1.3 | Heartbreaks For Sale

08.

A/N:

Since it's my birthday, an update is mandatory. Can I just say I adore Jasper to bits. All I want for Christmas is for Jasper to choose me over Airaa (which is highly impossible T-T)

Stay magical.

cara xx

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

"SHE FORGOT HER KEY AGAIN," Indy's muffled voice came from the other side of the door. No, I didn't. I don't have the strength to search for it in my bag, Akshara wanted to say. The door opened and Indy was ready to blab away her annoyance at her but she paused.

"Come in," she said instead, grabbing her roommate by the arm and pulling her inside. Jasper was on the couch. He bent the spine of the book he was reading and peeked at Akshara only to immediately shove a bookmark inside and reach towards her.

"Hey, what happened?" he asked. Akshara bit her lips and shook her head, tears already squeezing out of her eyes. "Hey, hey, Akshara, look at me."

She sagged down like a bundle of wet wool, cold and icy even though she had three layers of clothing on. Jasper rubbed her hands and wrapped her with the blanket on the couch. Indy crouched next to them with a glass of hot water. "Akshara, don't scare me. I am starting to freak out. What the fuck happened to you?" Indy asked, nudging Akshara's shoulders.

Akshara squeezed her eyes close and tears trickled down her cheeks. Jasper took her in his arms. "Do you want to talk about it? Tell us what happened?" he asked.

Akshara shook her head, her tears a never-ending stream.

"Okay, c'mere. Cry your heart out. You have my permission to ruin my shirt with your snot and tears," Jasper said. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so you better make good use of it."

Akshara would have laughed at that and recorded his words to tease him about it later if she wasn't already taking advantage of his offer. She tightened her arms around him, almost clawing his shoulders as she cried loudly like a baby, letting everything go.

Indy was worried. She hadn't seen Akshara cry like that at all. Somedays, she'd catch her walk into the bathroom in the morning with tear stains on her face. There were two instances when she'd screamed awake in the middle of the night, thrashing and crying until Indy had burst into the room and helped ground her. Akshara never gave an excuse for the incident and Indy didn't ask why either. She thought of it as a random nightmare until her parents had secretly inquired if their daughter showed signs of trouble in her sleep.

She knew Akshara had a past locked inside her chest, safe under the disguise of a chatty and optimistic college girl. Indy didn't want to force her into sharing it so she never asked. But now, she wished she had so that she could help her out. Being her roommate and her best friend for two years and standing there like an idiot made her feel useless. Jasper was Akshara's recent friend but he handled her so well. He knew what exactly to do.

Indy watched Akshara cry and cry until all that came out of her were strained sobs, scratchy hiccups and sharp inhales of breath. The glass of water in her lap had lost all its warmth.

Jasper patted her back, rubbed circles and whispered it's going to be okay's in her ear. "Did she –" Jasper suddenly stopped and glanced at Indy. "Did she fall asleep?"

She glanced at Akshara, her hair glued to the frame of her red and puffy face because of the tears. Her eyes were closed and her arms were limp around Jasper's shoulders. "Yup, she tired herself out by crying. Can you carry her to her room?"