Page 112 of Forking the Billionaire

Suddenly hungry, I peeked inside. “Cheese patties, my favorite.”

I snatched one and passed it to Jasper, who had a complex expression on his face that I was in no state to try and decipher. So, I turned my attention back to the hand pie and took a bite.

Gooey, salty, spicy—it was everything a perfect savory bite was meant to be. My heart felt a little lighter.

That’s right, focus on the good company, the delicious food, and don’t think about how soon all of this would be over.

How little time remained until Jasper left.

Even though I knew it was dangerous business, I glanced at him.

He was watching me, a patty of his own in his hand. A single bite was missing, so I waited for his reaction.

Why did it matter what he thought? It shouldn’t. It didn’t.

“These are your favorite what exactly?” he asked.

“Food on the island,” I said, still waiting for his verdict, with less and less patience every moment that passed. “You like it?”

“It’s delicious.”

I nodded, because yes it was. And again, my chest felt a little lighter.

A comfortable silence fell between us as we ate, contrasted by everyone else’s loudness.

Layana popped up and pulled on Gabe’s arm.

He shook his head no.

She stuck out her bottom lip and said, “You have to. It’s required.”

I didn’t catch if he said words back to her, or if he just grumbled, but he followed her to his feet and pulled her close. They shared their first dance to the purr of the ocean, the crackling of the fire, and the hooting of their greatest cheerleaders.

Jasper spun his beer bottle absentmindedly in the sand.

“This is nice,” I said.

“Yeah.”

They felt like empty words, like I should be saying something deeper, and he should too.

He wasn’t smiling.

I didn’t want him to. It wouldn’t feel real.

Morgan and Oscar joined in on the dancing. Chester danced with all three of Layana’s sisters. Juno recorded the revelry.

And even though everyone was still close by, only on the other side of the fire, it felt like Jasper and I were alone.

A slight breeze prickled across my skin.

Jasper leaned ever so slightly closer to me, and a sense of dread hit me like a fist to the gut.

This was when he was going to let me down easy. He was going to say he’d enjoyed my company, but our time was atan end, and even though he’d been allI will be here for you, Bramble. Always,that was just pillow talk and it didn’t mean anything.

Nothing that had happened this week meant anything.

As much as that hurt, I could stop it from hurting worse. I could forgo making a scene and calling him a lying bag of dicks.

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