I felt like I couldn't take another bite when Jasper had started the story on how he and Jasmine had met.

It felt as though the whole cafe had gone silent when he opened his mouth and began to speak, a soft chuckle and a hand through his hair. Like he was embarrassed.

"I was sort of drunk, it was the day after valentines day." He began, his eyes were focused on something outside. Something tells me he was not just sort of drunk.

"I stumbled into this cafe, nana being accustomed to me doing so. No one else was here except for a certain girl with hair so bright it competed with the fire." He gives me a soft smile and I find myself smiling back. Jasmine really had such bright hair.

"I decided to take a seat somewhere far away but something about her at that moment made me want to take my chances," he shrugs. "So I went over to her and noticed she was carrying a small box of some kind. I mean, I knew her from school as the girl that was always with you, blondie. And really, who doesn't know you?"

The half grin on his face made me want to ask him why he knew me or how. I didn't really have a good reputation before Jasmine.

"The inseparable duo," he spread his hands wide then glanced at me. "At least that was what everyone seemed to think and I did too. I never really saw you without her in school which was probably the reason I sat by her table."

"Where is blondie? I had asked her and she seemed startled for a moment, as if she hadn't expected anyone to be at the cafe not because I was...well, Jasper." His fingers brush the brim of his coffee cup, his mind lost in his thoughts. I suddenly felt a strange sympathy for him. He had a reputation too but it hindered him from making any friends. I had Jasmine. A part of me was glad he had someone like her, too. He lets out a heavy breath, that sad smile again that made his eyes seem darker than they usually are.

"She surprised me, you know," he explains, leaning forward on the table that his hands were a breath away from where I placed mine. I felt the slight static like the air around are hands were too energized but I couldn't pull my hands away.

"She knew me, even smiled at me when she got her thoughts together," he chuckles, closing his eyes. "She even called me by my name...I knew she was named after a flower, never really thought much about it. When I saw her she was just red head and you were blondie."

I scowled at the nick name. At least I knew his name. I snap myself out of it. Was I really mad he didn't know my name?

"We talked and it was so weird because it felt like the easiest thing to do," his brows furrowed, like he was still confused about it. "It was easy talking to her or maybe it was the alcohol but either way I actually had fun. I usually have a hard time during Valentines day because-" he stops, his eyes flickering at me briefly and I saw something dark in them before he turned away. "Of what happened a long time ago."

I wondered if it was a bad break up or perhaps a girl rejected him which was why he became such a player. Either way, I found myself curious about the boy in front of me. Which was bordering on dangerous territory.

"Jasmine made me feel at ease, you know?"

I nodded. I knew. She made me feel that way, too.

"She was so open and kind," his eyes stared at his cup of coffee like it held all the answers. "She reminded me of someone I used to...know."

Ah. A lost love? I nodded to myself. I felt like I finally found all the reasons. Well, if he was serious about Jasmine then I guess I could give him a chance if we ever find her.

"But she wouldn't stop talking about you," the half grin. I felt something flutter in my stomach and told myself it was just because of the cake or lack of it. I took a piece and popped it in my mouth as he continued his story.

"She practically loved you more than anything," he sighed. Was he jealous? Oh my god was Jasper jealous of-

"I couldn't blame her though," he said. I stopped short. He had said it like he had not meant to, just a careless statement but I pretended to ignore it or at least pretend it did not rattle me.

"She told me it was supposed to be your girls night out that night," he continued like what he said was nothing. It was nothing. Stop over analyzing things, Pat. I remember that night. I still felt bad about it but Nathan and I had just been in such good terms I wanted to spend the day after valentines with him.

"But she said you had girl friend duties and she had nothing to do so she decided to come here," he glances around the place, a warm smile on his face making me look around as well. The rest of the people have already left, the sign on the door turned to close. I look for nana but she was nowhere to be found. Perks of being with her previous ward? When I turn back to Jasper I caught him studying me, making the cake it my stomach feel like it wasn't settling very well. The way he looked at me was...

"Thats how Jasmine and I met," he finished, his hands brushing mine slightly I nearly jumped away until he took his plate of cake and slid it back towards himself. "And after that, it was kind of hard to not talk to her when she insisted we walk to our classes together or eat at the cafeteria together. She convinced me you wouldn't mind but of course you would."

I raise a challenging eyebrow, focusing on my cake and not at the way he was looking at me. The he stretched his tall frame, pushing himself back against his chair, his legs spread beneath the table. He had a lost look on his face and the warm light in the cafe casted a warm glow on his skin. Making him look like he was dipped in bronze or gold. His eyes were- I stopped myself then, my eyes flicking back towards the park outside. It seemed such a beautiful waste. Why wasn't anyone going to it?

