I smile climbing into my car. I sent their car back to them and bought my own with the money I had saved. I have a lot put away from the fire that happened at Max’s garage. So much so, I’m not sure what to do with it.
The fire was investigated, and thankfully I was nowhere near it at the time, so it was cleared for the insurance money.
Maybe.
I start the car and when I do my phone beeps again.
I’m behind you Isadora. Start driving to the local café.
I turn around, and sure enough, Jasper’s in the passenger seat of a black sedan following behind me. Ace smiles and offers me a wave before I spin around. Pulling away from the house, I drive to the closest café and pull up.
Getting out, my maxi dress sways at my feet as I wait for him to walk over. He doesn’t disappoint when he greets me with his hands in his pockets, glasses covering his eyes and with those lips with that scar. When he reaches me, I remember to breathe, taking a deep breath, one at a time. I look from his shoes, shiny black ones, up to his dark denim jeans until I reach his chest, broad and everything I’ve missed.
“Isadora,” he says and I swear it knocks the air out of my lungs. “It’s been a minute.” I nod as he looks behind me then back to me. “Coffee?” He nods to the café in front of us.
“Sure.”
Jasper steps back from my personal space and waves for me to walk in first.
A waitress comes over and he places both our orders as we sit.
“I’ve missed you. Who would’ve thought it, right?”
“You missed me?” I ask, surprised.
He nods, confirming it. “Did you miss me, Isadora?”
I nod. “Very much so.”
“Good, I’m glad that’s settled. So, when can I expect you to move in with me?”
I balk at his words and shake my head, confused. “What? Move in with you?” I ask him, shocked.
“Yes. You hate that place, and it still looks like you don’t live there. Don’t you want to make something your own? My place can be that.”
I didn’t live in that shithole for living there, though. My place was with my uncle, and now, well, I don’t even like to think of him anymore or even care about what happened to everything we once had there. It all went up in smoke, and he deserved that even in his death.
“We haven’t even seen each other in ages. How do you know you still even want me? And, for your information, moving in with you is not making your place my own.”
“I know what I want. I’ve always wanted you. It was never a question, Isadora, it was a matter of questioning if I could fit you into my life. You did destroy so much of it.”
I look down as a waiter comes over, placing coffee in front of us.
“I’m sorry. So very sorry about that.”
“I get it. I get why you did what you did. I would have done the same. Don’t apologize, Isadora. Just move on and do better.”
“Don’t you think we should go slow, though?”
He laughs. “No. I’ve never done anything slow, and I don’t plan to do you slow either.”
I choke on my drink because I know exactly what that means.
“Exactly,” he says as I wipe my mouth.
“I’m not moving in. Not yet. I need… time.”
“I’ve given you months.”
“We both needed that,” I reply.
“Yes, but now I’m over it, and I need you back. I’m not a patient man, Isadora, not sure how much longer I can wait.” He doesn’t touch his coffee, instead he watches me with intent while waiting for me to speak. Do I hold the power here? Jasper isn’t one who gives power away, he always holds on to it tightly. So this is new. Very new.
“I’m sorry about your mother,” I say, remembering what my uncle did.
“It’s fine. She had to die anyway. It was probably easier than me doing it.” He shrugs.
“Still, you loved her.”
“I love you.”
My eyes go wide at his words.
No, he can’t mean that.
Can he?
“You can’t possibly. You don’t know me,” I say, shaking my head.
He leans in and touches my knee, holds me with his hand. “I know what I need to know, the rest we can work out along the way.”
“What if you find out I hate cats, and you love cats. Or worse, I’m allergic to seafood and you love it?” I ask.
“If you hate cats, I will deal. If you’re allergic to seafood, I will never eat it around you, or come home and mouth fuck you.”
I giggle at his words. “I’m still not moving in with you,” I tell him. “Slower. We need slower.”
He nods and agrees. “Tonight then. You can come tonight?”