Page 117 of And They Were Roommates

“Then why do you think I’ll—?”

“Because you still don’t like me enough to take the risk.”

The words are a wound in my gut, but I still gently take his hand and lead him onto the fountain ledge to sit too. “I am honestly a bit scared. But I don’t want to be. I want you. I don’t know what to do.”

He nods a few times, but his expression doesn’t change.

A speck of white falls between us, and I look up. Snowflakes flutter through the dark sky. The light from the ballroom doors makes each one flicker.

By the time I look down again, Jasper has slipped his hand out of my grasp. He reaches toward my nose and wipes it. “They like your face.”

Helikes my face. He told me.

I yearn to lean forward, to touch him and kiss him until we’re both burning in the snow, and make him mine. Jasper always claims that writing helps him release his loveandfears. Things can’t be that simple. But Jasper believes so.

“I assume you’re staying at your aunt’s tonight,” I mutter. “But tomorrow. Do you want to write with me?”

Jasper stares. He’s so close that I can pick out every wispy eyelash. “Write?”

“Like we used to. At camp? Come with me to the lake. Noon?”

He takes another shaky breath. Prepares to say no.

“Right,” I say despite the deepening pit in my stomach. “I under—”

“Okay,” Jasper says.

Shock hits me like a punch. It turns to excitement, bursting through me. “Really?”

He nods again. Gradually.

I’ll take it. I’ll take anything. “Okay. Okay! I’ll see you then.”

“Comrade, are you out there?!”

We look to the ballroom, where Blaze is running down the steps, then tripping as his white sheet tangles between his feet. He tumbles and hits the pavement in front of us.

Xavier and Delilah stand by the doors, wincing. London isn’t with them—she must still be with Griffin, enjoying the night she and everyone else deserve.

“Sorry,” Delilah calls our way. “We couldn’t find either of you, so we thought you’d—You know.”

Gotten caught.

As they join us by the fountain, Jasper pulls his pen out of his chest pocket—of course he brought the pen—and waves the nib their way. “Well, you just put quite the attention on us by yelling that into the night, thank you very much.”

Xavier whips out his lucky spoon. The two commence battle. Blaze must’ve risen back to life at some point because he’s lugging himself over Xavier’s back now as well, adding his slingshot to the mix.

Delilah sits beside me on the fountain, elbowing my shoulder. “Mission accomplished, by the way. Looks like they’ll trust STRIP again.”

Jasper stops thwacking Xavier’s spoon, his eyes lighting up. “Really?”

Wedidit.

“I can’t believe we didn’t get caught,” I say incredulously.

Which means my guilt should be gone. But the thought of keeping my mistakes from STRIP for the rest of my time at Valentine only turns my stomach more hollow.

“Of course we didn’t,” Xavier says. “We can figure out anything. We’re the smartest guys on campus. And girl.”

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