Jasmine spoke up, right before the elevator dinged about reaching to the ground floor. "Of you and my dear friend. You guys have the cruelest fate written for you, yet you two still love each other, and bound to each other."

"You mean, this?" Irvyn raised his right arm, pointing at his ring finger, where a green thread could be seen dangling with its end tied securely around his long fingers. "Just because of that, you think we are like, the strangest yet best thing for you to see?"

"It's not? C'mon, that idea itself is romantic, even to me."

"But to me, it's the emotions that are romantic, not this silly, stupid thread." Irvyn shrugged his shoulder, putting his both hands in his pocket. They slowly walked out of the office through the parking lot, since there were fewer people there, and Jasmine could talk without worrying about anyone thinking that she was a crazy person, talking to herself. "You can say that, because you see this thread. But We never did. Still, it was the emotions that brought us together, and tied us up. Otherwise, our fate is to be separated from each other for the rest of her life, right? You think that's a justified fate for someone who is in love?"

Jasmine couldn't refute the words he said. For some reason, the spirit Irvyn had way more understanding and calmness in his words, when he spoke about anything. As usual, the person standing right in front of her used to be a man with calm nature, sheer precision, and precise understanding of anything and everything. He was such a perfect person that it was a pity, to have him gone at such a young age, not for only Yvette, but also everyone who was related to him, in one way or another.

"Emotions build up this thread, not the thread that makes us fall in love. Get this in your dumbass head, okay?" Irvyn pushed his index right against Jasmine's forehead, making her shift back squinting her eyes. "Can't believe I agreed to consider such a dumb girl like you as my sister."

"Your one of the worst decisions in life, not my fault, big bro." Rubbing the place where he had just poked her, she spoke up in a cheerful yet complaining voice. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Also make sure to move on, Miss Jasmine Riley. How long will you keep brooding over that one guy?"

Jasmine had already walked ahead a few steps, but Irvyn's voice made her look back at him. With a smile, she responded to him. "Who says I'm still hung over that bastard?" She waved at him, and without waiting for any further seconds, she walked out of the building, leaving Irvyn behind.

"Think you can ditch a spirit now? You couldn't even hide that fact even when I was alive, Jasmine." Letting out a sigh, he kept staring at the figure, until that was entirely gone at the end of the road. And only then, he faded away like a spec of dust in the thin air, without a trace of himself left behind.