Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

The question from Tatiana caused the tension in the room to peak.
Alyssa widened her eyes slightly. Grievance churned within her.
Since childhood, Tatiana and Alyssa were always joined at the hip. Yet, they were having such an intense argument tonight.
"What do you mean by that, Taty? Are you saying that I am someone who only cares about the safety of my family? And that I
am egoistic and can't be bothered about others?"
Jasper's heart was pounding. As the middle person, he was stuck in an awkward position. He gave Alyssa a light tug by the hem
of her top.
"Taty wouldn't think of you like that, Lyse. Don't overthink it."
"I'm overthinking it? She should explain to me what she meant by that, then!" Alyssa plucked the corner of her top back from
Jasper's grip.
Jasper shuddered. He pressed his lips together bitterly.
She could remain calm no matter how much the public swore at and ridiculed her. But now, it was obvious that she was furious.
Jasper knew that what Alyssa hated the most was being misunderstood by her loved ones. To her, this hurt more than any
physical pain.
She had been under great stress for days. The mental exhaustion had finally made her snap at this very moment. She ended up
releasing her anger at her most beloved sister.

"You haven't answered my question, Lyse."
Unexpectedly, Tatiana wasn't going to give up easily. She got up slowly and enunciated her question once again. "If I wasn't your
sister, would you still stop me?"
"I will not answer you if your question is based on the assumption that I am a selfish person."
Alyssa tried her best to suppress her anger. She then said to Jasper in a low voice, "Go and arrange for a car to send Taty back,
Jasper."
Alyssa and Tatiana parted ways. They were both upset.
After Tatiana left, Alyssa went into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and downed an entire bottle of cold water. She
thought that it would help with cooling herself down physically.
However, she still felt a fire burning within her. She could feel her blood pressure rising too.
She cursed, realizing that Landon's method of cooling down was of no use at all. Alyssa figured that she should try again by
drinking another bottle.
Right when she was about to reach out for another bottle of cold water, Jasper reached over the top of her head. He pushed the
refrigerator door shut.
Alyssa looked up at him, and her eyes met his. In an instant, she had simmered down a little.
"Caught you having another cold drink sneakily."

Jasper frowned helplessly. Alyssa could feel his warm breath on the tip of her nose.
With a soft look in his eyes, Jasper continued, "When are you going to stop making me worry about you, hmm?"
"Forget about the two bottles of cold water. I wish I could get on a plane to the south and dive into the sea there!" Alyssa pouted
angrily. She crossed her arms and leaned against Jasper's sturdy chest.
"You jump, I jump," Jasper replied as he looked down at her and gave her a kiss on her forehead.
Alyssa clicked her tongue. "Oh, stop it. I'm not in the mood for jokes now."
Alyssa turned to face him. She was just about to speak when she was met with a passionate kiss instead. Their tongues
intertwined playfully.
She wrapped her arms around Jasper's neck. She was completely drawn in. Her frustration slowly dissipated.
Then, they pulled away from each other unwillingly. After all, they would have asphyxiated if they had continued.