Page 70 of Chess Not Checkers
She rolls her eyes, but there’s a smile on her lips when she sits down. I sit across from her and grab the small brown bag with the last surprise in it. She takes it from me and looks inside.
“How did you—?” She shakes her head and reaches inside, pulling out the small box of chocolate bonbons.
“I know you said your favorite candy was the caramel chocolate bars, but I thought these would be even better since they’re made by a real chocolatier. I didn’t even know that was a thing, by the way.” I laugh, but it’s cut short when I notice the tears streaming down her face.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” I push aside the chessboard and move closer to her. “What is it?” I murmur, wiping her tears away.
“My mom and I used to get these all the time. It was our tradition. I haven’t had one since—”
I pull her into my arms and cradle her in my lap. “I’m sorry I didn’t know.”
She buries her face into my neck. I hold her to me, rubbing circles on her back.
“We can throw them away if you want,” I tell her, hating that I upset her so badly on our first date.
She pulls back and shakes her head. Her green eyes are watery when she meets my gaze, but there’s a small smile on her lips.
“No, I want to share them. She—” Jasmine sniffles. “She would love this. She was always a romantic.”
I use the sleeve of my hoodie to dry beneath her eyes. “Are you sure? If you’re not ready, then we can wait for another night.”
She nods. “I want to. I’ve wanted to get them for a long time, but I didn’t want to do it by myself, and I didn’t want to hurt Dahlia by asking.”
“I don’t think it would have hurt her,” I say gently. “I think she’d feel honored to be included, the same way I do.”
“You’re probably right.” She sniffs. “It’s not like we haven’t talked about our parents or done activities we used to together, but it’s still hard not to feel like I’d be dragging her into grief when she’s so happy.”
“Would you see it that way if the roles were reversed? Would you think she was dragging you down?”
“You sound like her when she’s in therapist mode.”
“I’d make a terrible therapist. I’d tell everyone to get over it or run laps until they forgot their problems.”
Jasmine throws her head back and laughs. The sound echoes off the walls of the room and my heart. When she meets my gaze again, there’s a lightness in her eyes that warms my chest.
“Okay, so maybe you wouldn’t be a good therapist, but you’re an amazing boyfriend.”
“Yeah?” I ask and brush my nose against her.
“Yeah,” she echoes before looking down at the box she set down when I pulled her into my arms. I grab it and set it in her lap.
“Whenever you’re ready.”
She draws in a deep breath and opens the little paper box. Her delicate fingers grasp one; then she gestures for me to take one. She lifts the chocolate in her hand to my lips. I smile and do the same to her.
“Together,” she murmurs.
“Always,” I repeat her sentiment from the other day in my room.
She opens her mouth, and we feed each other at the same time. Her lips brush the tips of my fingers, sending warm tingles down my spine. Sweet chocolate and creamy caramel coat my tongue. I watch as Jasmine’s eyes flutter shut. I can see her sifting through the memories. After a long somber moment, she opens her eyes again. There’s a sweet joy that radiates from her gaze.
“What did you think?” she asks.
I smile. “Second best thing I’ve tasted today.”
She giggles at my implication, pushing me down onto the blanket for a candy-coated kiss. It’s there, on the floor of a random university classroom, surrounded by chairs and desks and dust, that I realize I’m starting to fall in love with Jasmine Chamberlain.
Chapter thirty-five
