“Oh, this is hilarious. Evan actually brought a girl out here,” Emma whispered as she pulled Jasper back.
“Why is that funny?”
“I don’t know. I just never expected to see my goody two shoes brother skipping school to make out with a girl,” she said while looking at how passionately he was kissing her.
“Maybe we should let them have this spot.”
“Hey, you said we should have a little fun. Why don’t we?” Emma asked mischievously.
“What have you got in mind?”
“Just hide with me. This should be good,” she said as she pulled out her phone and sent Evan a text.
“Hey, are you at the old spot right now?” she texted.
After a minute, he reluctantly answered.
“Yeah, but why?”
“Aunt Jess said she saw your car by the beach, and you were with some brown haired girl. Mom and Dad are really mad that you’re skipping school. I would get out of there if I were you.”
“Are you pulling my leg here?”
“No. I’m just looking out for you. Do what you want, though. It’ll be your funeral.”
Evan quickly got their stuff together, and they headed through the trees back toward his car. As they did, Emma winked at Jasper. It might have been a little mean, but she planned to give her brother a scare. As they walked past the tree that Emma was hiding behind, she stepped out and placed a hand on the back of Evan’s shoulder while yelling out. Evan nearly jumped into the girl’s arms.
“And I thought I was the girl of the family,” Emma teased.
“Oh, my God! I knew you were probably messing with me, and you still got me,” Evan said while trying to catch his breath.
“Sorry. I couldn’t resist. I’m Emma, Evan’s sister. This used to be my favorite spot in high school, but we’ll let you guys have it today. It’s nice to meet you . . .” Emma said to the girl and waited for her to be introduced.
“This is Candice. She’s my, well . . .”
“I’m his friend, or something like that. It’s nice to finally meet some of Evan’s family. He’s always so secretive about you guys,” Candice said.
Emma introduced Jasper, and then Evan told them they could join them if they wanted to.
“No, I’m not going to crash my little brother’s date. If I had known you were here, I wouldn’t have interrupted. It was just too good to pass up this opportunity once I saw you out here,” Emma said.
“No, we would love for you two to join us. I have a lot of questions about Evan. He’s pretty reserved most of the time,” Candice said.
“Uh, watch what you say there, Emma,” Evan said nervously.
While the guys swam, Emma got to know Candice. She told her all about who Evan was when they were kids, but something kept nagging at her. Candice said that Evan never introduced her to his family.
“Hey, I’ve got a question for you now. Why hasn’t Evan introduced you to our parents yet?” Emma asked.
“I don’t really know. He has nothing but good things to say about all of you, but every time I bring up coming to his house, he shuts it down pretty quickly.”
Emma had a good idea of why he did that. Every guy she ever brought home wasn’t good enough for her according to her dad, and in the same way, their mom didn’t think anyone was good enough for him. Then there was the fact that they were pretty well off. When people saw how much they had, it changed the way they felt about them. Right now, Evan was probably just a guy Candice liked in the simplest form. After getting a glance at how much his family had, Candice might just look at him as someone who could give her a future. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but people want to know they’re liked for who they are and not how much money is in their parents’ bank account.
“I don’t really get why he does that, but here’s another question for you. What are you two really to each other? I saw you kissing when we walked up. Friends don’t do that,” Emma said.
“I could ask you the same question about Jasper. You were holding his hand when we walked out to the beach, but he doesn’t refer to you as anything more than a friend.”
“Touché. I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll tell you exactly what the deal is between me and Jasper, if you tell me what you think of my brother.”
“Deal.”
“Jasper’s a good friend who I would normally be dating by now. I just got out of the worst relationship you can imagine, though, so dating really isn’t on the table at the moment. Having said that, he’s pretty much everything I look for in a guy.”
“Okay, that’s fair. Evan is handsome, and he’s really nice. He’s definitely my best guy friend, and I love being around him, but his biggest strength is also his worst weakness.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s too nice sometimes. I feel like he’s just going along with whatever I want to do most of the time, and you would think that would make me happy, but it doesn’t always. I love that he’s so reasonable and he treats me like I’m special, but I hate that I never see any fire from him. I guess I’m just waiting for the real Evan to come out because no one is as nice as that guy.”
“What if they are? I’m going to tell you something that you better not ever tell my brother I said. He’s one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. He’s definitely not nice all the time, and if you’re around him long enough, you’ll find that out. Here’s the thing, though, 99% of the time, Evan’s just happy going with the flow. He doesn’t really care what he’s doing. He just cares who he’s doing it with. He’s selective with who he spends his time with, but Evan’s never been much for conflict or very selective about how he spends his time. He’s just the classic nice guy, and I didn’t always appreciate those types of guys either. I’m starting to think I should have, though.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because that’s where it’s really at. He’ll come out of his shell and let you know what he doesn’t like. You’ll probably even have some pretty big fights if you ever get serious with him, but Evan will always put your needs first. Isn’t that the goal of love? Aren’t you looking for someone who will always put you first and make you want to put them first, too? Otherwise, you just end up with some guy who doesn’t care anything about who you are at your core. There are a lot of bad guys out there, Candice. There are abusive ones and some who just want sex. Then there are boys like Evan and Jasper. You could do a lot worse. My advice is to snatch him up while you can, and that’s not as his sister. That’s as a girl who has dated quite a few assholes.”
