Impress Me Not: The Writer

Chapter 61

The sound of typing had become endearing to him, especially the past few months. Jasper had found a new love for the intricate sound. That was why he had loved letting Damien type so much when they were together. Even though his schooling was finished for the semester, that laptop of his still consumed his life.

Jasper smiled to himself. He still managed to find a way to bring him back to the present. That was the most enjoyable part of keeping his company. That sleek laptop would hold many memories for him strictly due to the different strategies Jasper had used to distract him.

He let him write for the most part. It wasn't his intention to be a complete nuisance. There were plenty of times, however, when it seemed like the writer would forget the necessities of his life.

Eating, for example. Or making sure he got some sleep. He was horrible when it came to remembering to take care of himself. Jasper didn't know how he survived in that tiny dorm. Now it seemed like he wasn't as tired. Those bags under his eyes weren't as prominent as they were before. And he was happier when he was around everyone else.

It was when he was alone that Jasper had been worried about.

"He's going to treat you this time?" he asked his sister, walking with her out of the building. "That's surprising."

"It's not all about the money, Jasper," Ashley shook her head. "I never minded paying for some of those dinners."

"It's not exactly what I'd call traditional," he told her.

"Traditional dates never turned out well for me anyway," Ashley argued. "Besides, a man who can't take a woman paying the bill every once in a while isn't the kind for me."

"You mean they aren't anymore?" he smiled. He had missed teasing her every once in a while. Her previous relationships had all been pretentious to say the least. They enjoyed taking her out when they were courting each other. They had no idea how Ashley worked, unfortunately. If they had, they might have not even tried. Their family had been known for their stubborn streak, and they were rather proud of it.

"Definitely not anymore," she smiled. "Sorry I can't make it tonight."

"Dad's going to be more upset than me," he told her. It was nice that they were all starting to enjoy each other's company more often, but it didn't bother him when someone canceled on him. In the end, they were all recluses, and they would always be. "I'm not expecting you to go to every one of these dinners."

"Knowing Manfred, he'd probably invite him to come over too," Ashley laughed. "I never thought I'd be invited to a family dinner so many times."

Jasper smiled at the thought. He had been enjoying the dinners quite a lot. It was different, but comfortable. And he could live with that. It better than eating alone every night, which was what he was used to for a portion of his life.

"I'm sure he'll mention it the moment that we tell him where you went tonight," Jasper said, holding the door for her. "Just don't have too much fun tonight."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, eyes narrowing. She must have caught onto his tone changing ever so slightly.

"I mean that you're still very capable of getting pregnant," Jasper shrugged. "And I'm not sure if either of you are ready for that kind of commitment. Therefore, be careful."

Ashley scoffed and hit him on the shoulder right as he spoke.

"Why are you even thinking about that?"

"What?" he asked, rubbing his shoulder. "I know you aren't a virgin. As much as I had my flings, I never got caught under the predicament of potentially having a child with someone."