“Why are you sorry? I had a nice time.”
“Those people. That father, the way he was looking at us.”
I shrug. “Hey, not everyone is going to be cool with you being mated to me right away.”
“Then why did they interrupt us?” Jasper bangs the steering wheel with the ball of his palm. “Couldn’t they see we were on a date?”
“That’s what you’re angry about? He was a kid, he probably didn’t know any better. I assumed you were used to people approaching you in public.”
Jasper takes a few slow breaths to calm down. “I am, just not when you’re there too. I realize now that being with me might mean people approaching you too. And I’m worried they won’t all be as subtle about how they feel as that guy.”
“You think that was subtle?” I joke, but Jasper is too upset to laugh. “Look, I’m not gonna lie, it was a bit weird to have the guy staring at us the whole time. But it’s okay. It’s a small price to pay if we get to hang out.”
“We only had one night before we have to go back to school. I wanted it to be perfect.”
Okay, so Jasper is being overserious and a little too sensitive, but that’s part of who he is and so I can’t help finding his reaction pretty damn adorable. But I also hate that he thinks he’s failed on some level.
“So it wasn’t exactly perfect,” I say. “You can’t control everything and it was still pretty great. I had a good time.”
“I don’t know when I’ll see you next,” he says.
“Look at me.” He turns so that our eyes can finally meet. “You’re seeing me now.” Suddenly, an idea pops into my head. “I want to show you something.”
“What is it—”
I don’t answer Jasper’s question because I’m already slipping out of the car and making my way toward the side of the house.
“Come on!”
MIND-LINKING
Once we’re past the house, the gold light from the windows disappearing behind the trees, I take Jasper’s hand and lead him farther into the woods. The air is icy but his hand is warm in mine.
“Where are we going?” he asks.
“Trust me.”
We reach my spot by the lake, where I like to sit and draw, and I point out the small path that leads up the bank on the opposite side. With a leap we cross the frozen lake and make our way up the sloping forest trail. Eventually, we come to a rise. An opening appears between the bare trees and as we reach the summit of this small hill the moon pops out from behind a cloud. Beneath us the forest drops away, the descent on the other side of the hill is much steeper and deeper than the one we just climbed. The tree line is a jagged black carpet leading to the horizon. Moonlight shines down, casting the tops of the trees in an uneven silver glow.
“You said you wanted tonight to be perfect,” I say, staring out across the forest, taking a deep breath, and letting my soul fill with energy from the moon. “It doesn’t get much more perfect than this.”
“Maybe we should have skipped dinner and bowling and come right here,” Jasper says dryly.
“Maybe. But then I wouldn’t have gotten to kick your ass.”
“Whyareyou such a good bowler?”
“My dad used to be in a league. I’d hang out at the alley when he had games. He taught me everything he knows.”
Jasper turns to me and takes my free hand. “You’re full of surprises, you know that?”
I want to say something funny, make some clever retort, tease him or be all pretend smug, but I can’t because Jasper is looking in my eyes, moonlight reflecting in his. His lips are moist and puckered and right there.
Kissing under moonlight is just better. Every subtle movement, every place our bodies connect, every feeling is heightened. By the time we break apart I’m completely breathless. Jasper pulls me into him and I return his embrace.
“It’s going to be hard to be away from you,” I say. “We only just figured things out. Now we have to be apart.”
“It’s just for a couple of months at most then I’ll be back.”