“Maybe you’re right. I would give you the same advice, though. A bad relationship shouldn’t keep you from getting into a good one,” Candice said and motioned toward Jasper.
“Are you two ever going to get in?” Evan yelled out.
“Yeah, we’re coming,” Emma said, and they headed for the water.
They had a good time for a while, but then Emma got Evan to come ashore with her. They had some things to talk about.
“Hey, I really like Candice. Why haven’t you asked her to be your girlfriend yet?” Emma asked.
“I don’t think she wants that. We have fun, but I think that’s all this is. I don’t want to make things uncomfortable for her. If this is all she wants, then I’m having fun, so why complicate things?”
“That’s your problem, Ev. You need to stop worrying about what she might want and think about yourself for a change. Besides, I’m pretty sure she likes you a little more than you think. Why don’t you listen to your big sister for once?”
“I could, but she’s also the person who crashed my date and made me look like a complete coward about an hour ago.”
“I guess that was uncalled for, but I’m telling you the truth. You need to ask for more, if that’s what you want. Girls like guys with your personality, but they want you to show some initiative, too. Going with the flow is good nine times out of ten, but this is the exception. Jasper and I are going to get out of here. Ask her the
n. She’ll say yes.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
“She will. You can thank me later,” Emma said and signaled for Jasper to come with her.
They said their goodbyes, and Emma and Jasper walked back to their car. Once they were in the car, Emma got a text. It read, “You were right. Thanks.” She smiled. About that time, she caught herself. How could she be smiling after what had happened the day before?
“Oh, come on. What could possibly be wrong after the morning we just had?” Jasper asked after noticing her troubled expression.
“It’s nothing. I was just happy, and that seemed wrong on some level. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just messed up.”
“Emma, that was the purpose of today. We’re just two people finding reasons to be happy. Embrace it. Now, what else can we do that’s fun? I’m up for anything other than giving advice to high school kids.”
“We can go to my Uncle Michael’s restaurant. He and Aunt Jess have always let me eat for free, and I know they’ll do the same for you. What do you mean giving high school kids advice, though?”
“Evan was asking me a lot of questions before you and Candice joined us. The guy is pretty into that girl. I get it because I’ve definitely been there, but I don’t know why he thought I would know what to do. The truth is I’m pretty clueless when it comes to women, if you haven’t noticed.”
“You’re not as clueless as you think. I’ll prove that you know exactly what a girl wants, at least when it comes to me. What do I want to do when we get done eating?”
“I don’t know. We could go bowling or something like that.”
“Wow. I stand corrected. You don’t know women at all, Jasper Ellis,” she teased.
“Maybe not, but I do know a little bit about you. I remember that your favorite song has been My Only One since you were fourteen, and I know that your favorite flowers are lilies. I also know that you’re into this really irritating band called Blue Sands, and you . . .”
“Wait a minute. I told you all that when we were fourteen. You remember that from four years ago?”
“Of course. I remember everything about you. I might not always be able to predict what you’re in the mood for, but I know the most important stuff. I know what you love, what kind of people you’re drawn to, and what every facial expression on you means.”
“Okay. What does this one mean?” Emma asked with a grin.
“I think it means you’re really impressed with how well I actually know you. I also think it means that you might love me.”
“Jasper, don’t be ridiculous. I was impressed until now.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault. It’s all over your face. I’m just that guy for you. Sorry,” he joked.
“Maybe you are, but let me tell you what I really want to do after we’re done eating. I want to go home with you and watch movies all day until we have to go to work. That’s it. I want to be lazy with my best friend who is convinced that I love him.”
“That sounds great, but are you saying you don’t love me? I mean, that’s pretty hurtful, considering I’m your best friend and all.”
“You know I love you, but don’t push it,” Emma said playfully.
They ate lunch together and then went back to the house. Emma let him pick out the movie while she freshened up. When she came back into the living room, she saw that he had a romantic comedy ready for them.
“Are you serious? You are such a girl,” Emma joked.
“Hey, you’re the one who doesn’t like horror movies. I was just thinking of you,” Jasper said.
“Sure. I know you’re secretly a big softy. It’s okay, though. I guess it suits you. I’m down for a chick flick, if you think you can handle it.”
“We’ll see. Hopefully it won’t be too bad.”
It wasn’t, and in secret, Jasper really liked romantic movies. They were completely unrealistic in every way, but he had enough realism in his own life. The girl he loved had been hurt by a monster who wasn’t paying much of a price at all for it, and all he could do was try to make life good for her again. That was real life. It was packed with problems that they tried their best to ignore, but they were still there under the surface.
