“You’re assuming Lily even likes you.”
“It’s a pretty safe assumption. I’ve always been the better looking brother,” Paul teased before walking out of the room.
Jasper made the call to Lily. He couldn’t believe he was doing it, though. This had disaster written all over it, but still, Paul didn’t ask him for favors very often. It was the least he could do, and he figured Emma would understand. He would have to introduce them sooner or later anyway, if he was going to stay friends with Lily.
“Jasper, I just heard about your dad today. How is he doing?” Lily asked upon answering.
“He’s fine. He woke up before I got home, and he’s back to his old self.”
“Wait. Are you here?”
“Yeah. I thought he might die, so I came home. I was hoping we could hang out for a while today. Paul wants to go to the aquarium, and I wouldn’t mind the . . .”
“I’m in.”
“Great. There’s one more thing you should know. My girlfriend is going to be there.”
“And you thought inviting me when she’s around was a good idea because . . .”
“I thought we were going to put all of that behind us? If we’re truly friends, then I think the woman I’m probably going to end up with should know you. Truthfully, you were the only friend I had in this place who wasn’t related to me. I want to let her in on what my world was like here, and when I think of New Jersey, you’re the first person who comes to mind. If it’s too much, though, I’ll understand.”
“You’re right. We’re friends, and I want to meet her.”
“Good, but there’s one other thing you should know. It’s totally not a big deal, but Paul’s coming, and he may or may not have a crush on you,” Jasper said while trailing off at the end.
“You call that not a big deal!”
“Come on. He said he was in a slump, and he finds you really attractive, like any guy would. You don’t have to end up being his girlfriend, but he wants to hang out and see where it goes.”
“Okay, but I never expected for you to be pimping me out to your brother,” she joked.
“Hey, no one’s pimping anyone out here. I just thought it might be fun to get together, and he told me he thought you were cute.”
“All right, but I’m probably not even going to give him a shot. No offense, because I know he’s your brother, but you two aren’t like each other in any way other than appearances. You were always the nice brother. Paul just comes off as a player most of the time, and I’m not a stupid sorority girl.”
“I know you’re not, and I didn’t figure you would be interested. Just let him down easy at the end of today.”
“Okay. When should I meet you?”
“We’ll pick you up at your place, but it’ll be a while. I just got out of bed.”
“Typical. You always were a little lazy, Jasper,” she teased.
“Like you have room to talk. Anyway, I’ll see you soon,” he said and got off the phone.
He walked into the guest room and found Emma still sleeping soundly. Jasper lay down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. Then he kissed the back of her neck until she woke up and rolled over.
“Not that I don’t enjoy your morning kisses, but couldn’t you have let me sleep a little longer?” Emma asked.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that I made some plans for us. I want to show you around town, and our day out is going to start in about an hour.”
“So where does this day out start at?”
“Well, how do you feel about a double date?”
Chapter 19
Double Date
“What are you thinking here?” Emma asked.
“I thought it was a good idea. She’s my friend, and you’re the woman I love. You two should get along.”
“Jasper, you know this is a bad idea.”
“You’re probably right, but Paul wanted me to invite her. I think he has a crush on her. Plus, I’ve got to be honest. I wanted to show you around and let you get a taste of what my past was like. I couldn’t truly show you what it was like growing up here without introducing you to Lily.”
“And how is that supposed to make me feel? Knowing that this girl was a bigger part of your history than me makes me want you around her even less.”
“I didn’t say she was a bigger part of my history. I was always happiest when I was with you, but she made high school bearable. I want to leave behind all that stuff she said before and be friends with her. I hope you’re okay with that. If you’re not, I’ll cancel and try to never see her again, but you need to trust me more than that. You should know by now that you’re the only girl I have feelings for.”
“You’re right. I do trust you. If you want to be friends with her, I get it. Maybe introducing Paul to her will fix everything.”
“Actually, I think that’s going to be the worst part. I can’t picture them getting along very well. Paul never was her type.”
“Well, her type is you right now, so I’m hoping she has a change of heart.”
“Good point. So we’re on for today then?”
“Yeah, but where are we going?”
“Paul wanted to go to the aquarium first. It’s not my favorite spot, but he likes it. After that, I figured we could go to my favorite restaurant growing up and catch a movie at the old theater afterward.”
“Is that how you spent most weekends here?”
“More or less. There were parties, but I didn’t really like them. I spent most nights at the movies or at Lily’s. I figured it would be better for us to hang out somewhere besides at her house.”
“Good call. I’ll get ready as quickly as I can. Jasper, I know you only have feelings for me, but please don’t let this be awkward today. The last thing I want is some girl giving me dirty looks all night.”
“It’s not going to be that way, so don’t worry about it. I love you,” Jasper said and kissed her on the forehead before walking out.
After a while, everyone was ready, and they drove over to Lily’s place. While Jasper walked inside to get her, Emma and Paul sat outside. Emma was already feeling awkward, and she hadn’t even met Lily yet.
