Page 116 of Hopeless
Including me, apparently.
“Fine. Sure.”
“I’ve been in your company for like two minutes and you’ve brought Bailey up twice.”
“And?”
“Just making an observation. Once per minute is a pretty solid clip.”
“You talk about Sloane all the time.” I sound defensive to my own ears.
“Well, we are married. Wereactuallyengaged at one point.”
I straighten and twist my palms on the steering wheel. “Well, so are Bailey and I.”
I don’t need to turn my eyes on Jasper to know the look he’s giving me right now. It’s blank and impassive. He does it well.
“Really, Beau? We’re gonna play that game?”
“What? We are. For all intents and purposes, we are.”
“Do you know what the word ‘intent’ even means?”
My molars grind. “Yes.”
“Okay, good. Cool. Thought you might have been confused.” He chuckles as he props one foot over his knee.
“I’m not. We’re engaged.”
I refuse to glance over at him and keep my eyes on the road as silence blankets the cab of my truck. Five seconds stretch into ten. Into twenty. I’m ready to snap at him about the silent treatment when he finally says, “Oh shit.”
“Oh shit, what?”
“You’re into her.”
Into her.
That seems like it’s vastly understating whatever it is I feel for Bailey.
Invested.
Possessive.
Obsessed.
I scrub a hand over my face and decide not to use any of those words in case Jasper thinks I’m insane. “Yeah,” is all I reply with.
“So, the fake part of this fiancée thing isn’t very fake anymore?”
“I don’t know. It’s changed.”
“I thought you didn’t want to be tied down?”
I grunt. “I don’t. Okay, Ididn’t.”
Jasper lets out a low whistle, like he’s impressed. He knows all the reasons why I haven’t wanted to tie myself to anyone. But now I’m not taking off at the drop of a hat. Now my chances of dying are significantly lower.
Now I’m here to stay.
