Crossing Hearts- A Maidstone Love Story

Chapter 4

The week that followed was unlike anything Alessia could have predicted. After their conversation at the park, something shifted between her and Jasper. At school, they still pretended like nothing had changed—ignoring each other in the hallways, exchanging the occasional teasing remark when forced to interact in class. But outside of school, when it was just the two of them, Jasper dropped the bad boy act. Slowly, he let her see the real him.

On Monday, they had exchanged texts throughout the day. Jasper wasn't the best at replying—his responses were often short, sometimes only an emoji or a meme—but every once in a while, he'd surprise her with something thoughtful or funny.

Tuesday was when things really started to change. After school, Jasper texted her to meet him at the park again. When Alessia arrived, she found him sitting on the swings, just like last time. But this time, there was no teasing smirk, no playful jabs. Instead, he seemed... nervous.

"Hey, princess," he greeted her, his voice unusually soft.

"Hey," Alessia replied, sitting down on the swing next to him. She could tell something was on his mind. "Everything okay?"

Jasper hesitated, kicking at the ground with his sneaker. "Yeah, just... thinking."

"About what?"

"About you," he admitted, glancing at her from under his lashes. "About us."

Alessia's heart skipped a beat. She had been thinking about that too, more than she cared to admit. "And what are you thinking?"

Jasper sighed, leaning back in the swing. "That I'm tired of pretending. I'm tired of everyone thinking I'm just this guy who doesn't care about anything or anyone. I mean, yeah, I mess around, but that's not all there is to me, you know?"

Alessia nodded, understanding more than he realised. "I get it. It's hard to let people see the real you when they already think they know who you are."

Jasper smiled at her, a genuine smile that made her heart flutter. "Yeah. Exactly."

They talked for hours that evening, long after the sun had set and the park had emptied out. Jasper told her about his family, his brothers who always seemed to overshadow him, and the pressure he felt to live up to their reputations. Alessia shared stories about her own life, her struggles with school, her friends, and how she often felt like she didn't quite fit in.

By the time they left the park, something had shifted between them. The walls Jasper had built around himself were beginning to crumble, and Alessia was starting to see the person he kept hidden from the world.

The rest of the week passed in a blur of secret meetings and late-night conversations. They would sit together on the swings in the park, or walk along the quiet streets of their neighbourhood, talking about everything and nothing. At school, they kept their distance, but there was a new understanding between them, a connection that hadn't been there before.

By Friday, Jasper couldn't keep it to himself any longer. They were sitting in English class, side by side as Mrs. Robinson droned on about Shakespeare. Alessia was scribbling notes in her notebook, her brow furrowed in concentration, when Jasper leaned over and whispered to her.

"Hey, princess."

Alessia glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

Jasper hesitated, feeling his nerves get the best of him. But then he reminded himself that this was Alessia—the girl who had seen the real him and hadn't run away. "I was thinking... Maybe we could hang out this weekend. Like, just the two of us. Not at the park this time, but, you know... on a date."