Page 49 of Booked for the Holidays
I cross my arms. “What face is that?”
“The one that says ‘I have a secret, and I’m trying really hard not to let you pry it out of me.’”
I roll my eyes. “You’re imagining things.”
He tilts his head. “Does this have anything to do with a certain Liam Hargrove?”
“What? No.” My stomach flips. “Why would it?”
“Well, for starters, you’ve mentioned him approximately zero times despite the fact that he’s literally staying in your apartment.”
“Not by choice.”
He grins. “I know. But I know you, Juni. And I know you don’t let just anyone share your space, especially after what happened last year.”
“What happened last year?” I feign innocence.
“You and Liam kissed.”
“He told you that?”
“Yeah. Then I promptly told him to never mention touching my sister ever again.”
I snort. “Good talk.”
“It was Hargrove-style emotional cowardice,” he says, then softens. “But I also know he regrets it.”
I blink. “How do you know that?”
“Because we talk. And because I wouldn’t have let him stay with you if I didn’t think he deserved a shot to make it right.”
My breath catches. “You—what?”
“I gave him the green light,” he says simply. “But I told him he’d have to earn it. Earn you.”
I glance down at the countertop, suddenly fascinated by a chip in the ceramic tile.
“He messed up,” Jasper continues. “You put yourself out there, and he got scared. But I also know he’s been carrying that regret around for a year. I’ve never seen him like this, Juni.”
I look up. “Like what?”
Jasper smirks. “Like a man who knows what he wants and is scared to death of not getting a second chance.”
I swallow hard, the ache in my chest doing battle with the warmth blooming in my stomach.
“You could’ve told me,” I say, quieter now. “That he talked to you.”
He shrugs. “Would it have changed anything?”
Maybe. Maybe not.
But now I know Liam didn’t just show up on a whim. He planned this. Thought it through. Talked to my brother.
And Jasper let him in.
Which means now…I have to decide if I will, too.
The room quiets for a beat.
