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We just stand there, our eyes locking each other in focus. My heart throbs, my fingers tingle. That feeling I have whenever I’m around Jase swirls and flutters. As he leans over, our hands still clutched around the tube of icing, his face inches towards mine, lips about to meet my lips, I can only—

“Jase!”

We swivel around to see Jordan, who’s rubbing his eye with his arm.

“Why are you guys covered in frosting?”

“Just had a little battle,” Jase says.

“He started it,” I add.

Jordan looks from Jase to me like he’s puzzling together what happened. I’m puzzling together and processing what happened myself. Did Jase almost kiss me? My cheeks scorch so much they could melt off the icing.

To Jase, Jordan asks, “Did she say yes?”

Now I understand what he meant, that day I ate lunch with the Rivers family, when he first mentioned this. He’s wondering if Jase has asked me out. That feeling swirls and flutters stronger than ever.

“To baking cookies with me? Yeah!” Jase replies.

Jordan casts him a quizzical look. Even though Jase evaded his brother’s question, that feeling continues to swirl in my stomach.

“I had a lot of fun,” I tell Jase, who smiles warmly. I almost want to kiss his dimples. It’s my first time thinking this, and while it terrifies me, it’s also exciting.

“Me too,” Jase says. He turns to his little brother. “Ready to play some soccer, buddy?”

“Yeah!”

“Sounds great!” Jase turns back to me. “Want to join us?”

I glance at my phone. “Wish I could, but my mom’s coming home.”

“Okay, that’s fine. Maybe tonight we can go watch that movie at Blossoms?”

My heart bounces in my chest. “Yeah, sure, I’d love to,” I answer without hesitation.

Did Jase ask me out? I can’t fight the smile spreading across my face.

“See you then.” Jase beams, his adorable dimples popping back out.

I pack half the cookies in a paper bag that Jase gives me. As he walks me to the door with Jordan in tow, a blush tickles my cheeks. I step out with a smile perfect for photographs.

“Told you she’d say yes!” Jordan says right as Jase closes the door.

I think about Jase’s lips, how they were frosted with icing before I left, then lick the icing on my own lips, the gooey sweetness tickling my tongue.

Chapter Thirty-Five

I couldn’t have picked a worse time to ask for a ride to Blossoms.

My mom ends the call with a “Thank you,” voice cutting through the words, void of the gratitude she had when she spoke with Mrs. Sanderson. My stomach plunges. Alondra and Jian’s movie starts soon, and I want to be on time for my date with Jase. My heart is fluttering thinking about him but whirling when my mom purses her lips, her eyes wilting.

“Anak,” my mom begins, just as I hear the garage door—my dad must be back from work—unclick, “did you quit volunteering at WCH?”

Oh no, Grace ratted me out.

“What?” my dad growls upon entering the house. Of course that’s the first thing he hears when he’s returned from work.

My mouth falls open. The silence that spills confirms the secret my parents just found out.