Always Him (Always #1)

Chapter Nine

A few days later, and somehow Jasper had gotten his way. Maybe it was the high off the reunion she just had with him, or perhaps the stars had aligned just the right way. I'd come home from work as Jasper got his jacket on. I was about to take mine off when he held my hands, stopping me.

"We've got a dinner at Carly's. She said she didn't have time to cook, but I told her not to worry. I left work early to do some cooking, and we're going to her place now." Now that he said it, I was able to smell the delicious food he'd cooked. I began to drool at the smell, tasting it in the air. He noticed my blissed-out face; his jaw ticked slightly, he hid it with a grin. "Stop dreaming about the food. You can't have it yet. We've got to get it to Carly's."

"Bu-but." I protested; I wanted it now. "It smells so good!" he blushed at the praise. "Wait," I stopped, realizing what was happening. "How did you convince her? The woman is stubborn as all hell."

"That she is." He agreed. "But she missed me, and I said I wanted to make it up to her. It worked, so if you want to eat that food you smell, you're going to have to help me put it in the car and drive it over to her house. Okay?"

I grumbled my agreement. What did I do to deserve the punishment of smelling the food in the apartment to having to smell it in a much smaller car where the scent was even stronger? I groaned the entire ride over; Jasper only laughed at my struggle.

Carly was leaning against the railing. The memory from the other day raced to the front of my mind. Déjà vu. "Come in, you guys!"

Jasper led the way. I glanced at my parent's house next door. Both cars were gone; they weren't home from work yet to see the miracle that Jasper had managed to pull off. It was an accomplishment worthy of a trophy; he'd be holding this over my head for a long time.

Once inside, Jasper and I nearly dropped the food in our hands. The house had remained exactly the same as it had been during our childhood.

Warm red wallpaper on every wall. The white leather couch and loveseat with red pillows adorning them. The black carpet contrasted the walls and furniture, but that's what we all loved about the house. A fire was going in the fireplace, the small dining table with the glass flower vase in the middle. Blaine had made that for her for Mother's Day. Jasper and I had gotten her the fake flowers to put inside to promise her that our love for her would stand forever.

"Well, come on! I can smell that food from here, let's eat!" Carly gathered us from the living room. Even as I placed the food on the table, I couldn't stop the memory that surfaced.

"Does she really need the blindfold?" Jasper asked.

I only giggled, tightening the blindfold around Carly's head. Carly remained silent, only smiling as we talked around her. "It helps, Jas."

"Yeah, Jas." Blaine mocked. "We have a theme going, can't ruin the surprise."

Jasper finally relented. "Sorry if it's too tight, Carly."

"Oh, not at all." She responded. "What are you crazy kids up to?"

"You know what day it is." I reminded her.

"Do I?" she asked with a laugh. "It's not a day for me."

"Is too!" the three of us nearly screamed at the same time.