“Well, it’s mainly my mom, but thanks.” Jasper frowned as we slowed in front of a house with a packed driveway. “Okay, now to find a parking spot nearby.”

“I don’t mind walking if it means sparing your car more of your stunt parking.”

“Hey now. Remember that crack when I cash in my voucher for learning to drive a stick.”

“We’re going to an empty parking lot.” I braced myself against the seat as Jasper did a parallel parking maneuver that was probably illegal in three states.

“Promises, promises.” He winked at me as he straightened out the car and put it in Park. We were still at an alarming angle, but the heat in his eyes had me right back to thinking about all the things we could get up to at the end of the night. But first I had to be social and hope I didn’t embarrass Jasper in front of his genius gamer friends.

“Do you need me to play this a certain way?” I asked as we got out of the car. “I am well acquainted with the ‘let’s make my ex jealous’ move, thanks to more than one sorority sister needing a last-minute date to a function we both wanted to skip.”

“Neither of them are my ex. Like I said, we’re all friends. It’s just…weirdish now. And is that you offering to be my date or you being scared I might claim that without clearing it with you?”

“Which gets me more practice kissing after this is over?” I gave him my best smile, even as my heart threatened to pound its way out of my chest.

“You surprise me more every day.” Jasper shook his head, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. “And you look like you did right before that roller coaster. So, no, I’m not going to make you hold hands or anything like that, but if you can manage not to freak if someone makes the assumption, I’d count that as progress.”

“And the kissing?” I didn’t particularly like that his expectations were so low, even if he wasn’t wrong about me being nervous.

Jasper glanced down the street, then gave me a lightning-fast peck on the mouth. He pulled back to study me closely. “Okay. You’re not melting like a snowman. I think you might be cool for later.”

“Good.”

“Milo?” He stopped right before the house, which was a Victorian in immaculate repair. His face was serious enough to make my stomach flip.

“Yeah?”

“I meant what I said the other night. I believe you can change. Don’t prove me wrong.”