“Our prize.” No way was I taking all the credit when it had been both of us, working together.

“Okay.” Jasper paused right by the elevators, turning back toward me. “Milo…”

“Yeah?” I wasn’t sure I liked his cautious tone. Or his super-long pause, interrupted only by the ding of the elevator arriving.

“Nothing.” He gave a weighty sigh that I liked even less than that pause. He hit the button, and we were on our way out of the library before he spoke again. “It’s nothing. Really. Just that I hope you—we—find the other two cards. So that Bruno never has to know.”

“Yeah,” I agreed readily, trying to keep up with his fast pace toward the parking lot. And judging by Jasper’s frown, that hadn’t been the right answer. “Is that bad? I just don’t want him to think I’m a screwup. Again.”

“I know.” Jasper voice was even, but his eyes were sad. “But…maybe all you can do is be you?”

Well, wasn’t that the question of the week! And I had a flip answer ready, but the part of me that truly was trying to change, the part that felt safe and true around Jasper but no one else, that part let a whisper escape. “What if that’s not enough?”

“It is. You are enough.” Jasper’s voice was firm as he squeezed both of my arms next to his car, looking deep into my eyes. For a second I thought he was going to kiss me, right there in the open, and shockingly, I was disappointed when he shook his head as he released me instead. “You don’t believe me.”

“I…” I couldn’t lie. “I’m trying.”

“Okay.” Shoulders slumping, he nodded. “I’m going to be late if we don’t hurry.”

“I can do the bus—”

“On a Sunday? You’ll be waiting an hour. No.” Jasper gestured for me to get in the car. “We’ll just hurry.”

“My life is in your hands,” I joked as we sped through town, but I meant it on multiple levels. What if I wasn’t changing fast enough for him? What if he got tired of waiting for me to figure my shit out?

Before I could find anything resembling an answer, we arrived back at my place. And I’d had every intention of kissing him goodbye, but he was looking straight ahead, not at me. I glanced up at the apartment window and couldn’t tell whether the curtain actually moved or not. Crap. My stomach cramped.

“You’re going to be late,” I said instead of kissing him, patting his leg like that might make up for my weak goodbye.

“Yeah.” Jasper finally looked my direction, and when he did, his eyes were sad again. “Text me?”