"Red- I mean Jasmine," he started regaining my attention but my eyes focused on the loose curl of hair dangling by his forehead. So he had a nick name for her. I felt like smiling but I couldn't bring myself to. Not by the sound of his voice when he said her name. "Has always told me you were one of the easiest person to read. She got that wrong or she was just really good because right now, everything I thought I knew about you is slowly flying away through a window."

"And what do you think you know about me exactly?" I snapped back, a little too fast. A little too defensive. If he noticed he didn't react he just leaned his head back, his eyes on the small chandelier above our table.

"A lot of things but never soft hearted," he said this like he wasn't even talking to me with a voice that didn't seem to believe what it was saying. I snorted, fishing out a fork full of cake and stuffing it in my face. Why had it felt like a compliment? I am not soft hearted.

"You're one to talk," I mumbled, my mouth full and earning a smile from him that made me forget why I was trying to sound angry in the first place. He gave another long sigh, shaking his head slightly.

"Yeah, what a pair we really are blondie."

--

Jasper had still been the one to drive home since I didn't feel like it anymore and partly because I didn't want to arrive home alone. Especially since I had to go through the front door.

The porch was visible from where my car was parked but I couldn't see anything by the door. Perhaps the pranksters were giving me a break?

"Hey, you alright?"

I turned to Jasper who was staring at me by the drivers seat. I was too lost in thought that I almost forgot he was there. I turned to our house again and noticed none of the lights were on. I was going to be home alone. I felt something cold run down my back. Jasper glanced up at the dark house and as if sensing my fear he opened his door and stepped out. Closing it, he went around the car and opened my door for me, his tall frame leaning on the door.

"Are your parents out?" He asks, glancing one more time at the empty house. Of course, Spot was in there somewhere. Probably asleep by the door. I wasn't alone but why does the thought of Jasper leaving me here make me feel like a thousand times worse?

"They left on a trip," I managed to say, gathering enough courage to step out of my car and have a clearer view of the porch. There was nothing there but why did I have this nagging feeling. We stood by the car in silence for a while, with Jasper giving me the time of day by patiently standing beside me until I eventually took a step towards my house. He walked me to the door and I wasn't sure I was feeling nervous for one reason only. When I unlocked the door and pushed it open, Spot greeted me with a jump and I managed to squeal in surprise.

"Alright, big boy," I laughed pushing him inside the house along with myself. I turned and found Jasper standing by the doorway. He seemed as unsure as me. We weren't doing anything wrong, were we?

"Do you want to come in?" I asked, a bit of tremor in my voice which I managed to hide by the fact that Spot was still trying to make me carry him. Jasper hesitated for a moment before stepping inside, his eyes scanning the room like he had never been inside a house before.

"Your boyfriend wont mind?" He asks casually, his eyes landing on the picture of me and Nathan by the table near the sofa. I offer him a shrug, which was the best answer I could give. Why would Nathan mind?

"He isn't the jealous type," I answer, finally managing to get Spot to behave. He raises an eyebrow at this, the corners of his lips quirking just a bit.

"Are you?" He asks and it took me a minute to answer, rolling my eyes at him.

"Definitely," I say as I casually stroll into the Kitchen with Jasper following me like a lost child.

"Do you want anything to drink? or eat?" I realized it was a stupid question because we just literally came from drinking and eating. Fortunately, Jasper didn't seem to mind as he said, "Just water." With that smile of his. I shake my head, annoyed at how he can be so awkward and tense one minute and cocky as hell the next. I handed him the glass, which he took carefully as he sat by the counter.

"You gonna be okay here alone?" He was looking around the empty house. I cross my arms over my chest, leaning over the counter towards him.

"Of course," My voice practically gave me away as he nodded and glanced over the sofa in the living room.

"I'll stay on the couch," he says as he gets up, with his glass, and walks over to the couch, plopping himself on it like it was made for him. I follow him, my face threatening to turn into a scowl. I held it in because honestly, I did not want to be alone.

"You don't have to," I still say for the sake of it. He lets out a breath of a chuckle before shaking his head.

"I want to," his voice was almost too low for me to catch the words but they were enough to make me feel something I shouldn't. I give a quick nod before positioning myself on the sofa beside him. He turns to me, an eyebrow raised but I ignore him and turn the television on as spot jumped on the space between us, snuggling closer to Jasper than me. I felt a slight pang by it and decided to ignore it as the movie played before us.

