The rest of the night passed in relative peace—well, as peaceful as things could get with Jasper sprawled on Alex's bed, dramatically sighing every time she made him take notes. By the time he finally left, he shot her a wink at the front door and said, "Sweet dreams, Beautiful Overachiever."
Alex slammed the door in his face.
She spent the next hour pacing in her room, trying to shake off the lingering warmth from his words. He's just messing with me. That's what he does. He annoys me, he flirts, and then he moves on.
So why did it feel different this time?
---
The next day at school, Alex tried her best to avoid Jasper—not because she wanted to, of course, but because she needed time to reset. To remind herself that she did not have a crush on that insufferable, arrogant, ridiculously charming—No. Stop that.
Unfortunately, avoiding Jasper was like trying to avoid air.
The moment she walked into AP English, he was already in her seat, lounging like he owned the place. "Alexandra," he greeted, his smirk firmly in place. "Miss me?"
"No," she said flatly.
"Liar."
She huffed, grabbing a chair from the next row and dragging it to the side. But before she could sit down, Jasper hooked his foot around one of the chair legs and gently nudged it out of her reach.
Alex glared. "Are you five?"
Jasper tilted his head in mock thought. "Emotionally? Maybe."
She sighed, sitting anyway, and refused to look at him for the rest of the class.
---
But the real problem came later.
It was lunchtime, and Alex was sitting alone at her usual spot in the library. It was one of the few places in school where she could breathe without dealing with the chaos of the cafeteria.
At least, until Jasper found her.
"Of course you'd be hiding here." He dropped into the seat across from her, placing his tray down like this was their lunch spot.
Alex scowled. "This is my table."
Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Pretty sure the school library doesn't do table reservations."
She let out an exasperated sigh. "Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be off making some poor freshman cry or flirting with half the school?"
Jasper smirked. "Aw, are you jealous, Beautiful Overachiever?"
Alex nearly choked on her water. "Jealous?! Of you?!"
"Hey, I get it. It must be hard watching me give other people my attention when you've gotten so used to it."
She stared at him, dumbfounded. "You are delusional."
Jasper just grinned, completely unbothered. "Says the girl who keeps avoiding me but still hasn't told me to leave."
Alex opened her mouth, fully prepared to tell him to get lost, but then… she hesitated.
Because the truth was, as annoying as he was, she kind of… liked this. Not in the romantic way (definitely not, no way, absolutely not). But Jasper had a way of making her feel seen. And after last night's dinner, after being reminded just how invisible she was to her own family, maybe that was something she wasn't ready to let go of just yet.
So instead of telling him to leave, she sighed and went back to her book.
Jasper just smiled. Because that was all the answer he needed.
Later
It was study hall, and Alex was making her way to the library, the usual route she took to avoid the chaos of the cafeteria. She had a test to prepare for, and she figured she'd study in peace. But as she walked across the school yard, she noticed a familiar figure sitting under a tree.
Jasper.
He was leaning back against the trunk, headphones securely on his head, eyes closed. His usual confident, cocky posture was softened in a way Alex wasn't used to seeing. He looked… peaceful.
Curious, Alex slowed her pace, studying him from a distance. His fingers tapped lazily against the ground in time with the music, and his chest rose and fell with every breath, completely relaxed. It was a side of him she'd never seen before—the person who wasn't trying to impress anyone or irritate them on purpose.
Before she could even process what she was doing, her feet had carried her closer. And the moment she was close enough, Jasper opened one eye and grinned. "Well, well, if it isn't Miss Overachiever. Fancy seeing you here."
Alex rolled her eyes, but her heart rate quickened a little. She was not going to admit it, but there was something about him in this moment that was so disarming. "What are you doing?"
He took the headphones off and tossed them onto the grass beside him. "Listening to music. You should try it sometime."
"I don't have time for that." She crossed her arms, clearly trying to distance herself. She had to focus on her test. She had to get through this year.
Jasper raised an eyebrow. "You never stop, do you? Always on the grind. Always doing something."
Alex frowned, a little defensive. "It's called being responsible."
He shrugged, not buying it. "Maybe. But you're always running from something, too. What's wrong with taking a break? You know, letting go of the grind once in a while?"
Alex didn't respond right away. She wasn't sure what to say to that. Truth be told, she didn't know how to let go. Her entire life had been about proving she was capable, about showing her family that she was just as good as Haley—better, even.
Jasper wasn't done. He leaned back, his voice softer than usual. "You're so used to people expecting things from you, to meeting those expectations. You don't even realize you're running on autopilot."
Alex's breath caught in her throat, and she turned away, not wanting to show him that his words stung more than she cared to admit. She wasn't ready to have this conversation. Not with him. Not with anyone.
"I'm fine," she muttered. "I've got stuff to do."
Jasper chuckled, and she could hear the slight teasing in his tone. "You know, it's okay to take a break. Trust me."
Alex looked back at him, trying to hide the vulnerability she felt creeping up. "What do you know about taking breaks? You're always so carefree. So nonchalant."
He raised both eyebrows, a playful smirk on his lips. "Carefree? You think I don't have stuff I'm dealing with? You think this is just for fun?"
Alex blinked. "You?"
"Yeah, me," he said, his tone growing more serious. "I'm not some guy who just floats through life. I just don't show it like you do. I've got my things to deal with, just like everyone else."
Alex stared at him for a moment, unsure of how to respond. She had never expected this from him. She had always seen him as the perfect image of someone who didn't care about anything, who made people laugh and annoyed them at the same time. But now, in this moment, she realized there was more to him.
"Do you want to sit?" he offered, patting the grass next to him.
Alex hesitated. She should get back to studying. She should focus. But something about his words lingered in her mind. The idea of letting go, even for just a moment, felt like a strange invitation.
With a small sigh, she lowered herself next to him, not really sure why she did it.
Jasper gave her a sideways glance and smiled, but this time, it wasn't teasing. It was something softer, more genuine. "You know, I didn't expect you to take a break with me."
She shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not taking a break. I'm just sitting here for a few minutes."
"Sure," he said, clearly amused. "Whatever you want to tell yourself."
They sat there in silence for a while, the only sound between them being the faint rustle of the wind through the leaves and the distant chatter of other students.
Alex could feel the weight of the moment, the realization that she was actually enjoying spending time with him. Despite herself. Despite how annoying he could be.
"Alex," Jasper said after a while, breaking the silence. "I know you think you have to be perfect all the time. That you have to always be on top of everything, but that's not all there is. You're allowed to be human. You're allowed to not have it all figured out."
Her heart skipped a beat. "I know that." She quickly added, "I just—"
"Don't know how to let go?" he finished for her.
She nodded, avoiding his gaze.
Jasper's expression softened. "It's hard, I know. But it's okay. You're allowed to have fun, to make mistakes, and to not always be the perfect overachiever. Trust me."
For the first time, Alex let herself lean back against the tree, just listening to the quiet and not thinking about her next move.
Maybe he was right. Maybe there was more to life than being perfect all the time.
And maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't hurt to let someone else in.