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‘That’s not true. I made it to Sean Connery!’
‘Only because I was poking you awake!’ He burst out laughing.
‘I try to do something nice and this is the thanks I get.’
‘True. Thank you.’ He half-bowed mockingly.
‘We should do this again! Next time, let’s do aMummymarathon. I can come to you.’ I poked his chest.
‘Maybe. It’s just that work is busy and I don’t have a lot of down time.’ Jasper started getting to his feet.
‘Maybe? Definitely! You’ve got to eat, right? Food? Rachel Weisz? Hmmm?’ I raised my eyebrows twice at him. I remembered his crush.
He considered me for a while, like he was thinking of what to say. Then he stopped looking at me altogether. It dawned on me. He was making excuses.
‘What’s going on, Jasper?’
‘What? Nothing.’
‘You’re not doing this to me again.’
I felt the tears spring to my eyes, so I went straight to the sliding door and yanked it open. He didn’t want me anywhere near him in Bristol, and he clearly didn’t want me anywhere near whatever personality he was experimenting with in London now.
‘Hold on. Can we just dial things back a bit?’
‘I’m so stupid. I thought we fixed it. I almost broke my neck coming down that death trap of a loft ladder, with that stupid VHS player for you. Why did you come over last night? Did my parents ask you to babysit?’
‘Of course not.’
‘I’m such a fool. I was so happy to see you, I didn’t think.’
‘Zachary texted and told me he’d meet me here,’ he defended himself.
‘Yeah. Sure. Please leave.’ I stretched our garden torch towards him.
‘You’re serious.’
‘Goodbye, Jasper. Reinvent yourself in London all you want.’
Jasper approached and pushed the sliding door shut, sealing both of us in the kitchen. I yanked it open again.
‘Goodbye, Jas—’
‘Please shut up, Aari, and sit down.’
It was shocking to hear Jasper raise his voice, but I wasn’t giving in. I crossed my arms and stood firmly by the sliding door. He placed both his palms on the kitchen counter, dropped his head and sighed.
‘It’s not your fault we fell out.’
‘Of course not. I did absolutely nothing wrong, and you—’
‘For goodness’ sake let me finish, Ariella!’ he snapped. He deflated immediately. ‘Sorry, I just need you to listen, okay? We fell out because I didn’t want to be friends any more. Remember the Leavers’ Ball? Just before that, something changed.
‘I got really territorial at the ball even though I knew all I could be was a friend. I thought what I was feeling would eventually pass. You know, hormones.’ He laughed lightly.
‘It took everything in me not to kiss you in your hallway that night, so I decided that maybe it was best to just get away from you.’
Silence fell between us.
