Page 76 of Under the Waves
“I was kinda hoping you’d say yes…” he sighed, running a hand through his hair as he pulled out a small, tattered piece of paper.
Taking in a deep breath, I began to read the letter aloud.
My Wellsy with the big green eyes,
will you agree to be my fake girlfriend?
I stifled back a laugh, holding the piece of paper in my hands so delicately like if I didn’t, it would take flight, and I’d never see it again.
Glancing back up at him, blinking back tears, I choked out, “You did this…why? We already agreed to this, Jasper.”
He bit down on his lip, shaking his head, a small blush painting his cheeks pink. “I wanted to make it official, and I even included some terms and conditions.”
This contract is legitimate until the day after the final state surfing competition, where if I, Jasper E. Ridge, win, then I get to keep my Wellsy for reals, and if Poppy M. I. Wells wins, then I will publicly declare that Poppy Wells is the best surfer in Hawthorne Hills, andI will complete three tasks that shall remain unnamed until after the winner is decided. This contract cannot be terminated for any reason until the day after the final surfing competition when the scholarships will be awarded.
P.S. I will get you past your mental block in time for the competition, Wellsy.
Prometo. Para o infinito.
My breath hitched in my throat, his words hitting me deep, straight to my bones. “I agreed to one date only, Jasper Easton Ridge.”
My heart couldn’t take any more knowing you’ll never be mine.
“I could never just haveonedate with you, Wellsy.” He replied in a gruff tone, before adding huskily, “You’re myaddiction.”
I laughed, and a single tear slipped from my eye without any warning. I scrambled to brush it away before he noticed but Jasper grasped my hand gently, pulling me softly against his chest, and wiped it away with the pad of his thumb. A shiver racked my spine from his touch alone.
“I bet you’re regretting this now,” I breathed heavily, shaking my head whilst he continued to brush his thumb in gentle strokes across my cheeks.
“I’ve regretted a lot of bets in my life, Wellsy, but you are not one of them.”
I shook my head. “I know you think you can fix me, Jasper, but I—”
“I don’t want tofixyou, Poppy,” he replied, not missing a single beat.
My eyes widened in disbelief as I whispered, “You don’t?”
“I don’t,” he confirmed.
“Then what are you doing? Why are you helping me, Jasper? Why are you telling me all of these things like how you’re going to protect me if you know how broken I am…”
“I don’t want to fix you, Poppy Wells, because you were never broken to begin with,” he growled, eyes locking onto mine with an impenetrable force, shining with a clarity I’d never seen before as if he was desperate to make me understand. “You arenotbroken, Wellsy.”
“You cannot possibly believe that,” I gasped, completely and utterly breathless like a goddamn fool.
“Watch me,” he said as his hands cupped the back of my neck until our faces were mere inches apart. “I am a complete and utter fool when it comes to you, Poppy.”
For a moment, we stood like that, chests heaving as our hearts pounded in a synchronized rhythm. The bustling crowds of surfers lingered in the background, but the only sounds that mattered to me were the waves andhim.
I felt like I was falling…literally.
Suddenly, Jasper had pulled me down onto my beach towel, getting sand all over it. As he sat down next to me, spreading his sandy legs all over my clean, sand-free towel, he noticed my scowl and smirked.
He fucking smirked at me.The asshole.
I pushed his legs off. Well, attempted too. He was actually incredibly heavy, and when I raised my brow at him, he just laid back onto his elbows and gave me that cocky, surf captain grin that said ‘keep trying, Wellsy, it’s amusing watching you struggle.’
“Don’t look at me like that,” I gritted out, dusting the sand off the towel.