Yours Truly, Ramona

chapter twenty nine | cherish.

When I told Mason I wasn't leaving anymore, the anger he held towards me diminished almost immediately.

He became attached to me once again, following me around and trying his best to stay in the same room as me at all times.

He didn't get to follow me around for long, though, as Owen soon decided he was going to take Mason to the zoo. He'd invited me too, but I declined, saying I was going out to lunch with a friend.

It wasn't a lie, exactly.

I just didn't tell them this person was a little more than a friend. I mean, they don't need to know everything.

I walk through the door of Abacus Cafe right on time and take a seat to wait for Jasper.

After a good ten minutes of flipping through the menu and stacking up packets of coffee creamer, Jasper shows up with his shiny, combed back hair and vibrant smile. He slips into the booth with his pretty smile and greets me with a warm-hearted stare.

"Hey, Mona."

"Hey," I respond, a flirtatious smile spreading across my lips. "Any specific reason you wanted to meet me for lunch?"

"Woah, you really don't care for small talk, do you?" he asks while peeling off his black coat.

I shrug. "You know me better than that. Get down to the point, Jasper."

"What if there wasn't a point? What if I just wanted to see you?"

He picks up a menu and starts sifting through it while my eyes skim the cafe. It's pretty empty, and it has a rustic and arty style to it. There are fairy lights and wood accents, giving the whole place a cozy, modern feeling.

"You always have a point," I respond after a long pause.

He glances up from his menu with a charming smile, my heart skipping a beat when I look into his chestnut eyes.

"Do I ever tell you how much I like you?"

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from melting like a hormonal teenage girl—even though that's exactly what I am.

Instead, I shrug and pretend to be unaffected by his compliment.

"I believe you've mentioned it before," I quip back with a smirk.

A waitress comes over with her order slip and jots down our orders before taking our menus from us and leaving us alone once again.

"So," Jasper begins once the waitress has disappeared from our sight. "About the other day—"

"A-ha!" I blurt out before he has a chance to continue. "I knew you had a point for meeting me!"

"Will you fucking let me continue?" he says with a laugh.

"Fine."

"As I was saying... about the other day..."

I raise an eyebrow, not quite sure what he's talking about.

"What other day? What are you talking about?"

"Maybe if you'd let me finish—"

"Nice guys finish last."

He crosses his arms across his chest, holding back his amusement and ignoring my hilarious joke.

"Remember when we were in the hallway after school? Luis, Xavier, and Michael were all there, remember?"

"Right. I remember."

"Well do you remember me asking you if you wanted to make it, like, official—to make us official."