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"Alexis, are you sure? I mean I want that too. I want the world to know that you're mine. I just…I want you to be sure." I said her hands still holding my face.
"I'm sure. Jasper, I know we met two weeks ago but, I have never felt so strongly about someone so soon. You make me feel things I've never felt. You are mine. I want my family to feel the same way. And, I don't want to hide this anymore."
"Then, we won't hide it." I said placing a chaste kiss on her lips.
"So, how are we going to do this?"
"I could go get my parents and bring them over to meet yours'"
"Yea, ok. Where are we going to meet?"
"By the big glass window?"
"Yea, ok." She said a hint of anxiety in her voice.
"Are you nervous?"
"Yes. My dad doesn't take well to the whole boyfriend thing."
"Don't worry. Once they see how happy we are, they'll be too." I said taking her hand and pulling her to the door.
"I'll meet you over there ok?" I said kissing her quickly and holding the door open for her.
"Yea." She said starting to walk away from me and towards her family.
My eyes looked around the room and landed on my mother who was talking with my father and another man. I walked straight toward them.
"Excuse me, do you mind if I steal my parents for a second?"
The old gentleman they were talking to looked me up and down and then smiled gently at me and excused himself from the conversation.
"What is it sweetheart?" My mother asked as my father looked annoyed.
"You know how I mentioned a girl at dinner a couple of weeks ago?" I said trying to jog their memory.
"Yes."
"Well…she is here tonight and she wants to meet you." I said guiding them over to the glass window.
"Oh, how delightful. Where is she?" My mother said searching around the room with her eyes.
"She is bringing her family over. They are here as well. And, I wanted to meet them." I said looking around for Alexis. Then, I saw her. Her red hair was hard to miss in the crowd. She was followed by Martha whom I met on our 'first' date, a stunning, tall, brunette, and a man who I guessed was her father.
As they got closer I looked at my parents.
"Mother, this is Alexis Castle. Alexis this is my mother."
"Oh, don't you look darling. You're absolutely beautiful." She said taking Alexis in for a hug.
"Thank you, Mrs. Bracken."
I turned to the elderly woman standing in front of me, "It's nice to see you again, Martha."
"And you as well." She said bringing me in for hug also. I quickly hugged her back and turned back to Alexis who was looking between her family and my father.
I turned and looked also. The intense glares between the three were hard to miss. Alexis's father and soon-to-be stepmother looked straight to my father who stared back at them both.
"Richard, greet the boy." Martha vocalized. He looked down at me.
"Richard Castle." I shook his hand. I turned to his fiancee.
"Kate Beckett." She said shaking my hand.
"Jasper Bracken. It's an honor to meet you both. I'm sure you both know my father, Senator William Bracken."
"Senator." Beckett said monotonously, shaking his hand.
"Detective Beckett." He said shaking hers.
My father turned to Castle holding out his hand, "Mr. Castle."
Castle looked down at his hand instead he took Kate's, "It's getting late. We better get going. Let's go mother, Alexis."
"Dad!"
"Alexis. Now." He said with a stern voice.
Alexis turned to me. Her eyes brimming with tears.
"Go. It's okay." I said not wanting to cause a scene and not wanting to get in between her and her family.
A single tear rolled down her face as she let go of my hand at the last moment. I wanted to comfort her so badly. I wanted to hold her in my arms and protect her from the world. She was so close yet she seemed so far away. I looked back at my mother who was giving a questioning look at my father. I turned back to see Alexis walking up the stairs. Out of the party.
And, maybe out of my life.