Page 2 of To Love Jason Thorn

“You are always welcome in this house. Iwant you to remember that, okay?”

“Thank you Mrs. Taylor. I appreciate it.”

“Why don’t you go and get cleaned up whileI get dinner ready? After dinner we’ll call your dad and make sure he knows youare safe.”

“That’s not really necess—”

“Let’s say it’s for my own peace of mind.”

“Come on, Jason.” I heard my brother murmur.“I’ll show you the new video game my dad bought me.”

Oh, about that…I’d always thought it wasquite rude of him to hoard all the toys. He never let me play with him.

I turned on my heels and was about to runback to my room to check out who the new boy was through the small opening ofmy door when my mom said, “Dylan, can you stay and help me set the table first?Then you can join Jason upstairs until I call you guys down for dinner.”

“Sure, Mom,” my brother answered readily.“The bathroom is the second door to the left, Jason. My room is next to it.I’ll be right up.”

“Is there anything I can help with, Mrs.Taylor? I wouldn’t mind.”

“Oh, you are too sweet, Jason. How aboutyou be our guest for tonight, and any time you come by after today, you’ll giveme a hand, too, okay? And you call me Emily from now on.”

“Okay, Mrs. Tay—umm…Emily. Thank you somuch for letting me stay here tonight. I’ll be in your room, then, Dylan.” Hisfootsteps started up the stairs.

I stood still and patiently waited for theowner of those footsteps to reach me. Since Dylan wasn’t with him, I could sayhi and welcome him to our neighborhood without getting into trouble.

Argh Dylan… Just because he was four yearsolder didn’t make him the boss of me.

Would he be blond? Maybe he would have darkeyes and dark hair and be all dreamy, exactly like Kara’s big brother, Noah,who had turned eighteen just a few weeks before. My mom thought he was a littletoo old for me, but she had also once said a girl should always dream big.While I loved my mom dearly, clearly she wasn’t right all the time.

Anyway, since this Jason seemed to befriends with Dylan, I highly doubted he would be something to dream about.

Suddenly my stomach got all fluttery forsome reason. I frowned and smoothed down my dress. Dylan’s friend or not, hewould be a guest in our house and I thought I should be welcoming since hesounded very stressed out about staying with us.

Tommy, one of my best friends from school,believed that we would get married one day, but I’d never said yes to him. I’dnever even gotten excited whenever we were on playdates.

First, I saw Jason’s sneakers. I stillremember: they were white and very clean for a boy his age. I thought maybe hewouldn’t be that bad and make fun of me like Dylan’s other friends.

Putting on my best smile, I slowly liftedmy head up to meet his eyes. His steps faltered when he saw me hiding next tothe wall. I got a good look at him and my smile slowly vanished as my mouthdropped open.

Jason? Jason what?

Butterflies? Were those tiny flutters in mystomach butterflies? The ones my mom had told me about? It sure felt like it.Thousands of them. Were these the same butterflies my mom had felt when she’dmet my father?

What was his last name?

I wanted—no scratch that, I neededhis last name to be my last name.

Not the day after, not ten years or twentyyears later. I needed it to happen that day—right at that moment to be exact.

He seemed surprised to see me for a second,but recovered faster than I did. He gave me a stupidly cute smile with a dimpleshowing on his left cheek.

“You have a dimple,” I breathed out,totally lost in that tiny little crevice. It was almost magical.

I closed my mouth and felt the heat riseup to my cheeks. I managed to return his smile with a wobbly one.

“Hey, little one. You must be Dylan’slittle sister. I’m Jason.”

“Hi,” I greeted sheepishly as I gave him asmall wave.

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