Page 38 of Taste of Surrender
“Let me call him,” Jesse said, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“Great.” Rina stood. “Let’s take a break while you make the call.”
What if Jasper said yes?
It still hurt to think about the last time I’d gotten to see him …
The car Stellar Records, Surrender’s new record label, ordered for me and Jesse, arrived at the bistro where we were meeting our families. He and I slid out of the car and walked inside the restaurant. Immediately, I spotted my sister as she waved her hand in the air and flagged us over to where they were seated at a large table for all of us.
“There they are!” Mom beamed as she stood and rushed to hug me.
Everyone was still on a high from winningThe Band Showdown. Who was I kidding? I was fucking ecstatic too. Jesse and I had just come from a photoshoot forCelebrity Styleand in the morning, we were appearing onSunrise LAto talk about being the winners and what was to come next.That, of course, was to record our first album.
“Are you guys wearing makeup?” Norah asked as she hugged me.
“Don’t be jealous, we just worked it for the cameras,” I teased.
“I’m totally jealous, but happy for you.”
“Thanks, sis.”
“We all are happy for you two,” Mr. B stated. “Silas and Elliott too.”
Our other bandmates were meeting with their families at other places before everyone returned to Boston. The guys and I were staying in LA while we finished up everything that came with winning the reality competition.
I was torn with how to feel because a part of me wanted to go home and see if Jasper and I could pick up where we left off, but the other part of me knew Surrender was finally going to live the dream. Somehow Jesse and Olivia were going to make it work, so maybe Jasper and I could too?
After the hugs with everyone were out of the way, I took a seat across from Jasper, realizing he hadn’t hugged me. “You okay?” I asked him.
He swallowed. “Yeah. Just a lot on my mind.”
“He’s flying to Paris in a few hours,” his mom cut in.
I balked. “Paris?”
“I’m starting culinary school there next week,” Jasper said.
Before I could ask him more, the waiter approached and took everyone’s order. Nothing more was said about Paris or the fact that even if the guys and I returned to Boston, Jasper wouldn’t be there, and the reality hit me hard.
I suppose in the back of my mind, I always assumed Jasper would be there waiting for me when I returned home. But as I looked at him, I felt a pang of something deeper. It wasn’t just the loss of a friend or the distance that was about to stretch between us—it was the realization of how much he meant to me.
His eyes met mine, and I wanted to tell him. To reach across the table, take his hand, and spill everything I was thinking. The truth was, I was in love with him. I had been for a long time, even before we started secretly dating.
But I couldn’t. Not now. Not when he was about to live his own dream.
I forced a smile, nodding in understanding as our families chatted around us. During the meal, I watched as he laughed with everyone as if nothing had changed.
But I finally realized it had.
11
Jasper
My phone rangas I sat at the dining table in the apartment I shared with another chef. Garrett and I met when we worked at the same restaurant after I returned from France. We had quickly formed a friendship and decided to be roommates.
Glancing at my phone, I saw my brother’s name on the screen, and I smiled as I answered. “Hey, bro. What’s up?”
“Hey, I’m glad I actually caught you. Gotta a minute to talk, or are you working?”
