“Let’s go get the drinks first. Then we’ll head home and plan this out a little better over a few.”
“And here I thought my plan was foolproof.”
“I have a feeling it’s going to be a lot more complicated than just snatching a statue and running.”
“You worry too much, Jasper.”
They went by the convenience store, and Emma went in and got them some drinks. When they got back to the house, Jasper discovered a problem.
“Why did you only get chick drinks?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m sorry. They were all out of Vodka at the local Seven Eleven,” she joked.
“You could’ve gotten me beer, though. What is this?” Jasper asked as he opened a bottle of grape flavored beer.
“It’s something that doesn’t taste and smell horrible. You’re welcome. If you’re going to be living with me, you’ll probably end up drinking it again at some point, so get used to it.”
The more they drank, the more Jasper started to loosen up. He had to admit that these so-called chick drinks weren’t bad, and they packed a kick, too. In fact, he was starting to get drunk.
“Maybe you should slow down there. I’ve had two. You’re already on your sixth,” Emma said.
“Yeah, I don’t drink much. I kind of have an addictive personality, so I stay away from it. Plus, it makes me do really stupid things.”
“In that case, bottoms up. I want to see reckless Jasper for once. Plus, if we’re going to do this, then it’s now or never. It’s starting to get late, and we have to be up for school in the morning.”
Jasper chugged the rest of it, and they headed out. Emma decided to drive, considering Jasper was a bit of a lightweight. They parked a little away from the fraternity house and walked around back. They could hear voices inside. Someone was always awake in a frat house. They would have to do this quietly. Emma climbed over the fence first, and then Jasper followed. He slipped and fell right on his face. He quickly got up and announced very loudly that he was fine. His blood alcohol level was rising rapidly, and Emma was starting to wonder if this was a good idea.
“You’ve got to be quiet. We don’t want to get caught,” Emma whispered.
“Right, right. Sorry,” Jasper said before spying the statue she had told him about.
It didn’t look that special. It was small, old, and it looked important in no way. If Emma said the Sigmas would miss it, though, he was sure she was right. He walked straight to it and tried to pick it up. It was heavier than it looked.
“One of us is going to have to get on the other side to take it. There’s no way we can climb over the fence with this in our hands,” Jasper said.
“I’ll do it, but how heavy is it exactly? Do you think I can carry it?”
“I don’t know. Give it a try,” Jasper said and handed it over to her.
“Good lord!” Emma gasped as she handed it back to him immediately.
“I’ll get on the other side of the fence. You hand it to me and get over as quickly as possible. I’m not going to be able to help with this thing for long. I never thought something so small would be this heavy,” Emma said.
She climbed over, and Jasper handed her the statue. As he took one last look back at the yard, he spied another thing he wouldn’t mind taking from the Sigmas. A garden gnome might make a good memento from the night. He ran over and grabbed it. As he was climbing over the fence, he heard the back door open.
“Who’s out there?” a man asked as Jasper dropped to the other side.
He quickly took the statue from Emma and gave her the gnome. Then they ran to the car and sped away. It had been a success, but something was bugging Emma.
“So I don’t get it. Why did you risk getting caught for a gnome? We could’ve bought one of those, you know,” she said.
“I don’t know. It just caught my eye. Since we were already stealing from them, I figured why not.”
“Okay, I’m just going to say it. You made a lot of noise back there, stole a gnome, and your speech is slurred. Jasper Ellis, I think you’re a lightweight.”
“That or I’m just really interested in garden gnomes,” he joked.
“I’m not sure how I feel about this. I mean, on one hand, you obviously have courage, but on the other, you love chick drinks, and you have the stamina of a little girl. What am I supposed to think?” Emma teased.
“Hey, that’s not funny at all.”
“I disagree. It’s pretty funny to me. I never knew you were such a klepto. Stealing the statue was a prank. What you did was just thievery, though. I don’t know how I feel about that either,” Emma said with a smile.
“What can I say? I was just in the mood to take a few things.”
“Well, I think we should officially retire you from drunken thievery before you get caught. Have you got all the stealing out of your system now?” she asked as they pulled up to their house.
“Not quite yet. There’s still one thing I want to steal,” Jasper said as he leaned over and kissed her.
It was a really good kiss, but for some reason, it felt wrong to Emma. It was too soon after everything happened, wasn’t it? She pulled back, and Jasper looked down at the floor.
“I’m sorry. That was completely inappropriate. We’re friends, and I ruined a good moment, didn’t I?” he asked.
“No. It wasn’t you. I’m just not ready. Kudos for stealing a kiss, but could you let me do the stealing in the future? I’ll let you know if I’m ever ready.”
“Yeah. This isn’t going to be weird now, is it? I mean, I just did that because I’m drunk, and you look really pretty tonight.”
“And here I thought it meant a little more than that. I mean, there was some definite passion packed into that kiss. I guess you’re just a drunken fool, though,” Emma teased.
