Show & Sell

Aurora’s eyes grow even bigger. “Really?”

She looks like I’ve just dangled a treasure trove of riches before her. And I would. I would do fucking anything to see her happy.

“But you know,” I start and kiss her gently on the lips, cheeks, nose, ear. “You must choose one of us. I know you’ve dated the others. It can’t go on like this.”

Now her face turns somber—and shit, I’m responsible. Gone is the smile and her relaxed demeanor. Her body tenses, and she pulls away from me.

“I can’t do this Jasper,” she cries, and she bolts down the stairs.

I watch her run past Declan and Finn and out the door.

They glare at me.

“Good one,” Finn hisses. “What’d you do? Try and fuck her before we’ve had a chance to talk to her?”

I shake my head. “Shut up, Finn. She has to decide sometime,” I shoot back and make my own way back upstairs.

“Or did you tell her how stupid she is for caring for caring about her drug-addicted brother?” Declan chimes in.

Again, I feel the urge to hit someone.

Right now, the urge is directed toward my brothers.

“Assholes, both of you.” I spit at them. They shrug and put their bags down.

“I just said to her that she’s got to choose between us. She said she can’t choose and ran the fuck out.”

Finn looks at me.

“We better look for her,” says Declan and heads out the door. “Couldn’t you wait before you put the fucking weight on her? I mean you know it’s not as if she doesn’t have enough on her mind.”

His words are biting, and he may be right, but I can’t last another second without knowing who she’s gonna choose.

What’s wrong with getting her to choose now? Life’s a bitch. It might not be better for her tomorrow.

What if her loser brother goes off on another drug bender and ends up dead? Then it won’t be a good time either to raise the matter of choosing between us. There is no good time.

As far as I’m concerned, she needs to decide.

“Yeah,” Finn chimes in. “You could have given her a few minutes. Maybe even offered her a drink. She’s pretty shaken up by all this. But no, Jasper has to charge like a fucking bull at every fucking moment.”

Now I’m getting offended.

“There she is,” I point to our left.

She’s standing by the beach, facing the water, her hair blowing in the wind.

I try and ignore the criticism from my brothers. They think I’m egotistical and self-centered. But they don’t know a goddamn thing, because we haven’t been close in years.

If it wasn’t for that annual meeting our father made us attend, I never would’ve even seen them. They’re like strangers to me now—and I the same to them.

I don’t believe in standing by and doing nothing. I believe in solving problems as soon as they arise and taking action before they get totally blown out of proportion.

“Maybe you should let us do the talking,” growls Finn in my ear, and I clench my fists by my side.

“Hey, Aurora,” Declan calls over to her, and she turns around to face us from her spot on the sand.

Her eyes take us in. She looks from Finn to Declan to me and then back to Finn.

She looks sad. Her cheeks are tear-stained, and I just want to fucking hold her and make her world okay.

“I-I’m sorry,” she says, walking back toward us.

“Come on, baby,” Finn takes a step toward her.

His fingers caress her arm.

Aurora shivers. I see the storm clouds loom on the horizon. I want her back inside, safe and sound under my protection. Something fierce is coming—and I don’t just mean in terms of the storm.

“We just want what’s best for you,” I start but am not sure what else to say.

Her expression is pained. My hand instinctively grabs hers, and I squeeze it, trying to provide some reassurance.

“I know, and I’m grateful, and I know you want me to choose, and—” she chokes.

“Told you, you’re a pushy bastard,” Finn rounds on me.

“If you hadn’t bombarded her with this ‘You’ve got to choose business—” Declan starts.

“Stop!” yells Aurora, and we all look at her startled.

I let go of her hand.

“Listen to yourselves, to your bickering, and to your crap. You’re brothers. You should be grateful you have each other.”

I look at my shoes and shove my hands into the pockets of my pants. She’s right. I know she is.

And I also know this might have struck a hurtful chord with her, given the precarious nature of her own brother right now.

“I’m sorry,” I start again. “It’s just we need you to choose,” I say as the others groan.

I don’t know what their fucking problem is. I’m saying the truth. I’m saying what’s on each of our minds.

“I can’t.” Aurora is now sobbing. “Don’t you understand? I can’t choose between you guys. I just can’t.” She’s about to collapse on the sand, but I catch her.