The Other Side of Tomorrow

He suddenly curls his fingers into mine and those sea-green eyes look up at me. “Is this okay?”

I nod. “It’s okay.”

It’s more than okay. His hand feels good in mine, solid, like we fit together.

“Thank you for coming out here with me. I swear I’ll stop dragging you out in the middle of the night.” He chuckles, looking at the waves as they crash against the sand with a soft roar.

My heart seizes at his words. “Don’t stop,” I gasp. “Please. I … I can’t sleep a lot too. And this … this is nice. It reminds me I’m not alone.”

“Are you hungry?” he asks suddenly.

I hadn’t realized it but, at his words, I suddenly notice I am.

“It’s after one in the morning, nothing is open, and I can’t sneak you into the house and cook for you.”

He grins. “You would cook for me?”

I bump his shoulder with mine, our hands still clasped. “Oh, shut up. I do like to cook.”

“I was actually suggesting we go to this diner I know. It’s not far and it’s open twenty-four hours.”

“Um, okay.” I bite my lip nervously. “But I’m in my pajamas.”

“You can change if you want. Or I have a sweatshirt in my car you can use.”

I may or may not be having heart palpitations over the fact he said I can wear his sweatshirt. Excuse me while I die a little inside.

“Yeah, that’d be great,” I say.

He smiles and my stomach flips but I notice it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

Even here, even now in this moment, his sadness about his brother lingers in the air. I don’t blame him. Losing a loved one isn’t easy. You can’t be expected to get over it in the blink of an eye. Grief may suck but in a lot of ways it’s like a warm coat, keeping you cozy as you remember the person, refusing to let go and believe they’re gone. But eventually you get too hot and have to remove that coat, and that’s when the real pain comes because there is no protection to soften the blow anymore.

He stands and helps me up, both of us dusting the sand off of our bodies. He towers above my five-foot-two frame, tall and lean I’d say he’s six-foot-three. I feel like a tiny little doll in his presence. If he picked me up my toes would dangle in the air.

He leads me around the side of my house, holding back some of the overgrown plants for me. We need to either trim or get rid of some stuff. They’re starting to look more like weeds than actual plants.

Jasper stops at his Jeep and reaches into the back, pulling out a sweatshirt with the mascot of his college, an eagle.

“Hands up,” he commands.

I do as he says and he slips the sweatshirt down over my body. It hangs past my pajama shorts and I have to roll the sleeves four times to be able to use my hands.

He looks me up and down. “I dig it.”

“I look like I’m naked.” I look down at my bare legs.

His eyes glimmer. “Tuck that part up too then.”

“That would look dumb.”

“Then just pretend you’re wearing an oversized dress.” He shrugs and opens the passenger door for me.

“M’lady.”

I shake my head at him and climb inside the giant Jeep. A giant Jeep for a giant guy.

I can’t believe I’m doing this. I think to myself as he jogs around the front and climbs in the driver’s side. I look to my right at my house, the windows darkened as they all sleep, and here I am with a guy.