“No. It meant a little more, but you’re not ready, and I’ve just embarrassed myself by drinking too much, stealing a gnome, and kissing my best friend. I’m going to call it a night,” Jasper said and started to get out, but Emma grabbed him. Then she kissed him passionately.
The kiss started off with a fierceness that took their breaths away. After a second, Emma pulled back temporarily. Her lips were less than an inch from his. He could feel her breath on him, and it was all Jasper could do not to go back in immediately, but he waited. The tension built until it felt like it was boiling over. Then Emma went back in with a few playful pecks. Jasper transitioned that into a kiss every bit as passionate as their last one. After a few seconds, Emma playfully bit his bottom lip and pulled back just beyond his lips once again. She lingered for a moment longer just to let the tension build back up. Then she pulled back completely and looked into his eyes.
“I like drunk and embarrassing Jasper. As a matter of fact, I like you all the time. I’m still not ready for anything more than friendship, but I hope that kiss lets you know I might be one day. Now, let’s go inside. You need to sleep off the alcohol, and I’ve had some night. My first love turned out to be a lightweight who steals gnomes and kisses people unexpectedly. I’ve got to reevaluate what kind of men I hang around,” she joked.
That wasn’t what she really needed to reevaluate. Emma was confused. Jasper was her friend, and he was always there for her when she really needed someone. She didn’t want to trust anyone after what happened before, but wasn’t she safe with him? They had such a good time together, and those kisses were truly special. They felt wrong because of everything that had happened, and she was scared, but at the same time, just the thought of a romance with Jasper was exciting. It had been so long since they had realistically talked about it. She loved him when she was fourteen, and it took a long time to get over him. It almost ruined their friendship. Should she really risk it again? For that matter, was she even ready to take a risk on somebody? The last guy she dated betrayed her in a way that was unforgivable. She needed to talk to someone about all of this, but she didn’t know what to do. Her brother would listen, but he wasn’t that helpful in s
ituations like this. Evan would just say go for it. Sadie would probably do the same thing. Then there was her dad. He had agreed to let Jasper stay there under the pretense that they were just friends. Even mentioning the possibility of them being in a relationship would make him reconsider Jasper living with his daughter. She thought he would ultimately understand and appreciate Jasper if he knew what she had gone through, but telling him wasn’t an option. Emma’s father cared about her more than anyone. It would hurt him to know that there was nothing he could do to make Chip pay for what he had done. Mom it is, Emma thought and picked up the phone. It was already kind of late, so she was worried about calling, but her parents’ lights had been on until midnight lately. She figured it might be okay.
“Hey, is something wrong?”
“No. I just needed someone to talk to, and I didn’t think Dad would understand. Are you alone?” Emma asked.
“I can be. Just give me one second.”
“All right, what did you need to talk about?” she asked after stepping into the next room.
“It’s about Jasper and a lot of other stuff that I’m probably not going to be able to explain very well. Chip cheated on me a few days ago. We broke up, and then some really complicated stuff happened that I don’t even want to get into. The main point is that Jasper has really been there for me. I feel messed up right now. I don’t trust anyone because of Chip, and I don’t feel like I’m ready to be close to a guy. Still, I’m friends with him, and we spend all of our time together. You know I loved him before, and feelings like that have a way of surfacing again. I know he likes me, but it’s complicated. I feel really messed up right now. I don’t think I can give him what he needs, and I don’t want to try and our friendship get ruined because of it. At the same time, I can’t turn off how I feel. To make matters even worse, I’m pretty sure Dad would freak out if he knew I liked the guy who sleeps one room over from me every night.”
“Nathan wouldn’t do that. Your dad’s a lot more understanding than you know. We were young once. He’s not going to be thrilled with the idea of you living with a guy before you’re married, but we always liked Jasper. He’ll accept it pretty quickly, if it makes you happy. When you say you’re not ready to be close to a boy, is that because of Chip or you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if you’re afraid to get close to Jasper because you think he’ll hurt you, then you need to get over it. We’ve known that boy his whole life. He’s not that kind of kid. If it’s an issue you have to work out yourself, though, then take your time. Sometimes we need to give ourselves time to get over what happens to us before we can move on to anything new.”
“I’m not scared that he would hurt me. I guess it’s the second thing. I’m messed up right now, and I don’t think whatever could be between Jasper and I will work out because of that.”
“Then wait. That boy waited on you for four years. If you don’t think he’ll wait a few weeks, then you’re crazy.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“No problem. You really shouldn’t avoid talking to your dad, though. The only man I ever loved was him, so I don’t have much experience with the heartbreak that comes with meeting the wrong people. He does. He’ll understand. You’re his daughter, so at least give him a chance to.”
“You’re right. I will from now on. Sometimes you just need to hear from your mom, though.”
While Emma was talking in her room, Jasper was having a conversation of his own. He called his twin brother, Paul.
“Hello,” Paul said sleepily.
“It’s already 6:30 there. What are you doing asleep?” Jasper slurred.
“I know this is hard for you to believe, bro, but some of us like to take evening classes. What do you want?”
“I just need some advice.”
