Page 119 of Craving Paradise

“Are you dating anyone at the moment?” I ask him. I’ve seen photos of him online where he’s had his arms wrapped around a beautiful woman, so I know he hasn’t laid in bed all these months pining for me nor do I blame him. I disappeared halfway across the world. I think I made it pretty clear he’s single.

“At the moment, no, but I have since you left.”

“I know.”

“You know, how?”

“I may have looked at your socials from time to time,” I confess, wishing the ground would swallow me up saying that out loud.

“You stalked me?” he questions, and I can hear the smile in his voice.

“Yes, maybe once or twice.” More like a hundred times.

“Me too.”

“You did?” I’m surprised by that statement. I thought he hated me all this time.

“I’m a sucker for punishment. I was trying to work out where you were, who you were with, and if you were okay.”

“And did you think I was?”

“You seemed happy.”

“I wasn’t.”

Silence falls between us again at that confession.

“Every day I regretted my decision to come to the island. For months I’ve put a wide smile on my face. You know the saying ‘fake it till you make it’? That’s been me. I couldn’t let Elle down no matter how much it broke my heart to see you in the arms of another.”

“Lauren, why did you not tell me? I would have come for you. I was there, dammit. I was so fucking close to you, and you stayed hidden the entire time. Why?”

“What was I going to say to you, Jasper? Hey, man whose heart I’ve broken a million times, I was wrong, you were right. I want to come home and give this a shot,” I tell him as tears begin to run down my cheeks.

“Yes, something like that.”

“You hated me.”

Jasper let’s out a long breath. “I never hated you, Lauren. I could never hate you. I hated your decision … that’s the difference.”

That flutter that’s been dormant for so long has reappeared, slowly weaving its way across my body.

“Do you think Elle and Alistair will get together?” I change the subject sharply as I try to get a handle on my emotions.

“He sounded excited and hopeful when I spoke to him.”

“So did Elle.” I bite my lip nervously.

“You think Elle would go back if he asked?”

“Yes,” I answer without hesitation.

“Would that mean you would return too?” Jasper asks, and I can hear the tiniest bit of hope in his voice.

“I would.”

The phone falls silent again at my words. Do I tell him my news that Elle and I will be partnering in the bakery together? That now it’s not just her dream, it’s mine, too, because it is. I want to create the best damn bakery London has ever seen and take it global as well. Elle will be the creative brains behind the operations, and I’ll be the business side.

“Elle has asked me to go in fifty-fifty with her. She wants us to create this together as partners.”