Chapter Fourteen

Third Person POV

Seventeen days later...

"Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream...it is not dying, it is not dying..." Edward sang in a slurred, inebriated speech as he reclined on the violet daybed, ceiling-tall windows behind him, shining shards of white light inside the otherwise darkened room located in west wing of Masen Manor.

"...lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void...it is shining...it is shining..." the lonely man continued to sing the lethargic lyrics aloud to himself before lifting his swirling glass of whiskey to his lips and drinking deeply of stinging yet smooth liquor.

Edward could hear the swaying music inside his mind, filled with eerie chimes and legato, dissonant notes from stringed instruments, as the millionaire hummed the melody, uncaring of how it sounded outside his head as he lazily conducted the tempo of the tune with his hands waving in the air.

The pale man lying haphazardly on the plump furniture had lost count of how many times he had gotten drunk within the passed two weeks, how many bottles of various kinds of liquor he had drank, as he only knew that he had fallen in love with the way he was not able to feel anything once he had done so.

Edward had been refusing to let Maria see him, refusing her offers of help and even her suggestions for him to seek outside counsel for his growing dependence on alcohol and seemingly endless bouts of depression.

Each day felt like a hurdle in which another added thorn was driven into his chest, all of them tightening until the Masen male felt that the only things he could do were drink and sleep so he could just get on to the next day.

Edward knew only one thing in the whole goddamn world would make him feel alive again, would end his suffering and make him want to feel the sun's warmth on his face again.

However, Edward had given up trying to look into that future.

The hurt that followed his own hopes falling through and letting him down again proving to be far too much than he could handle.

Edward sighed upon finishing humming the sullen melody, bringing the glass to his lips again and swallowing the rest of the fiery amber liquid, his gaze barely even registering the shadow-spotted walls that yearned desperately for brilliant sunshine to come in and wash away all the festering darkness.

Edward dropped the highball glass onto the floor, hearing it clank noisily on the ground as it rolled away from him, as Edward pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, trying to stop the tears from forming.

X

Meanwhile...

Curled, blonde locks snapped furiously around chiseled cheekbones and into crystal-blue eyes as a certain young man raced up the paved pathway that snaked its way through the outer front gardens until it reached the giant double doors.

"Edward!" Jasper roared despite the mild chill that the coasting wind held with it, the approaching evening hour cooling the atmosphere and all the inhabitants therein as Jasper hurriedly grabbed a hold of one of the golden doorknobs and heaved the heavy wooden door open.

"...Edward!" Jasper called even more vigorously once he was inside the grand foyer he knew all too, having lived in this manor until several weeks ago, the southern-born male breathing hard from his sprint to this side of town.

Jasper ignored the fire coursing through his legs, his adrenaline and need to see Edward far outweighing his own discomfort at the moment, as he began jogging up the lavishly carpeted stairs.

"Ed...Edward...where are you...!" Jasper hollered, tears springing to his lovely eyes as he raced down of the many corridors, not even blinking at the massive paintings or the dying flowers that were still collected inside vase after vase that lined the lengthy hallways.

From somewhere in the manor, green eyes opened from being shielded by a pale hand.

"Ugh...what if he's not here...no...no, he's got to be...I've just got to fucking find him..." Jasper spoke aloud to himself, as he promptly turned away from the corridor and began running towards the opposite end of the house.

"Edward...Edward...! It's me, Edward...it's Jasper!" the blonde male hollered once more, his voice cracking a bit under the strain as he felt his throat sorely protest any further screaming, his dark denim jacket atop his opened, forest green long sleeved shirt and white undershirt swishing around his pumping arms as he raced forth.

"Edward...where the fuck are you...answer me please...!" Jasper sobbed to the echoing corridors as he ran to the last room of the west wing, his tears now streaming freely down his precious face out of the crippling desperation made far too real in this moment of being inside the empty house that once held every one of his most treasured desires.

Edward chuckled mirthlessly as he dropped his hand from his face, his fingers hitting the hardwood floor as he let his arm go limp off of the daybed, Edward's body trembling slightly as he could have sword he had heard his name being called, yelled even.

Edward wet his lips with his tongue, eyes still blankly staring up at the ceiling as he kept silent, trying to hear something more, trying to hear anything that would remind him that he had not gone completely insane yet.

Silence.

Nothing.

Just then, the door to the room burst open, making Edward's stomach twist in surprise for a moment as he whipped his copper-colored head towards that direction.

There, standing in the doorway, panting for sweet air, Edward felt his own breath leave him as he slowly started to sit up, his eyes widening at the beloved, most welcome sight of tussled honey curls, piercing sapphire orbs, and full pink lips.

Neither man spoke, neither man having the ability to at the moment, as Edward suddenly shot up from his place on the daybed, just as Jasper rushed to approaching male, their steps great and determined to finally close the remaining space in between them after all this time.

They met in the center of the pristine room, Jasper immediately wrapping his arms around Edward's neck and shoulders, weeping for all he was worth against Edward's chest, as Edward squeezed his arms around Jasper's back.

Edward could feel Jasper shaking, his own bodily state no better from such powerful onslaught of emotional extremities that they both were experiencing in this fragile moment, as Edward gripped the fabric at Jasper's back tighter in his hands, burying his face in the crook of Jasper's neck.

Rich cinnamon and just a hint of sun-kissed sweetness that was Jasper's delectable scent filled Edward's sobering senses, meaning the world and more to him as he could feel his previously iron-clad anguish simply slip away.

Each man absolutely unyielding in his secure embrace of the other, Edward and Jasper slowly sank down to their knees on the floor, Jasper's tears those of immense, life-changing happiness, as the weight of their collective emotion forced them downward for the time being.

Edward softly cooed to his beloved Jasper now finally with him once again, bringing up a hand and carding his fingers gently through his lover's hair, soothing the young man clinging so desperately to him as if Jasper would fall without him there.

Jasper's flowing tears restored Edward's previously shattered resolve; Jasper's hands holding firmly onto him justifying every time Edward had felt depression...

Jasper needing him as much as he did at this moment...made every day of the pure, utter hell Edward had endured without him...worth it.

He would go through all of it again and worse just to feel as loved and needed as he did right now.

Jasper brought his hands down to clutch at the thin white shirt adorning Edward's chest, his sobs slowing down but still making his slender frame shiver sporadically against Edward's supporting body, as both men simply remained as they were, drawing serenity and a sense of wholeness from the other that they could feel practically healing the wounds brought on from their separation.

This was how it was supposed to be from now on.

Now that Edward had seen firsthand what became of his life when he no longer had Jasper with him, he knew that he would die before he would let go of this person again.

His heart full and his mind mended, Edward slid his hands to Jasper's shoulders, squeezing the strong muscles there to gain his lover's attention before gently bringing his hands to either side of Jasper's perfect face.

Jasper's breathing was unsteady through his parted ruby lips, as he kept his tear-filled eyes locked onto Edward's calming green ones, the younger male feeling his whole existence become a little more meaningful upon seeing Edward smile softly at him.

At once, Jasper felt his heart skip a beat; he knew that Edward was alright, that they would be alright...that Edward still loved him.

Edward could see the hope rising inside cobalt depths, the notion only warming him all the more, as he used the pads of his thumbs to gingerly wipe away the trails of dried tears from Jasper's cheeks, Edward positively falling even more in love with the man before him as he could visibly see Jasper breathe easier from the act and lean into his touch.

With a mindful yet raspy voice, Edward spoke to Jasper, still holding his astounding face in his hands while the latter held his heart in his.

"...you came back."