The girl behind her smile

- 28 -

ELIZA 

We exit the centre of the fair, my arms looped through his. Every now and then, my heart would flutter just thinking about the fact that I had a boyfriend. How fantastically, stupidly, crazy is that? I can't help but chew on my lips to stop the smile from bursting through.

He holds the panda - that I had won - in his other arm, a goofy smile also adorning his lips. I nudge him playfully in his side, letting him know I can see him smile. He winces slightly, halting his breath for just a moment before he looks down at me.

"I am so sorry!" I rush out, releasing his arm as I go to touch his side gently, "I completely forgot about your injury."

"No, it's ok, even I forget it's there." He pauses, his face scrunching slightly, "But, because it did hurt, you can make up for it with a kiss."

I scoff, "You are acting so cringe, you know that?"

He closes his eyes, and I watch as his eyebrows raise,"Still waiting for my payment."

"I'm not kissing you." I cross my arms over my chest, "I want the non-cringe Jasper back."

"Too bad, you unlocked this character the moment you agreed to dating me."

"Go suck a dick."

He smirks, bending down to me, "I will if it's yours." 

I shove him away from my face.

He gasps as he gains balance, "You can't shove an injured person!"

"I can if they're being annoying."

He returns to my side, and swinge his arms around my shoulders, placing his palm over my head, before ruffling item "Well then, I guess this is alright as well."

"Hey!" I take his hand off my head and place it to rest on my shoulder instead, "If I ask you a question, do you promise to answer it?"

"I'm not making promises I can't be sure to keep, but fire away, I'll see."

I rub my lips together before I ask, "How did you get that wound?"

"I already asked you not to ask any questions about this Eliza." He groans.

"Yeah, but, I did help you clean it and stuff, even gave you a place to stay," I look up at him, "I could have left you soaking in the rain."

"You wouldn't."

"I could've."

"You wouldn't, let's be honest."

"Why are you so sure about that?" I frown.

"Because it's not in your nature, you aren't someone who would cause another person pain voluntarily," he lets out a sigh, "That's just not you."

Jasper knows me, very well it appears. He seems to be good at analysing people, finding out what haunts them, what makes them want to curl up. He knows. But that's not something you can gather from the distant persona he puts on. One that seems to be detached from reality and used in the face of public. He is in fact quite the opposite. Although he seems to be riddled with money, he is very much rooted into reality, he doesn't let his riches speak for him, nor does he let the opinions of others drive his mind. Jasper knows the difference between what he wants and what he needs.

"It's one of the reasons I like you Eliza. You're kind hearted, without expecting anything in return," he takes a breath, "You don't find people like that anymore."

"It's not exactly a good thing though," I look down to the ground beneath me, the loose pieces of the gravel fly from behind my shoe, "People can use me. And they have. They take advantage of my fear and paranoia."