Elysian House: Silver Bullet (2)

Chapter 11: Old Friends

Back in town, in a MacDonalds down the street aways, I was sitting in a booth in the corner, staring out the window at the dark moonlight. The parking lot was pretty much empty, except for the employees working here. One old man sat at a table with his wife, and they smiled and held each other's hands. It was so sweet and gave me an ache in my chest. I missed Viola. 

The jealousy she was feeling was undoubtable. And her reaction when she walked away with Olivia kept replaying  in my head. It wasn't my intention to make her jealous. Jasmin was just a friend now. Jasmin and I both knew that very well and we both found the people we belonged to. But I don't know if Viola really knows that for sure. 

I bit down on the straw in my cup and closed my eyes for a brief moment. It felt nice to have clean hair, clean clothes and a clean body. But now all I could think and stress about was Viola. I didn't like that she felt like I may just up and leave her. Even though... we aren't even dating. 

Shit.

The realization hits me hard. What it must look like to her. I never asked her to be mine. And now I'm hugging my ex and smiling at her. 

"Ugh, I'm an idiot," I slap my hand flat against my forehead. 

"What's wrong now, trooper?" Jasmin slid into the booth in front of me, with a tray of goodies. For her, a Big Mac, and a large fry. For me, just a large fry and a diet coke. I may be a Vampire now, but I'm still dedicated to being a vegetarian. She began to hastily unwrap her burger, when she must have seen the look on my face and froze. "Hey, what's up?"

I picked up a french fry and dipped it into a small cup of ketchup gently and then lifted it back out again. I didn't bite it, just stared at it as I said, "Viola."

Her head cocks to the side in confusion. 

"I think she's jealous," I said and looked away in embarrassment. 

She straightens in realization and forms a small "O" with her mouth. "I understand. Does she know that we're not together anymore?"

"I don't know," I ran a hand through my hair and rested my elbow on the table. "I think she thinks I may still have feelings for you."

She sets her burger aside and stirs her drink with her straw for a minute and then asks in a small voice, "Do you?"

We both pause and stare into each other's eyes. Jasmin wasn't mine a long time ago. She never was mine to belong to. Maybe once... maybe I thought at one time that we'd grow old together and be like that couple in the far corner holding hands. Maybe at one point in time I had believed that. But the moment I made that connection with Viola, I knew who it was I belonged to, and who I loved.

Yes, I love Viola Chase.

"You're my best friend, Jasmin," I say, and it's all I need to say to get the message across. I missed that. Just the easy communication Jasmin and I had. She smiled and nodded her head and that was that.

"How are you and Olivia?" I asked. 

She was in the middle of a bite when she froze and her face, despite her dark skin, went red. She leaned her chin into her hand to cover her face. It was a nervous habit I knew all too well. "I'm sorry you saw what you did today. It was an honest accident."

"I know," I grin and pop a fry into my mouth. "So Sage and Elpis Zoe?"

She chuckled and looked down at her burger. "Yeah. I guess so. In all the history books I've read, they all say Sage was married on the sea to a man." 

"Yeah, well, the history books get a lot of things wrong about our story," I said and then take a sip of my drink. "You never answered my question."