Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

Alyssa's eyes brimmed with tears as she stared in disbelief at her empty hands.

Jasper had always been the one to hold her hand first during tender moments-whenever they kissed, embraced, or laced their fingers together, he would murmur in her ear, promising never to let go, no matter what.

Yet now, with a chilling detachment, he was pulling away.

The pain hit Alyssa as if her very soul was being torn apart.

When Xavier saw this, he gaped in shock, and his face ran pale. No one knew better than him how much Jasper had loved Alyssa and how deeply connected they were before hisa.

But now, despite not losing his memory, the Jasper who had awakened was unrecognizable. He treated Newton and Javier like before, except Alyssa, the woman he deeply loved, who was being treated with such coldness and detachment.

"Grandpa, Dad." Jasper turned his indifferent gaze away from Alyssa's heartbroken face. In a deep voice, he said, "I'm tired. I'd like to get ssleep. Could you all please leave?" Javier was stunned.

Jasper had been like this since he was young. He was no gentler or more emotionally intelligent than Justin. He was always cold and aloof toward the people around him.

Even so, after he regained consciousness, he seemed to have be even more frigid and withdrawn.

Javier had no choice but to accede, "Sure, sure. Have a good rest, then. We'lle and see you again when you're awake!" Without replying, Jasper lay back down silently. He then turned to his side so that his back faced all of them.

He closed himself off from everyone, including Alyssa.

After Alyssa left the hospital ward, she darted to Julien's office like a mad woman.

Although Javier didn't allow the Taylors to visit Jasper, Julien was an internationally renowned neurologist. The Becketts still invited him to tag along so that he could continue administering treatment to Jasper.

"Jul... Why-why did Jasper be like that?" Alyssa choked.

It took her a long tbefore she finally managed to get a full sentence out of her. "His memory is intact, he remembers me, but his character changed... Why is that so?" Holding onto the latest scan, Julien frowned deeply. He explained, "Jasper's amygdala, which is where feelings and emotions are processed, was severely damaged. Jasper is cold to everyone because he's unable to process any emotions.

"Just like a cell phone without any reception, he has sealed himself offpletely in a closed space, away from contact with anyone." Alyssa's head buzzed. She was mind-blown by this series of bad news. In a quivering voice, she asked, "Then... Then, how will that affect his daily life?" "There's basically no impact on his daily life. He can continue working, possibly with even better efficiency than before because he will have no emotional distractions and will be even more focused." Julien couldn't bear to look at Alyssa. He simply stared at the scan in his hands. "However, he has lost the ability to love, protect, and care for people." Alyssa's heart wrenched. "What do you mean?" "He doesn't know how to love anymore. In other words, all he sees in his emotional world is himself." Julien took a deep breath. His eyes welled up. "In his eyes, his relatives, friends, and even you are the same.

"He remembers all of you, but that is all there is. No one is special." "How can that be... He didn't et me. He still retains the memory of us being in love!" Alyssa exclaimed in a raspy voice. She was extremely dissatisfied with what she heard.

"But he's unable to feel anything. Even if he retains those memories and knows that you were both once in love, so what?" Julien looked toward Alyssa. What he uttered next was brutal. "Lyse, memories are only memories. In the heart of someone with an emotional disorder, their memories carry no meaning." He didn't want to lie to her.

It would be better for her to get the pain over with rather than drag it out.

Just as before, Alyssa was not convinced. With tears in her eyes, she pressed on, "Is there no way to stir the emotions up in him? I don't believe that there's absolutely nothing we can do!" "As a follow-up, I will conduct hypnotherapy on him. But this is not a treatment that will work 100% of the time. There's only a 50% chance that it 'th work. Moreover, it has to be conducted carefully. Otherwise, he will end up delirious. "There's also shock therapy. It might help to send strong electrical currents to stimulate him." Alyssa closed her eyes. She shook her head hard. "No... I know what shock therapy is. That is a form of physical and mental torture. He had depression when he was young After retiring from the military, he's tried it once to treat his PTSD. I don't want him to suffer through that again..." Julien pondered it. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "How about we stimulate his emotions? Extranger, extrsadness, or an extrblow could very well help him find his own emotions again." This was an approach they could try.

But how would they get a chance to try that? "Lyse, I'm not saying these to discourage you. I just want you to be mentally prepared." Julien got to his feet and gave Alyssa a tender hug. "You are the strongest woman that I have ever met. You have to take good care of yourself. Take it one step at a time. Jasper will get better." Alyssa emerged from Julien's office alone. Not knowing where to go, she was just like a soulless shell.

Feeling dazed, she walked to a balcony and looked up at the dark skies. Moments from her sweet past with Jasper replayed before her eyes.

The cruelty of this moment was as great as their love for each other in the past.

At first, she had kept her emotions in check as she had decided to face everything bravely. Yet, the more she let her mind wander on her own, the more painful her heart was.

Once again, she covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

Suddenly, Alyssa felt a gentle tap on her arm.

She panicked. She wiped her tears away and looked down.

A slender hand reached out in front of her, holding a clean handkerchief.

"Don't cry, Ms. Alyssa. Or you'll just cry your eyes out." Justin was sitting in a wheelchair. He looked up at her with that elegant and warm face of his. The corners of his lips were slightly curled as heforted her in a gentle voice.