Page 85 of Unravelling The Beast

"He'll be here in a minute; do you want me to order you a drink?"

With a twinkle in her beautiful brown eyes, she sucks her strawberry milkshake through a straw. I nod and grin at her but she pauses and glances at the door behind me just as she was going to wave over to the waitress.

A big, beaming smile appears across her face as she stands and I peek behind my shoulder to see who she is looking at before my eyes widen in disbelief when I see him.

He is definitely around my age, but that's not the shocking thing; he clearly has a bad boy image, and his tattoos are identical to Arlo's, all the way up to his sharp jaw.

My focus is fixed on him as he strides towards us, dressed in tight black ripped jeans, a black beanie hat with his long, brown curly hair emerging from beneath it, and a black leather biker jacket.

I glance back at Lily, who gives me a reluctant smile, and I side-eye him as he leans down and kisses her on the cheek. They both shuffle across the seats opposite me, and Jasper sits directly across from me, giving me a charming grin before speaking.

"You must be Wren."

Oh, god. He sounds just like Arlo as well, and I have a bad feeling that he is either blood related or a close friend, which makes me feel uneasy. As hypocritical as it sounds, the last thing I want is for my little sister to be around someone who hangs out with Arlo.

I'm not sure how to put it, but everyone around Arlo appears intense and terrifying. You may not know exactly what they do, but you can be certain that it isn't good. I'm not stupid; I know Arlo is the villain in his world.

I clear my throat before responding, trying not to be rude and stare.

"That's right and you must be Jasper."

He leans back, moving his arm to rest on the back of my sister's seat.

"In the flesh."

I examine him as thoroughly as he examines me until I notice Lily motioning for the waitress to come over.

"Let's get you guys some drinks."

We chat until it's dark outside while sipping on our drinks, and he actually seems very nice. He is more laid-back and lively than what I have back home, but I can see why my mom is worried; he oozes bad boy.

"Please let me pass, Jasp; I need to use the restroom."

"Of course, gorgeous."

He stands, allowing Lily through before she walks away.

I keep an eye on her, and when she's out of sight, I return my focus to Jasper in front of me, and we maintain eye contact until I decide to be direct.

"So, Jasper, do you have any family around here?"

I sip my milkshake as he takes a deep breath and rests back in his seat.

"I do."

"And what is your last name?"

He now looks at me suspiciously and in anticipation, I tilt my head to the side, awaiting his response.

"Hayes, why?"

As dread fills me, I close my eyes before facing away.

"You know my family?"

When I open my eyes again, I don't look at him when I respond.

"I know Arlo."

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