Page 27 of Moonlight and Mischief
My stomach churns at the thought of confronting him. What would I say?You’re not allowed to fall in love with me?
“I think you need to set clear boundaries with him then.”
“Like what?”
She leans back, tapping her fingers on her arms as she thinks. “Avoiding being too physically close is a good start.” If only she knew about the hours we spent curled up together in my bed last night talking about our feelings. “And not getting too deep with stuff. Baring your heart and all that.” Too late for that one too.
Folding my hands, I cock my head and give her a relaxed smile. “No problem. Don’t even worry about it.”
That might be the biggest lie I’ve ever told my friend.
“Okay,” she says, her eyes narrowing.
“So how are you guys? How’s the new cabin? Did you finish organizing the kitchen drawers?” Thankfully, she lets me steer the conversation away.
“Yeah, but Slate already rearranged everything. Which I guess is okay. He’s the one using it most of the time.”
“You lucky girl,” I say, laughing. Slate spent the holidays learning to bake her favorite chocolatey treats. “Hey, have you heard anything else from Heath about internship assignments for my students?”
The conversation wanders between lighter topics until we are out of time. Hazel heads off to lead a patrol and I dive into a research project with my class.
After school, I’m eager to head home. Jasper had today off work and I’m curious what he’s been up to. A soft clink of ceramic drifts between the trees, audible over the crunch of pine needles under my feet.
The cabin smells like cinnamon and burnt sugar, cozy and slightly bitter. I’m stunned, pausing in the doorway. “Whatcha doing?”
“Good afternoon, Roomie,” Jasper calls from the kitchen.
Stepping forward, I cock my head, trying to take in the scene. Jasper is standing in the kitchen, holding a spatula and a mixing bowl. “Are you… baking?”
His smirk is so smug, I want to wipe it off his face. “Maybe.”
Walking around the counter, I can feel warmth emanating from the oven. Bags of flour and sugar line the counter. Leaning over his shoulder, I spy a bowl of cookie dough before he waves me off with a spatula.
“Before you get up in my business, I got you something.” He plunges the spatula into the mixing bowl and sets it aside with a thunk.
Grabbing a shopping bag, he hands it to me, his mouth stretching into a wide grin. It’s from the local hardware store. Inside sits a huge skein of woven cord, a couple of thick dowels, a pair of high-end scissors, a few s-hooks and metal rings, and a tape measure.
“Are you serious right now?”
“Did I get the supplies right? The internet wasn’t exactly clear.”
“Jasper, this is way too much,” I say, clutching the bag to my chest instead of shoving it back at him like I should.
He shrugs like it’s nothing. “I thought you could make something for our cabin.”
Ourcabin. That’s a first.
“I’m serious, this is like sixty or seventy bucks worth of supplies,” I argue, trying to remember exactly how expensive this stuff is. “Let me pay you back.”
“You can, with a cool wall hanging.” He raises an eyebrow, waiting for my argument. Sure, I’ll bite.
“Hey, that’s worth way more than sixty bucks,” I tease, crossing my arms. “Don’t push your luck.”
“Even with the best friend discount?” His begging puppy-dog eyes melt my resolve.
“You are unbelievable.”
“Believe it, baby,” he murmurs, almost to himself, turning back to his baking.
