Out of Character (True Colors 2)

“Yeah.” Jasper sounded a little wary now.

“I dunno.” I shrugged, enjoying this far more than I should have. “That’s a pretty big commitment—”

“I love you.” Jasper blurted it out, eyes going wide, like he was both pleased and surprised by himself. And a little worried. Which he didn’t need to be, because my entire body thrilled to those words.

“Well. There is that.” Somehow I managed to play it cool, get another smile out of him.

“I know I haven’t said it. But I’ve meant it.”

“I know.” And I did. I’d said it a few times, both joking and serious, and he still hadn’t. But I’d known. Every kiss. Every late-night chat. Every long look and every adventure. But I still had to tease. “And not just because you want student-priced housing?”

“Oh, I’m totally hitching my star to yours,” he teased right back, eyes sparkling and not only from the lights.

“You’re a goof.” My throat was tight.

“And you—”

“Love you back. Yeah. Completely. I love you too.” This time felt more real than the other times I’d said it, because he’d said it back and it meant something. And we had the start of a plan for the future. All those big dreams meant nothing if there wasn’t love to back them up, and I’d known there was, but hearing him say it was a rush, a sudden kick of adrenaline making me even more certain that this was the right path for me. For us.

He leaned in, giving me plenty of time to turn away, but no way was I going to. Party? Who cared? Jasper loved me and he wanted to kiss me right here and so we would. There was a low whoop. Might have been Conrad. I still didn’t care until Jasper deepened the kiss and I had to break away, laughing.

“Hey, now, I’m wearing a toga. None of that.”

“You’re my favorite prince.” He trailed his fingers down my smooth face. I’d done the shave-and-haircut thing for the event, wanting everything perfect for tonight. For him.

“Better be your only prince,” I growled.

“Only one I’m ever going to want,” he shot back before smiling tenderly.

“Promise?”

“Always.”

I caught sight of us in the big window, Prince Neptune and the Frog Wizard, having a moment. We were as cute as our characters. But we were also Jasper and Milo, two guys in love. Two guys meant to be together, meant to be here in this place, at this time, no matter what had gone before us. I wasn’t ever going to stop regretting high school, but when I saw us side by side like this, what I saw was my future, not my past. Jasper wanted us to dream big. And I did too, but I also knew that no matter how far we went, nothing was ever going to rival that feeling in my chest when he said he loved me.

“Say it again,” I whispered.

“I love you.” His eyes met mine in the reflection. Yup. Always and forever, this was right where I was supposed to be.

Chapter Forty-Three

Jasper

August

“Your prince is here,” Kellan announced loudly as he joined us on the patio, plunking down a six-pack of good beer and a tray of cookies. He was looking tan and shaggy after his stint at a summer stock production, and Jasmine was hanging on his arm in a way that showed off the engagement rock she’d gotten graduation weekend.

“Ha. Very funny. My prince and I came together.” I gestured at Milo who was across the table from me in the professors’ backyard, which was rapidly filling up with all our friends.

“We do that now.” Leaning back in his lawn chair, Milo nodded archly.

“Dude. We were on the same train.” Conrad rolled his eyes at both of us, an impressive feat. “If you say the words ‘our place’ or ‘together’ one more time, I’m going to die of sugar overload.”

“Was that not you last fall doing the exact same thing?” I asked pointedly because I still remembered how much it had sucked when he’d been all in love with Alden on their visits and I’d been oh-so-very single.

“It was,” Conrad agreed, exchanging some sort of private message with Alden.

“It maybe still is.” Alden gave a rare smile. He seemed a little more relaxed than usual, enjoying the last weekend before school started for him—his first year teaching at a junior high near where he and Conrad lived.

“I’m just saying that the unbearable cuteness that is you two hipster wannabes—”

“He called me a hipster.” Milo faked indignation.

“You’re an art student in Brooklyn who does cosplay on weekends. Were you thinking you still passed as a jock?” Kellan laughed and everyone joined in, including Milo, but then he got quiet.

“No. I guess not,” he said softly. And it was true that he didn’t look nearly as sporty these days. His hair was bushier and he’d forgotten to shave again. We’d been late getting ready to leave our tiny student housing near the art college campus for reasons, so he was in an Odyssey shirt someone had thrust at him last time he visited me at work and old shorts. His leg scars were more faded now, and he could comfortably wear chunky leather sandals for more than short cosplay stints.