Best Kept Lies (Best Kept #3)

Chapter 13: All About Rescuing Strays

As I breathe out, I cross my leg over the other and rest the book on my knee. Nibbling on my thumb nail, I flip the page and continue reading.

I'm sitting on the ledge of the fountain and the sound of it is soothing. The park is nearly empty at this hour except for the eighty-year-old man on the other side. He's just staring at a tree and has been for thirty minutes.

Jasper steps over my legs again and continues walking around the lip of the fountain.

"You're going to fall in," I mumble.

"You said that already," he notes.

I sigh and my gaze flits to the opposite page just in time for Jasper to jump across my legs instead of stepping over them. "I'm going to laugh my ass off if you fall in."

"Will you rescue me if I do?"

"Nope."

"Good to know."

I go back to reading and Jasper continues his trek back and forth the few feet of fountain he has.

I hear Jasper's yelp first, followed by a splash in the fountain water.

Casually, I flip my book shut and stuff it back in my bag before standing. When I turn around, Jasper's raised up on his elbows in the fountain. "I won't say I told you so."

"Just help me get out of here," he says.

I brace a hand on the ledge and tilt my body forward so I could grasp his hand. With it in my hold, I tug gently. "You have to put effort into it. There's no way I'm getting you out of this fountain by myself."

He starts lifting himself slowly and then it all happens too fast.

Jasper pulls me in with him, my clothes instantly soaking up the fountain water and chilling my skin. I want to scream, but I realize something else instead. "Jasper!" I yell. "I'm still in my school clothes!"

"And?"

"I'm wearing a white shirt!" My face heats up and the chills that rack my body don't seem to bother me anymore. Instead I'm mortified. "My bra is bright freaking red because I need to do laundry!"

Jasper's eyes widen. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," he says quickly and scrambles around for the hem of his soaked t-shirt. He yanks it over his head in a haste and starts hurrying to put it on me.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Trying to fix this!" He concentrates on getting my arms through the gray t-shirt he had been wearing. "Let me fix it!"

Every ounce of anger I thought I had, dissipates. I start laughing, softly at first, and then it turns into uncontrollable giggling. "I'm not a computer," I say in between laughs.

Jasper's hand stills around my wrist after it's been pulled through the sleeve. "You're laughing," he states like he can't believe it.

"There was no need to go all Tarzan and take your shirt off," I tell him. "My blazer is in my bag."

Jasper lets out a harsh breath. "I figured my boobs were less offensive than yours."

"My boobs are offensive?" I question.

"That's not what I meant—I mean that—you know, boobs are boobs but yours are yours and I have no idea where I was going with this. People get offended by everything. Except me. I have no problems with anyone's boobs."