Page 54 of Romeo

The three dots appeared, disappeared, then appeared again. Suddenly I was questioning everything I thought I knew.

Jasper: Do you like them?

My throat tightened.

Me: I love them

Jasper: Then yes.

I stared at the answer.

He sent them.

He’d really sent them.

I knew he sent them despite not signing the card. He was the only person I knew who called me Ma Belle.

Me: You didn’t have to do that

Jasper: I know.

Me: Why did you?

Jasper: Because you should get flowers on Valentine’s Day.

That answer was almost too simple.

Me: You probably sent flowers to several women

Jasper: Only two. The other one is my mama.

My heart tripped. He had sent flowers to only two women. His mother was one of them, and I was the other.

Me: You flirt too much

Jasper: Only with one woman.

I stopped breathing again.

Me: I don’t believe you

Jasper: One day you will.

I lowered the phone. One day. Not maybe. Not if. Jasper said things like that as if the future had already introduced itself to him.

I looked at the bouquet again. He’d remembered everything. Not approximately. Exactly. The flowers. The shade of green. Even the ribbon. Three days ago, I’d thought he was asking pointless questions. Now the answers were sitting in front of me.

That should’ve made things clearer. It didn’t. Because flowers were easy. Beautiful, expensive, thoughtful. But what did they mean? Was this Jasper being Jasper? Charming. Attentive. Good at making a woman feel special?

Georgie certainly thought so.

Sugar didn’t.

And I had no idea which one of them I believed.

My phone remained in my hand. I read through the messages again.

No joke afterward.