Page 60 of Romeo

I frowned at the screen.

Me: That’s evasive.

Jasper: It’s honest.

There he was. Give Jasper a straight question, and somehow, I ended up doing more work than he did.

Me: Fine. What did you notice about me?

I hit send before I could stop myself, then immediately regretted it. I could’ve asked him anything. Favorite movie. Favorite motorcycle. Whether he secretly watched terrible reality television.

Instead, I’d basically asked him to tell me whether he thought I was attractive.

Brilliant.

The dots appeared again, and my stomach tightened while I waited. I hated those three little bouncing dots more than I had any right to.

Jasper: That feels like a trap.

Me: Coward

Jasper: Your eyes.

My smile disappeared instantly.

I’d expected a joke. Maybe my legs. My hair. Something easy to laugh off and pretend hadn’t mattered.

Not my eyes.

I read the words again, and before I could decide what to do with them, another message appeared.

Jasper: Then your legs.

Heat rushed into my face. There he was.

Me: Jasper

Jasper: You asked.

Me: I expected something polite.

Jasper: Your smile was third.

I stared at the screen. Third? He’d remembered the order?

Jasper: Your laugh moved ahead of everything once I heard it.

My throat tightened.

For a few seconds, I forgot about the Creamery, the empty tables, even the possibility of Sugar wandering back out and catching me staring stupidly at my phone. Jasper remembered my laugh.

At the resort.

Me: That was smooth

Jasper: That was true.

That was so much worse.