Cross Country Hearts by Suzanne August

Eleven

“Bring your grandma’s cookies!”

Idrive into a small town outside of Baltimore just after midnight. The GPS on my phone no longer says twelve miles before making a turn but is now “take a left” in five hundred feet, followed by subsequent turns immediately after. Jasper is asleep in shotgun. After he told me the address and had me plug it into my phone, he curled up against the car door and left me alone with my thoughts.

I shake Jasper’s shoulder once I make another turn. The GPS says we’ll be at the destination in ten minutes.

“Haven’t managed to crash yet?” Jasper’s mumbling voice is heavy with sleep. He straightens in shotgun, raising his hands to rub at his eyes.

“Hardy har har,” I say. “I think we’re almost there.”

Jasper takes in a long, slow breath and opens his eyes fully. He leans closer to my side of the dashboard, where my phone is attached to a stick so I can see it better. After squinting at the screen, he turns his attention to the window. I hear the smile in his voice when he says, “Yeah, this is it.”

“Glad to be back?”

“You have no idea.”

I probably don’t. I grew up in Boston. I’ve lived in the same home since I was a newborn. Unlike Jasper, I’ve never known another home.

“Whose house are we going to?” I ask.

“Lila’s,” he says. “Or Ren’s. They live in the same apartment complex.”

“Tell me more about them.”

I ask because for every moment he slept, I became more and more paranoid, wondering about these three people I’ve never met. Would they like me? Was this detour a good decision? I need the information to make me feel better. I need to know that his friends won’t think the same things Jasper feels about me.

But all he says is, “You’ll meet them soon enough.”

“Have you told them I’m with you?”

“Uh…” His sleepy grin turns sheepish. “I haven’t told them anything.”

I take a moment to process this. To understand what he means. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Are you saying they have no idea that we’re coming?”

“They take surprises well.”

“What about their parents?”

He snorts. “They love me. They would never turn me away.”

“You’re showing up on their doorstep in the middle of the night!” Even though I’m driving, I throw a hand up from the steering wheel, waving it above my head. “And you have a random girl with you.”

“No, you’re my cousin’s wife’s sister. You’re hardly random,” he mumbles. When I glance in his direction, though, the reason he slurs his words is more likely because of the bags under his eyes and how his head bobs, and not because he’s embarrassed.

“Jasper, call Lila or Ren right now,” I demand.

His eyes draw away from the window and settle on me. “You called me by my first name.”

“What?” I glance at him again. “I’ve called you Jasper before.”

“No, you haven’t.”

“I have, and don’t change the subject. Call someone.”

He lets out a long, drawn-out breath. “I’m not calling anyone. Stop freaking out. You’re going to get us into a car crash.”

“I will not!” I stare at him when I say this, which I suppose, in retrospect, is a bad idea. In the next moment, I stomp on my breaks so I don’t get dangerously close to the car in front of me.

Jasper swears. “I’m having Thomas teach me to drive!”

“You’re not driving this car!”

“Then stop trying to kill us!”

My hands grip the steering while I try to take deep, even breaths. Near car accident aside, I’m not letting the subject change. “We can’t just show up on someone’s doorstep uninvited.”

“You can with my friends,” he says, and I don’t know why he has to sound so smug about it. “Besides, I’m always invited.”

“I can’t believe this,” I mutter.

~.*.~

Jasper instructs me to park in front of an aging apartment building with gray wooden stairs that look almost in worse shape than my car. They creak under my sneakers as we climb them, and I’m not sure if I could grip the railing any harder.

“We’re going to knock on Lila’s door first. She’s more likely to be home,” Jasper says. He walks ahead of me, two steps the length between us.

I scowl at the black shirt that covers his back. I hate this situation almost as much as I originally hated going to the Met. “Why wouldn’t Ren be home?”

Jasper looks over his shoulder and simply lifts his mouth into a small, knowing smile. It only serves to irritate me. My strong feelings of dislike for him, which had dissipated to an almost simmer instead of a boiling intensity, start to heat up again. I’m about ready to leave him here in Maryland with his friends, but then I remind myself I’d have to explain to our families why one of the groomsmen couldn’t make the wedding.

Jasper can tell me all he wants about how his friends will welcome him showing up on their doorstep at midnight, but I have a hard time believing it. Besides, I think it’s rude. Georgia and Melanie would do the same for me, but I’d still give them a warning that I’m showing up.

