Dedicated to Missiedancer, because she guessed this part of the story at the very beginning, nearly causing me to fall off a chair.
Chapter 37
I started to mutter incoherently, trying to explain why I had come.
"Calm down." Jasper said in a soothing voice, starting to lead me inside, towards the couch. His hands were rubbing circles on my back.
"Take a deep breath." He instructed.
"Scarlett hates me." I managed to say.
"I'm sure she doesn't. She just pretends to hate everyone."
"I guess she didn't before, but she does now."
"Why?" His eyebrows were furrowed.
"She thinks Liam and I have feelings for each other."
"Is it true?"
"Of course not!" I proceeded to tell him about the scene that Scarlett had walked in on.
"That might be a problem. She has liked him for a long time. Since the time I had a crush on her."
"You had a crush on her?" I raised my eyebrows.
"It was a long time back. She didn't even notice."
"How come you're being so sharing today?" I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
"Well I think it's about time I start sharing. Especially since you came and told me all this information. Why did you come to me anyway?"
"Speaking of sharing information, would you mind telling me why you stormed away from us the other day?" I asked, smoothly changing the topic.
"I don't know where to start." He shrugged.
"Tell me about the wedding."
"You know about that?"
"You dropped the invitation when you left."
"Well, my dad's getting remarried. He hasn't contacted me in years, and now he wants me to attend and 'bond' with his new family." He smiled bleakly.
"There's more you haven't told me." I sighed.
"How do you know?"
"You seemed pretty upset."
"I think I've shared enough for today." He got up as if to leave.
"Please." I grabbed his hand to stop him.
His eyes softened and he fell back onto his seat.
"My mother lost quite a lot of money recently. We're almost broke."
"Why didn't you tell us?"
"It wasn't important."
"That's not true. You know it is."
"Well how can I tell the band about my problems when they've clearly got a lot more to deal with? The least I can do is shut up about it, and try to make them feel better." The casual expression on his face was slipping.
"That's why you are the way you are." The realization struck me.
"Pardon?"
"You think it's your job to make them laugh. So you joke around and try to hold them together." I remembered what I had asked him at the party. His eyes had looked strange to me then, because they were filled with a sadness that did not match with his words or actions.
"That's not all there is to me, you know." He mused, like I wasn't trying to find the cause behind his behaviour. "The reason I'm the entertainment is because I have already resigned myself to the fact that whatever I can be, Liam will always be better. That's why Scarlett could never look at me the same way she looked at me. He's the knight in shining armour, the best friend anyone could ask for, the one everyone chooses."