“It’s about Emma, isn’t it?”
“How did you know?”
“I don’t know. You only kept me up talking about her a million times before.”
“Good point, but this is serious. Let’s say I had a real shot with her this time, but I had to play it cool for a while. You know, if she needed some time to get some stuff straight before we could be together. How do I do that?”
“What kind of question is that? You just do it. Oh, wait a minute. I forgot who I was talking to. I don’t know if you’ve ever played anything cool in your life.”
“I woke you up, so I’ll let that one pass. Just tell me what to do. It’s hard because we live in the same house. I kissed her tonight, and she kissed me back. She likes me, but she needs time. How do I give her that when all I want to do is go in there and kiss her again?”
“Wait a minute. Are you saying you actually have a realistic shot with Emma now, and all you have to do is wait a while?”
“Yeah.”
“Then stop whining about wanting to be with her now. You waited four years to be with this girl. I don’t know why you have to wait longer, but if you do, shut up and bear it. Most importantly, stop waking your brother up for things you should already know. I don’t like being drunk dialed, you know.”
“How did you know I was drunk?”
“I recognize your drunk voice. You forget who the first person to give you alcohol was. Look, I’m not an expert at all when it comes to women. You might know more than I do, but I do know this. That kiss you’re worrying about was a good thing. It let her know where you stood. Now you can sit back and wait for her to make the next move. It might take a day or even a year, but you’re not going anywhere. You’re going to be in Hawaii until you’re done with college, so why not be patient?”
“Thanks, Paul. You’ve always been a good brother.”
“I know that’s the alcohol talking. I was terrible to you. Now, let me go back to sleep. You should probably sleep it off, too.”
“Okay. Sorry.”
“Hey, it’s no problem. Good luck.”
Luck . . . that was something Jasper thought he would desperately need, but he was wrong. Emma was in the next room thinking the same things as him. They liked each other. They might just have loved each other. Even if it’s complicated, love tends to find a way. Jasper just had to learn to have some patience first.
Chapter 8
The Date
Three Weeks Later
Over the next three weeks, Jasper and Emma went about their lives as if that kiss had never happened. They blamed it on the alcohol and moved on as friends. In that time, an anonymous source just so happened to leak texts linking Chip to steroid use. It wasn’t justice, but it was something. For Emma, it was everything. She was finally able to move on knowing that there was at least some punishment for what happened to her. On that day, they had gotten through with school, and they both had the day off from work. Jasper was just looking forward to relaxing for once. He had been so ready to grow up, but school, work, and bills sounded better in theory. Emma had other plans for them, however.
“What are you doing?” she asked as Jasper sat on the couch.
“Resting for once. Why?”
“Resting sounds really boring. You see, I was thinking you could take me out.”
“I would normally love to have fun, but I’m . . .”
“No. I mean like on a date. I think I’m ready, and I can’t think of anyone better to start my dating life back with. What do you think?”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah. It might be fun. It’s been years since I went on an actual date with you, and as I recall, our first and only date was pretty amazing.”
“The second one will be even better. Give me a little while to get ready and plan a few things. Then we’ll leave.”
“Sounds great.”
As Jasper got ready, he was happy, but he was also panicking. He had no idea what would be romantic in Hawaii. He still didn’t know of a lot of places there. He was always either at school or work, so there was no time to explore. He had to come up with something, though. Otherwise, there might never be another date. Jasp
er racked his brain as he got ready, but he had nothing. When he walked out of his room, a pleasant surprise was waiting on him, however, and all his worries drifted away.
Emma looked stunning. She was wearing the perfect dress for the perfect girl. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her long blonde hair and absolutely captivating eyes had never been more apparent to him. Then there was the rest of her.
“Well, how do I look?” she asked.
“There’s not a word in the dictionary to describe how good you look right now.”
“Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself,” Emma said while blushing.
“All right, I don’t quite know where we’re going, but it doesn’t matter as long as you’re there. Are you ready?”
“I am, and I know exactly where we’re going. You’re still not familiar with everything in the area, and I’ve been thinking about asking you out on a date for the last week, so I planned something. We’ll go to an Italian restaurant because it’s my favorite kind of food, and then we’re going to do something you really like afterward.”
“And what is that?” he asked with one eyebrow raised.
“I don’t like that look. Get your head out of the gutter,” she said and playfully pushed him.
“Okay, but what are we doing?”
“You’ll find out. Just come on,” Emma said and took his hand.
“I know the guy normally plans this stuff, but I’ve got to admit. I love the role reversal,” he said.
“I don’t really care about who plans our dates. I just want to go out with a decent guy, and you’re the only one I’ve met.”
“There are a lot of layers to what you just said. You said dates. That implies I’m going to get to take you on at least one more. Then again, you said I’m the only decent guy you’ve met. Does that mean if you meet another one I might be disposable? I’ve got a lot to think about here,” Jasper said as they got into the car.
“Or all of that could mean nothing, and you’re just overthinking things. That’s probably it. As for another date, I guess I’ll just have to see how things go tonight.”
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