When the movie ended, Jasper was left with that thought. Why couldn’t things be more like a romantic comedy? Emma was in a completely different state of mind, however. What she saw when she watched the movie was anything but ideal.
“Okay, I’m just going to say it. That wasn’t very good,” Emma said.
“What are you talking about? I loved it, and I’m a guy.”
“It was funny, and the love story was pretty good, but why do women always have to be saved by men in these movies? That’s not my idea of romance. Just once I want to feel like I’m the hero in my own story. I don’t know if that makes sense, but it should. Look at my life right now. I was the victim a couple of nights ago, and you were the one who had to clean up the mess. In a way, you’ve been saving me from everything since then. You got rid of Chip, kept me from killing myself, and you’ve even given me a good day when I thought that was impossible. Everything about that is good, but I just wish I had done it all myself. I don’t want to be the damsel in distress in my story.”
“I get that, but you’ve got it all wrong. I came to Hawaii because I was running away. I don’t fit in back home as well as my brother. The only person I’ve ever felt good around is you. I flew all the way here because I’m looking for you to save me. That was probably stupid to do, but it’s why I’m here. I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll let you handle your business from now on. You can come to me whenever you need to, and I’ll help, but you’re right. You don’t need a savior anymore. Last night was just a moment of temporary insanity, right?”
“I would never do anything like that again.”
“Good, then I don’t have to watch you like a hawk from now on. I’m not your hero, and you’re not ever going to need one because you’re perfectly capable of doing whatever you want, Emma. You’re not a damsel in distress, and I’m sorry if I made you feel that way over the last couple of days. Everyone needs help sometimes, though. I think you needed me temporarily, and that’s okay.”
“I needed to hear that. For what it’s worth, you’ll always be a little bit of the hero in my story. I’m still alive because of you, and I won’t forget that. I’ve got to get ready for work, and so do you, but thank you, Jasper,” Emma said and gave him an innocent peck on the lips.
It was simple like their day. At the same time, it was everything he needed to know. Emma wasn’t going to let one experience change everything about her life. She was still the girl he loved, and she was certainly right. Emma wasn’t a damsel in distress, and she needed no hero. A best friend to walk beside her would suit her much better.
Chapter 7
Garden Gnome
The following morning, they got ready and went to school. Everything was pretty much back to normal. Of course, Emma wasn’t over what happened. In some ways, she might never be, but she could see that life would still be worth living. She was moving forward as best she could. As the school day wound down, they were forced to go to work once again. For Jasper, work and school were starting to become very tiring. Emma, on the other hand, loved getting back into a routine. It was easy to forget what had happened when life moved on normally. When they were finally done at work, Jasper made a suggestion.
“Hey, it’s not that late yet. What do you think about catching a movie? If I don’t do something fun soon, I’m probably going to lose it,” Jasper said.
“So that’s all it takes, huh? One day of school and work, and you’re already wearing down,” Emma teased.
“Oh, come on. It’s been one day in a row, but most of the time, it feels like all we do is work on something. What do you think? Will you go with me? I hate going to movies alone.”
“You said you wanted to have fun. We can watch a movie anytime. I think I have a better idea.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a little mischievous. I don’t know if a good boy like you would be up for it. Forget I said anything,” she said and smiled.
“Now you have to tell me, and what was that about me being good? I’m not the worst guy in the world, but I’m definitely not a goody two shoes.”
“We’ll see about that soon enough. Here’s what I was thinking. The Sigmas have this small statue in their backyard that’s been there since the fraternity began. It doesn’t look like it weighs much, and it probably doesn’t seem very significant, but I’m positive they would miss it. It might look good in our backyard, too. I know they’re not responsible for what Chip did, but they allow some pretty shady things to happen in that house. Losing a statue as a consequence seems pretty small to me.”
“Now I know you’re crazy!”
“I knew it. You’re scared. It’s okay. We’ll just go see your boring movie and call it a night. I just didn’t know you were that kind of guy.”
“Fine. We’ll do it, but you know they’re going to kick my ass if they catch me, right?”
“It won’t be just you. I’m going to be there, too.”
“Yeah, but I doubt they’ll hurt a girl. Me, on the other hand . . .”
“Stop being such a baby. We’ll be fine. We’re just going to sneak over the fence and grab it. From there, we’ll be home free. I might even get you some liquid courage before we go.”
“I could use some, but how are you going to do that? You’re only eighteen.”
“I know someone at a convenience store. Besides, a few beers might make this even more fun. I swore I would never drink again after before, but it’ll just be us, so I think I can make an exception.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying it, but I think we’re doing this. I’m starting to wish I had suggested we go home and turn in early.”
“Hey, we don’t have to do it. This will only determine whether I view you as daring or a coward, so not much is on the line,” Emma joked.
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