“I go back to college in a week.”
“Right and I go back to school next Monday.”
“How about a date then, before school starts back up for both of us?”
“A date?”
Somehow the concept of going on an actual, real-life, bona fide dinner-and-a-movie date with Jasper is so foreign to me I can’t quite imagine what it would be like. Where would we even go? Bowling? A concert? Would we hold hands in public? Get ice cream? Order one milkshake with two straws? I just can’t picture Jasper wanting to do any of those things. As much as I’ve wanted this, somehow I have no idea what dating Jasper will be like. But I sure as hell want to find out.
“That sounds great.”
“Are you free Saturday night?”
A niggling thought in the back of my brain tells me I had a vague plan to see Katie on Saturday, but with how she was acting at the New Year’s party, I don’t see why I need to be precious about keeping that date.
“I can be.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up around seven.”
Oh, moon gods, he’s making me breathless. “Okay.”
“Okay.”
My hand lingers on the door handle but for whatever reason I can’t open the door.
“You sure you’re okay?” Jasper asks.
“Mm-hmm.”
“Good night.”
“Good—” Jasper doesn’t even let me finish before he plants another full-bodied kiss on my lips.
I can still taste cherry as I exit the car and head up the drive. Jasper waits until I’m at the door, making sure I get home safely, even though we are in the middle of suburbia and nothing bad ever happens here. I slip my keys in the door and give him an awkward little wave. He nods, satisfied that I managed the dangerous trek to my house without dying, and drives off.
Once inside, I lean back on the closed door, breathing deeply, one hand clutching my chest to stop it exploding from joy-fueled adrenaline. My smile is irrepressible.
It’s been a stupidly mega evening, packed with stress and terror and so much drama. But for now the drama has ended, everything has turned out amazingly, because Jasper chose me. He chased me down and proved he wants to be with me. And now we’re together. Jasper and I are officially—for all the world to see—a couple.
“Is that you, kiddo?” Mom calls from the living room.
Maybe notall the worldjust yet. I take one more breath, savoring this little moment of triumph, before heading through to see my parents.
“Hi,” I say, hovering in the arched doorway, not wanting to get too close.
They’re watching TV, bathed in dim lamplight and the cool glow of the screen. I remembered to collect my puffer jacket before I left this time, which means the slash marks on my back are well-enough hidden, but still I hover at the edge of the room. They’re capable of scenting my trauma from a mile off. No reason to give Mom and Dad a reason to worry—at least, not tonight, not when I’m riding this Jasper-high.
“Good night?” Dad asks.
“It was pretty epic,” I say.
“Looks like you had a nice time.” Mom eyes my untucked shirt, my loose collar and absent bow tie, my messed-up hair. “No kidnapping this time?”
“No, no kidnapping. Bit of a rocky start but it turned out great.”
“You hungry?” Dad asks.
“No, just tired. I might head to bed.”