Before I’m even up the last steps of stairs, Jasper is already knocking on the door of a third-floor apartment. Large golden numbers nailed to the mahogany door proclaim it to be apartment thirty-two.

I come to a standstill just behind Jasper when I hear the soft click of a lock being undone. Then the door inches open, and I see curious eyes peering out at us through the crack. She must recognize Jasper immediately because only seconds later, the door is swinging wide open. A sound of high-pitched glee accompanies the creaking protests of the aging door, and an arm is thrown around Jasper’s shoulders, drawing him close.

“No way!” the girl screeches. She drags him inside the apartment. Hesitant, unsure, and nervous, I step inside behind them. But the girl doesn’t even notice me. She laughs wildly, gripping Jasper’s upper arms. “You make the best surprises, Jasper!”

I thought I’d seen Jasper’s grin, but the width of the one he wears now is unlike anything I’ve seen on him before. It catches me off guard—and only serves to make me more uncomfortable. Feelings of being out of place take root beside my anxiousness.

“It was spontaneous,” Jasper says.

You can say that again.

The girl opens her mouth to reply, but it seems she finally notices me. Her eyes narrow on me standing behind Jasper. If her happy grin was wide before, now it rivals Jasper’s. “Who’s the pretty girl you brought with you?”

Jasper twists around to look at me, almost like he forgot I was there. “This is June, April’s sister. June, meet Lila.”

The full force of Lila’s bright smile hits me. She has cropped highlighted blue and pink hair and is small—probably not even five feet—and yet I feel like she’s taller than me. We’ve clearly interrupted something because she’s holding Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, a spoon speared into the center. With the way she holds herself, which is hip jutted, foot out and an overall air of confidence, I get the feeling she’s a strong-headed girl. Her huge, brown eyes cry innocence, but that’s nothing compared to her demanding, intimidating presence.

And then I realize I’m staring.

“Hi,” I say, and I hate that my voice comes out in a quiet squeak, especially since I’m hiding behind Jasper. I cross my arms across my chest and look around—anywhere but at Lila or the man who stands between us.

When I finally do glance back to Lila, her grin has taken on an amused tilt. “You look so much like April!”

I’m shocked, almost speechless. “You—I… what? You’ve met my sister?”

She bursts into a loud laugh. “No way! Jasper’s grandma would never have let me or any one of us near her. I’ve seen pictures, though.”

I send a desperate look to Jasper for some clarity. “April’s been here?”

He bobs his head. “Carlisle came down last summer right after he proposed so that April could finally meet our grandmother.”

“Oh,” I say. Lamely.

“Come on.” Lila jumps into sudden motion. She grabs Jasper’s elbow with one hand and mine with another. “My parents will kill me if I wake them up now.”

I almost snap at Jasper that I knew we should’ve warned someone we were coming, but I feel so out of place and unsure of myself that I keep my mouth shut. Instead, I bewilderingly follow Lila as she leads Jasper out of the apartment, closing the door behind me when she asks me to.

She leads us down the hall, firm grips on our arms. “Ren’s parents are gone for the week,” she explains. “We can catch up in there.”

“Ren’s home?”

“Oh.” Moment of silence. “I have no idea.”

She knocks on apartment thirty-four anyway. And then we wait. We wait for a while. I rub my arm where Lila had been grasping it. For her petite stature, she’s surprisingly strong.

“Maybe he’s not home?” Jasper suggests.

“I could’ve sworn I saw him earlier today.”

I can’t keep quiet. The curiosity is killing me. “Why wouldn’t he be home?”

Jasper doesn’t look at me, but Lila flashes me a bright, knowing smile. She still doesn’t say anything.

This Ren must be one fascinating person.

As it turns out, someone is home. After Lila knocks a second and even a third time, we finally hear muffled footfalls on the other side of the door.

“Open up, Ren!” Lila shouts.

I wince. Doesn’t she have any concern for anyone else sleeping in this apartment building?

“Why?” The question sounds faint through the barrier of the door.

“I’ve got a surprise.”

There’s some muttered grumbling and groaning that has something to do with Lila and her antics. At least, I think so. It’s hard to hear the words through the door. Nonetheless, we hear the locks on the door turn. Unlike Lila, there’s no immediate reaction from the guy when he opens the door and leans against its frame. He rubs his eyes without entirely focusing on what’s in front of him. “Lila, do you understand the concept of sleep—”

He cuts off. His hands have fallen to his sides, and his eyes grow wide. He slaps a hand against Jasper’s shoulder. “Jasper!”