“So how worried should I be?” Emma asked.
“Worried about what?” Paul asked.
“You know what. This girl was in love with him for several years, and they’re really good friends.”
“Emma, I’m going to tell you something you can never repeat to my brother. In high school, he was very obsessed with you. It wasn’t in a creepy way, but it was still odd to me. He just knew that he was going to end up with you. I always thought that was weird. How can you know who you’re supposed to be with when you’re that young? He did, though, and he made it a reality when he was old enough to move. All through high school, he had Lily, and he was still only dreaming of you. What do you have to worry about? Do you really think he’s going to change his mind about how much he loves you after all this time?”
“When you put it that way, I guess I’m being ridiculous. Still, wouldn’t you feel awkward in my situation?”
“I guess so. There’s something you should know about Jasper, though. He’s a little too nice and loyal for his own good. When he truly commits to something, he doesn’t waver, and he’s committed to you. All you have to worry about is not hurting him because there’s no way this ends with him hurting you.”
“Thanks. I needed to hear that. I didn’t expect to from you, though.”
“What can I say? I’m full of surprises. Anyway, you really shouldn’t be worried at all because now Lily has me to concentrate on,” Paul joked.
“I’m rooting for you, but just so you know, you’re not quite as smooth as you think. I could give you some pointers, though.”
“Not needed, but thanks. I think I’m just going to wing this situation and see what happens. Life’s more fun that way.”
Before Emma could respond, Jasper came back with Lily. Emma immediately noticed how pretty she was. She f
elt jealous, but she didn’t really know why. Paul had just made it clear that she had nothing to worry about.
“This is Lily. She’s been my friend for a long time. If you want to know who I was hanging out with all through high school, then look no further,” Jasper said and introduced them.
“It’s nice to meet you. You must be the girl I’ve heard everything about for four years. I hope you know how much this guy likes you,” Lily said.
“I do. It’s really good to finally meet you,” Emma said awkwardly for lack of a better option.
It wasn’t nice to meet her, and Emma didn’t want to be there. She had to at least pretend, though. She stayed silent on the drive over to the aquarium. The others didn’t, however. Jasper talked to Lily as if she was his best friend. Emma had thought that role fell to her, but it was clear now. She might have been Jasper’s lifelong crush, but this girl knew everything about him. They were completely comfortable with each other, and something about that rubbed her the wrong way. Then there was Paul. He took every chance he could get to steal some of the attention away from Jasper. The worst part of all of it was that no one seemed to notice that Emma was uncomfortable. She felt invisible, and in that moment, she wondered if it would even matter if she were there? It was obvious that she wasn’t an integral part of this group.
When they made it to the aquarium and went inside, things got a little better. She still didn’t feel talkative, but at least there were plenty of things to look at. It wasn’t until Jasper and Paul stepped away for a minute that things got awkward. She was alone with Lily. She needed to say something, but she didn’t know what.
“Okay, I’m just going to say it because we both know it’s true. This is really awkward,” Lily said.
“Completely. It probably shouldn’t be, but Jasper told me about his visit here during Christmas break. I can’t help but feel that you’re competition, even though I know you’re not trying to take him away. I’m sorry.”
Lily bit her lip and thought hard. She wanted to say something to make this better, but at the same time, she didn’t want to lie. Her feelings for Jasper didn’t just disappear. The only difference now was that she wasn’t acting on them.
“I’m going to be completely honest with you, Emma. You’re the first girl Jasper ever cared about, but he’s the first boy I ever loved. He was my best friend, and feelings like that don’t just vanish over a few weeks. I’m not competition because I know he’s with you. I wouldn’t continue trying to break you guys up after he told me how much you mean to him. I love him, but part of loving someone is wanting what’s best for them, even if it isn’t you. I’m going to be his friend, and I think all those romantic feelings will fade away in time, or at least I hope they will. Because he cares about you, I want to be your friend, too. I guess what I’m saying is you’re right to feel a little jealous because I do like him, but I wouldn’t act on those feelings as long as you’re what’s best for him. Can you trust me?”
“Yeah, I think so. More than anything, I can trust Jasper.”
“He really is great. If I were in your situation, I would’ve never doubted him. So friends?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, before they get back, I should give you some friendly advice, though. Don’t hurt him. He thinks the world of you, and even if I would’ve liked us to end up together, the last thing I want is him coming home from Hawaii in four years heartbroken.”
“You won’t ever have to worry about that. I know what I have in him. By the way, can I give you a little advice, too?”
“I guess so.”
“Give Paul a real shot.”
“You do know him, right?”
“Better than you think. We all grew up together. My parents are best friends with theirs. My brother is really good friends with him. He actually wanted to come with us, but he’s a senior, so he had to stay back home and finish some school stuff. Here’s what you should know. My brother and I pick our friends selectively. Paul’s rough around the edges, but at heart, he’s just like Jasper. He doesn’t trust as well, though, so he puts up a front. He’s never been in love or committed to anything because he’s too scared of opening himself up that way, or at least that’s what I think. Give him a reason to open up. I think you’ll find a guy who’s very similar to your best friend.”
