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“Something tells me he wants you to bother him.”
“You couldn’t possibly know that.”
Jules winked, and her large, golden peacock earrings flashed in the firelight. “I’m psychic.”
Cassie laughed. It was a good enough reason as any to reach out to him. To at least see how he was doing. She leaned closer to Jules. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Ask him what he’s up to.” Jules nodded her head until her earrings jangled. “It’s a nice open-ended question. It shows interest. But it’s short and simple. You’ll get the tone of the conversation from however he responds.”
“You make this sound easier than it is.”
Jules waved her off. “Sometimes you just have to shoot your shot.”
Cassie pointedly looked at Ford, who was staring into the fire as though in a trance, then back at Jules. “When are you going to follow your own advice?”
Jules scrunched her face and cast a glance over at Ford. She didn’t notice, but when she turned back to Cassie, Ford’s gaze shifted and followed her every movement. “I will follow my advice on a day that’s not today. But you should. I have a good feeling about this.”
“Because you’re psychic.”
Jules’ eyes twinkled. “Because I’m psychic.”
Cassie sighed and picked up her phone, unlocking it and tapping on her conversation with Jason. She read through his last few responses, but none of them indicated whether he was in the mood to talk. Cassie felt the tequila taking the reins, and before she backed out, she typed up the message and hit send.
His response was immediate.
I was just about to ask you the same question.
Cassie’s heart kicked into high gear. She looked at Jules, who had a smug look on her face. She tapped her head and smirked. “Psychic.”
Cassie was about to ask what she should say—Jules was clearly better at this than she was, even if she couldn’t follow her own advice and take the leap with Ford—when Jason sent through another text message. “It’s a video.”
Jules leaned so close she was cheek to cheek with Cassie. “Looks like he’s out with friends, too.”
Cassie hit play, and Jason’s face filled her screen. His sepia skin glowed in the light of an overhead lamp, but his eyes locked her in place. She had stared into them countless times, but she’d never seen them so bright before—like topaz illuminated from behind. He was so close to the camera, she could see a caramel-colored flame circling his pupil.
“Hey.” Jason’s voice was deep and easy. He had to move the camera closer so she could hear him over the din of the music in the background. Even with a screen between them, Cassie felt a blush creep up her neck at his proximity. “I’m out with my cousins. We wanted a couple drinks before the funeral tomorrow. I hope you—”
Suddenly, someone wrenched the phone from his grasp. A young woman with the same smile and same eyes stared into the camera and fluffed her downy curls. She looked over at Jason, who was reaching for his phone from just off-camera. “Who are you talking to?”
“No one.” Jason laughed as she held him at arm’s length, with the phone just out of grasp. “K
iki, come on. Give it back.”
“You’re not talking to yourself. Who is it?”
“I told you, it’s—”
Her eyes lit up. “Is it Cassie?” Kiki turned back to the camera, as though she were looking directly into Cassie’s eyes. “Girl, he is so into you. He won’t shut up—”
Someone pulled the phone from her grasp, and for a minute, Cassie could only see the floor. Then another unfamiliar face filled the screen. He was broader than Jason, with a bit more weight in his face, but he and Jason could’ve been brothers.
“Cassie. Ty here. Nice to meet you.” Ty laughed as Jason yelled from across the table. “We’re having a great time. Wish you were here. Jay does, too. Is he playing hard to get? If he is, let me know. I’ll set him straight.”
The phone tilted again, and Kiki came into view. “I’m going to send this before Jason del—”
The video cut off there. Cassie’s face was flaming, and it felt like the entire table was looking at her. She was torn between laughing and crying and jumping for joy. The tequila running through her system made her want to launch out of her chair and dance across the table.
Another message came a second later. I’m so sorry. My family is ridiculous.