The boy in question presses his knuckles against the shoulder of the guy, who must be Ren. “Hey, man! What’s up?”

“You wouldn’t believe.” Ren laughs. “Come on in! Lila, I forgive you for waking me up.”

“You forgive me?” she scoffs, shoving him aside so she can enter his apartment. “Blame Jasper. He’s the one who showed up at midnight.”

Ren only barks out another laugh, but it stops short when he spots me shuffling into his apartment behind everyone else. He whistles. “Jasper, man, you finally got yourself a girlfriend?”

His eyes roll. “This is April’s sister, June. She’s a bridesmaid.”

Ren’s mouth shapes an oh, and he sticks out his right hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Bridesmaid. The name’s Dhiren, but most people just call me Ren.”

I take Ren’s tanned hand into my own. His grip is firm and sure, and he only shakes my hand once before letting go. His smile is similar to Lila’s, but somehow, I get the notion that he’s much more mischievous. It might have to do with his green eyes and the glint that shines through them. His black hair even makes them stand out more.

Lila’s presence intimidates me, but Ren’s stance and easy smile are inviting. He’s probably popular with the girls from his school or work—whatever he does.

“June and I are going on a road trip before getting to the wedding,” Jasper explains. “I thought I’d take the opportunity to see you guys on our way down.”

“You wouldn’t by any chance have your grandmother’s stereotypical cookies, would you?” Lila asks.

“Lila, my grandma is already in Florida.”

“I was just asking.” She rolls her eyes.

Ren slaps Jasper on the back. “You came at the best time! We’ve got loads of events planned for this week.”

And just like that, I’m forgotten. I’m standing to the side of their circle of reunion.

“Yeah?” Jasper tilts his head to the side. “It’s not going to get me in trouble, is it?”

“Do you care?” Ren asks.

“This time, I do. I have to be in Jacksonville by Friday.”

Lila glowers. “You should’ve come after the wedding.”

“I can come back.”

“Bring your grandma’s cookies!”

I back against the apartment’s door, watching the three catch up. Their banter is easy and carefree, like the amount of time it’s been since they’ve seen each other has done nothing but strengthen their friendship. They stand in the middle of Ren’s apartment, but they’ve no care in the world where they are. They’re just excited that they’re together.

I feel tired watching them. Not because the amount of energy they generate between them is exhausting, but because I feel out of place. I don’t belong here. On top of that, it’s been a long day, between bickering with Jasper and driving for hours.

“June.” A hand seizes my shoulder, and I snap back to attention. Lila’s looking at me, brown eyes zeroed in on mine. “Ren’s parents aren’t home. They’re on a business trip, so you can sleep in their room. Jasper’s gonna crash in Ren’s.”

“Don’t worry,” Ren pipes in. “My parents are never home. Their room is more like a guest room than their own bedroom.”

I slide my gaze to Jasper, but his contented expression in no way helps me. I have no idea what to say. I don’t even know how to convey how uncomfortable I am to someone I barely know and like.

“You look tired,” is all Jasper says. To his friends, he adds, “She’s the driver.”

I swallow, uncross my arms because I know they must scream that I’m uncomfortable, and nod to Ren. “Thanks.”

Ren lifts a finger towards the hallway. “The bedroom is the door on the right.”

I mutter a quick goodnight to Jasper and his friends before making my escape. The level of my comfort drops dramatically further as I leave them to wrap up their reunion. I hear Lila say something about getting Thomas over in the morning. She adds something about going out for the day tomorrow. From the sound of it, right as I find the guest room and escape inside it, she’s already forming a plan.

When Jasper offered to come down to Baltimore to see his friends, I readily said yes because we’d managed to spend a day more or less getting along. The way he described them made them sound spontaneous and hilarious, and unique. I just should’ve figured that I’d be uncomfortable around a set of friends that aren’t even my own.

No, they’re a set of friends that belong to someone I’ve only ever had unkind words for.

I should’ve known I’d be uncomfortable, but I don’t think I could’ve predicted the intense feelings of regret I feel for coming. What was I thinking? Jasper’s friends aren’t my friends. How am I supposed to connect with them?

As soon as I’ve arrived, I can’t wait to get back on the road and out of Maryland.