“I doubt that, but I’ll give him a shot. It’s a little awkward being here and him treating it like a date. He’s just always been Jasper’s brother to me. It’s funny because Paul’s the popular one. I think it got on his nerves that to me, Jasper was the brother who stood out.”
“So make him feel like he stands out a little to you. It might go somewhere. I’m just saying.”
“Hey, what are you two doing? We’re moving on,” Jasper called out.
They left the aquarium and drove over to Jasper’s favorite restaurant. It was a simple burger place, but it looked nice enough. They served great cheesy fries, too. Before the main entree came, Jasper and Lily stepped away for a moment to use the restrooms. Paul took that opportunity to ask for help.
“I was wrong. Life isn’t more interesting when you wing it. This is a disaster,” Paul said.
“What do you mean?”
“She’s barely even acknowledged that I’m here. I don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything I normally do.”
“Maybe this isn’t a normal situation.”
“What are you saying?”
“That you’ve known Lily for a while, and she doesn’t take you seriously. You’re fun, but you talk a lot about yourself, and you don’t have a track record of being in anything close to a serious relationship. Forming a bond like that takes time. She’s not going to warm up to you just like that. I hope that’s not what you were expecting.”
“I’m usually all right with girls. By the end of date one, I feel like I’m in a good position. Tonight, not so much.”
“Then do this. When they come back, ask about her. If you can get her talking about herself, then her attention will be on the conversation with you instead of Jasper or me. From there, you can just keep things going. If she thinks you’re taking things seriously with her, she might just give you a shot at a second date without me and Jasper around.”
“What should I ask about?”
“I don’t know. Ask what she’s in college for or about her interests. Don’t turn it into twenty-one questions, but ask questions until you find common ground, and then spin that into a conversation. You’re good with words. Use them. Besides, if you actually get to know her, you might find that you care about her and not the fact that you’re not the center of attention,” Emma teased.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Just that I’ve been a girl who was more interested in your brother than you, and I remember how that drove you a little crazy in our younger years. I acted like I never noticed, and you got over it eventually, but you were definitely jealous.”
“You’re crazy. You were more of a friend than anything.”
“I know that, but you’re used to being the popular one. When you’re not, you try too hard. You might not even notice it, but I think a part of you wanted to go out with Lily because she never noticed you. A girl like her is smart. She’s not going to fall for someone who just likes her because she’s a challenge. If you want things to work, get interested for real.”
“I can see why my brother likes you so much. You don’t give bad advice. Thanks for always being a great friend, Emma.”
“No problem. By the way, you should know that even if some people don’t take you seriously, I know better. We grew up together, and I could always tell that the relaxed guy who doesn’t take anything seriously was a front. As your childhood friend, I saw that front come down more than a few times, and you’re a pretty amazing guy. You should lower your defenses. If you do, Lily, or any other girl you want, is within reach.”
Paul nodded as Jasper and Lily sat back down. The rest of their meal went by much better for Paul. He to
ok Emma’s advice, and while that didn’t lead to Lily falling all over him, it did have a good result. Whether they realized it or not, Paul and Lily were taking the first step in becoming friends. Them talking gave Emma a chance to speak with Jasper more privately, too. The night was finally starting to seem bearable to her. As a matter of fact, it was actually pleasant.
After they were through eating, they went to the theater that Jasper and his friends had gone to in high school. It was a nice enough place, but Emma didn’t really see the significance of it. Jasper looked at it through rose-colored glasses, though. He had been coming to that place since he was a small child, and it didn’t hurt that it served the world’s best popcorn. When the movie was finished, Jasper and Emma walked out a little before the others.
“See, tonight wasn’t so bad, was it?” Jasper asked.
“No. You were here, so it was bearable. Plus, against all odds, I think your brother might finally be hitting it off with Lily.”
“I know. Good for them, I guess. He better be serious, though.”
“Lily said something similar to me. She said I shouldn’t ever hurt you,” Emma managed to say before Paul and Lily caught up to them.
“What are you guys in such a hurry for?” Lily asked.
“Well, I kind of want to see my dad before the hospital stops accepting visitors. I’ve got less than an hour to take you home and get there,” Jasper said.
“Then take me with you. I like your parents, and I’m pretty sure they like me, too. I wouldn’t mind checking up on him with you guys.”
It was settled. They drove to the hospital, and everyone visited with Jason and Chloe for a while. Jason seemed to be doing even better than the day before. It was clear that he was going to be fine. As Jasper sat by his dad’s bed, he felt something strange. He was happy in every way. That wasn’t a feeling he was expecting in a hospital. Still, he had the love of his life, his best friend, and family all in one room. This was perfect. If only it could stay this way, he thought.
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