"No flowers today?"

I glanced at him sideways and noticed he was fumbling with his hands. A nervous habit?

"No..." I said, not sure if it was a good thing or not. Jasmine, are you still alive? A part of me wanted something, a flower, to show that she was still alive but a flower meant her kidnapper had harmed her, right? I don't know whats worse. To know she is dead or to know she is alive but being tortured?

"Hey, you're doing that face again," Jasper said, his hand surprising me as they ran through my face, making me blink. "Don't do that face, it makes me nervous. It's like you saw something out of a nightmare."

I managed a smile at this and before long the both of us were too engrossed in the movie to think of anything else.

-

I woke up to a loud knock on the door, my head spinning so fast I nearly fell over the sofa if Jasper's hand had not been around my waist. Wait- I pulled away realizing I had been sleeping on him when I thought it had been spot.

A heat of embarrassment flushed through me watching him in his sleep, his shirt slight rising to reveal a small patch of skin on his waist. I had no time to fluster over it for the fact that the loud sound came again, rousing him from his sleep. Where was spot? I get up, pulling my shirt down and fixing my hair while trying to ignore the fact I was sleeping on top of Jasper Mckinley.

"Spot?" I whispered into the dark. Our lights had timers and sensors and would turn off when it no longer felt any movement around the area so the kitchen light was off, even the television was off. I turned the lamp near the sofa on as my eyes scanned the living room and Spot was still nowhere to be found.

Jasper grumbled as he ruffled his own hair. God. He looked even more dangerous. I bit my lip as I ran down to the kitchen to find Spot outside the house. I could see him sitting by the grass outside the glass doors in our kitchen. He was looking at me, his tongue stuck out like he had no clue why he was outside either. I walk over to him just as Jasper stepped into the kitchen. I slid the glass doors open, motioning for spot to come inside. How had he gotten out?

"Are there any other doors in your house?" Jasper asked, wondering the same thing I was. I nodded and pointed down the hall. We had a back door but we rarely used it and it was always closed unless it was trash day. Jasper disappeared down the hall as I shut the glass door and watched the garden lights switch off. My heart was beating against my chest hard enough for our neighbors to hear.

"Uhm, Blondie." I hear Jasper call as walked after him down the hall. The door was open  and Jasper was leaning down, a small package in his hand. He lets out a dry laugh. It was Rosemary, at least from where I stood it looked like it.

"What is it?" I asked, still not stepping closer to him. He crushed the flower in his hand.

"It's for me." Was his only reply before someone knocked on the front door. I jumped, whirling around before running towards it. Glancing up the clock I realized it was almost 4 in the morning. I opened the door to find Nathan standing there, his hands in his pockets.

"Morning, did I wake you? You weren't answering your phone." He says as Spot walks up to him to get a pat.

"I-I...uh," I stammer, what was he doing here? Could he have possibly seen anyone run from our backyard?

"What are you doing here?" I decided to ask, he raises an eyebrow a small dimple appearing on his cheek from smiling.

"Well, I figured why don't you just come with me? Drive me to the airport?" He asks like a nervous school boy asking a girl out on a date. I curse inside my head as I quickly grabbed a jacket by the door and stepped out, saying good bye to Spot before closing the door. Where was Jasper? I hope he wouldn't cause a scene. I'd be dead if Nathan found out-

"Is Spot going to be okay, alone?" He asks and I nodded hurrying down the driveway to his car.

"Let's go, you'll be late," I say, my eyes scanning the surroundings. Was Jasper still inside the house? Well I hope he was. I still needed to ask him-

"Hm, Wonder what Jasper is up to," Nathan comments and I follow his gaze and see Jasper walking towards his house, his shoulders hunched like he had just been punched in the gut. He wasn't even wearing his jacket. I made a mental note to talk to him about it later and thank him for leaving without Nathan knowing. Why do I feel so guilty? I get into the drivers seat as Nathan slides into the passenger seat.

"Are you sure you're alright? You seem kind of Jumpy," He comments, studying me. Would he see through me too? Would he easily read my expressions? Am I making a guilty face right now?

"You know, if you didn't want to it would have been-"

"I want to," I say, something lodging up my throat as I remember Jasper saying the exact same thing last night. I shake the thought away as Nathan shrugs.

"If you say so, your highness," He says but I can't even manage a smile. My heart continued to hammer against my chest as I drove out of our street and into the cold morning.

It's for me.

What had Jasper meant?