Normally, I wouldn’t have said it out loud, but the wine and his kiss loosened my tongue. “I’m scared too.”

Jasper pulled back slightly, his hands in my hair a steadying anchor. “Why?”

Because no one’s ever made my heart race like this. Because the things that Evelyn finds comforting—soul mates and destiny and red threads tying people together for eternity—terrify me.

Because I know nothing like this can ever last and in the end we’l crash and burn. Out loud, I only said, “I’ve never really been in a relationship before.”

“That’s okay,” Jasper murmured. “We’ll figure it out together.”

I smiled. “Sounds good.”

I leaned forward at the same time that Jasper lay back in the grass, making me topple on top of him in an ungraceful heap, but his arms wrapped around me before I could get up.

“Is this okay or am I too heavy?” I asked. “I don’t want to hold you down and make you feel claustrophobic or anything.”

Jasper shook his head, his hair fanned out in the grass like a halo. “This is perfect.”

Splaying a hand on his chest, I leaned in again. It was perfect; his heart beating sure and steady beneath my palm, speeding up when my mouth met his; his lips, soft and generous, the wine somehow tasting more expensive on them; the scent of night air on his neck; the grass I plucked out of his hair when we got up to head back to the castle; his laughter when we raced up the stairs, both a little tipsy.

The only thing that wasn’t perfect was the fact that we had to split in the hallway and go to our separate rooms, but at that point, I was so blissed-out that my grin stayed firmly in place even upon seeing Gabe.

Things were so fucking good. All I had to do was stop thinking so much.

19

Evelyn

The day of Noelle’s away game saw us leaving the castle in the early hours of the morning. The sun was just coming up behind the Hills, bleeding orange into the deep blue sky and reflecting in the windows of the bus, which was bigger than I had expected, painted blue with Seven Hills’ school emblem taking up one side. Fog was draped over the surrounding Hills like a blanket and the air tasted like morning dew and winter; November had arrived and was lulling the world beyond the castle walls to sleep.

Noelle and I were standing with the rest of the basketball team, our breaths forming white puffs in the chilly morning air as we waited for everyone to arrive while a few feet away from us, the cheerleading squad was already getting onto the bus in a single file.

I jumped when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. “Hey!”

Amelia said. She was standing behind me with a smile, cheeks rosy from the cold. “I did not know you were coming with. Any particular reason?”