Chapter 164: You Messed Up

Chapter 163: You Messed Up

Elena

It has been one week since I last saw Doris, Jasper came around every morning to meet Bernard and he is doing as well. I had not spoken to him because my husband and I had decided that it was best that I distanced myself from the issues.

"Earth to Elena," Alisha snapped her fingers in my face trying to grab my attention. I knew I was meant to be focusing but I was distracted.

"Sorry, I am here." I sat up a little straighter in the garden chair and looked at the boots she had placed in front of me.

We were in the garden looking at floral arrangements and other wedding things. I looked at the flower in front of me but then a hand came over the picture, I looked up at her.

"This is the third time you have zoned out on me. What is wrong?" I waved her off.

"No, it is fine. We can do this, we need to get it done today anyway."

"We can't do anything if your head isn't in it. So, how about you tell me what is on your mind?"

"Alisha, this is a happy time in your life, I don't want to dampen it all with sad topics."

"We are friends, Elena. We are meant to be there for each other. Wedding or not, you don't suddenly become a second priority." I let out a long breath.

"I messed you, I messed you pretty big."

"Is it about Doris and Jasper?" I nodded solemnly.

"Bernard told me not to meddle but then I did it anyway and now everyone is upset and sad. I knew my intentions were good but I went about it the wrong way. I wish I could take it all back now but I can't."

"Do you need counsel or do you want comfort?"

"Both," she leaned back in her chair and looked at me with a serious face.

"I am not going to lie to you, Elena you messed up. Good intentions don't always equate to the right thing, when it comes to other people and their feelings, you need to let them figure it all out themselves. You can't make anyone fall in love."

"I realized that now but I wish I had realized it before I went and messed up everyone's lives." She rolled her eyes at me.

"You didn't mess up anyone's life, you were only trying to help your friends out and in my eyes, that is admirable. Your heart was in the right place."

I was about to say something but the sight of Doris climbing down the porch steps made me pause. This is the first time I have seen her since the training ground, I had tried calling her but her phone was off. I had been so worried I had even sent people over to her house to check if she was okay. They had reported that they hadn't physically seen her but her father had said that she was alive.

That statement hadn't given me much comfort, I had been worried sick about her. Seeing her now, looking a little less mopey, it warmed my heart a little. At least she wasn't drowning her sorrows with a bottle of bourbon.

"Hey," she waved as she came to sit down at the table with us.

I didn't miss the slight eye that Alisha gave her but then she quickly plastered a smile on her face and greeted her. That was odd, I am going to talk to her about it later. Doris looked at the different folders and papers on the table, she then looked up and stared at me.

"Are you planning a party of some sort?"

"No," I spoke against the lump that had somehow formed in my throat.

"Alisha is getting married in a couple of weeks." Her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets.

"To whom?"

"Hmmm, to Jack. Who else would I be marrying?"

"Oh, so you guys were serious? Wow, I honestly thought that you were just having a little fun with the guy. I didn't think that you wanted him like that."

Alisha's jaw locked into place at her comment, it was a bit harsh but Doris also wasn't fine turning to Pack gossip like the rest of us were forced to be, seeing as we were usually the topic of discussion.

"We are very serious, when you fall in love, you will know. I knew from the moment he kissed me that he was the one for me. You get it, don't you, Elena?"

"Ummm…yes…I understand what you mean."

Something flashed across Doris's eyes but she quickly hit it before I had any time to overanalyze what she had been feeling. I was sure that she had thought for a moment about her issues with Jasper, I wanted to ask her about him so badly but Alisha is here and I was guessing that Doris wanted to keep things quiet. The silence between the three grew too loud but Doris decided to breathe the tension.

"I know you want to ask, so go ahead, Elena. You don't need to be shy, I know you already told Alisha about my little situation so it is fine. We can talk freely."

"Before you go and be mad at Elena, it was me who….."

"I am not mad at her, I know that she was only seeking the counsel of her friend." Doris cut Alisha off swiftly, she then turned her attention back to me.

"Ask whatever it is you want to ask, Elena. I know you are dying to say something." I chewed on my bottom lip nervously.

"Have you spoken to him at all?" She shook her head.

"The last time we spoke was the day of the date. I also hadn't seen him much either but then again, I was in hibernation." She just answered my next question.

"How are you feeling now?"

"I am not crying myself to sleep if that is what you were asking, Elena." She tried to joke but I didn't find it funny seeing as she had cried oceans in my arms.

"It is not a joke and I am doing better than I was in that training ground. I feel like a new woman."

"And what about Jasper?" I eyed her wearily like she was some kind of ticking bomb that would explode at any moment. To be honest, there was a good chance that she would blow at any moment.

"What about him?"

"Do you still have feelings for him or is that long gone now?"

"Honestly," she looked between Alisha and me.

"I don't know what I feel at the moment, I am just trying not to focus on anything that is Jasper related. I took my time off and now I need to return to my normal life. We weren't even a couple, I will get over my little crush, and then after that, it will be like nothing ever happened between us."

"And are you sure that is something you want to be doing? I think maybe you should just wait a little while. You are high on emotions right now, maybe when you have calmed down a bit, you reassess everything." She narrowed her eyes on me.

"I don't think you are in any position to be giving me advice right now, Elena. I am technically in this mess because of you, if you had just let things be then I would not be in this position right now nor would Jasper."

I flinched back at her words, she was right. This had all been my fault and I had no right to say anything.

"She was just trying to help, Doris. No need to lash out because you are having a hard time confronting your feelings."

"Alisha, it is okay. She is right."

"No, she isn't right. You were simply trying to be a friend. Yes, it didn't end well but she doesn't need to be mean like that."

"How about you butt out of my business, Alisha. This isn't even a topic that involves you. You are just here by default, I came here to see Elena. You wouldn't even be hearing this conversation right now had you not been here."

I could see the tension rising a bit and I didn't even know why. Alisha was trying to defend me but she also didn't need to. Doris was just going through a rough time and she was simply lashing out.

As the matters couldn't escalate even more, standing by the porch was my husband and Jack and a rather angry looking Jasper. His gaze was zeroed on Doris's head as she wasn't facing him. She couldn't see what was going on behind her. My eyes went wide, this was not going to end well. With the way tension was already flying between Alisha and Doris, adding Jasper to the mix would only make things more difficult.

They made their way down the porch steps, towards us. Doris looked over her shoulder to see who was approaching us and her body viably went rigid. Jack walked over to Alisha who seemed a little calmer now that Jack was her. My husband came to me and placed a quick kiss on my lips. Jasper stood stoically by the table, greeting Alisha and me but ignoring Doris.

These two hadn't seen each other since that date night, I could only imagine what was going on inside their heads at the moment.