Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

The once pristine white rose petals were now marred by the dark stain of Julien's blood.

"Let's end it here."

Julien's voice was soft, yet those four words shattered Jonah's heart into fragments.

"Julien, I will not allow you to leave me!" Every muscle in Jonah's body trembled with desperation. A ferocious rage ignited in his eyes. "I know who I love. You are not a substitute for anyone! Julien, don't leave me... I cannot let you go!" Panic coursed through him.

He cried and pleaded, desperately trying to hold Julien back. Torn between gentleness and force, he was willing to accept any outcome as long as the man he adored stayed with him.

The first time it happened, Jonah had barely survived the emotional turmoil. If it happened again, it would drive him to the brink of insanity and death.

His breathing became ragged; his bloodshot eyes blazed with determination.

With open arms, Jonah moved to embrace Julien, who had been reduced to pieces. But just as he leaned in, a sharp pain shot through his left eye.

"Don't touch me!" In a moment of uncontrolled rage, Julien had grabbed another rose, dragging its thorny stem across Jonah's face.

Jonah was fortunate to have closed his eyes just in time; otherwise, that thorn could have slashed his eyeball, leaving him blinded.

on Jonah's face, momentarily forgetting his own pain. Dazed, his hands trembled as the instinct to care for Jonah flickered within him. Yet he fought against it, forcing out the words, "Jonah, you need to go to the hospital-" Jonah couldn't be bothered about himself. A drop

admit that I still love you. But now that it has come to this,

him, Julien's eyes were vacant. All the passion that he once had in his

relationship, living by your side in the future will only make me feel like I'm acting as somebody

throaty voice, he continued, "I really envy you and him. It was thanks to him

and Sean arrived,

Jonah knelt, a forlorn shadow

backward slightly. The man before her was alive but resembled an empty

Lovelace?" Sean questioned anxiously. He had been probing her the entire journey there but was unable

assisted Jonah for a few years when Jonah was KS Group's

forcing herself to remain composed. "Sean, wait for me outside.

brows together, Sean nodded. He had no other option

downcast expression, Alyssa welled up with tears. She walked to his side slowly, knelt down, and picked up the roses that had scattered across the floor, one at a time. When she picked up the greeting card containing Julien's heartfelt confession, she couldn't contain herself any longer. Tears blurred her vision, smudging the elegant words.

she could not hold back when

on such an important day was the cruelest way to break a

they had rattled