“Holy shit,” Jess breathed as the three of us stared at the guy who was also frozen, only five feet away.
“That’s not a doppelganger?” Layla’s comment came out as a question.
“No. It’s really him.” The words left my mouth as a whisper. Our eyes remained locked as we processed this moment.
“Kara?” Nope. It was really him. Jason’s bewildered look faded as he closed the distance between us.
“Hi,” I breathed, not knowing how to react. The shock was still lingering in my core. I had no idea what to do—especially because of how different he looked.
It was becoming difficult to process.
“It is you.” Jason’s blue eyes trailed down my body.
I blushed, realizing I’d never worn anything like this in high school. The only time he’d seen me dressed up was at the prom, but that’d been over three years ago.
Layla subtly whispered into my ear, “Do you want us to go?”
I could barely hear her over the music. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to be alone with him right now, but only because I was afraid he didn’t want to be near me.
“Want a drink?” He raised an eyebrow, gesturing toward the bar behind him. The knot in my stomach turned into excitement.
“Sure.” I craned my neck to face my friends. They nodded, understanding what I needed. The two girls walked toward the bathroom, and I faced Jason again.
Our eyes locked momentarily before he turned and led us over to the bar. I ordered my drink, and we sat silently, not knowing what to say.
The last time I’d seen Jason had been at graduation. After the first week of hoping he’d come to me and beg to try a long-distance relationship, I’d started to move on.
Jason had never once tried to reach out to me.
We’d shared one last stare after graduation, and that had been the last time I’d seen him. Jason really had flown thousands of miles away, and I had been left without a heart.
I finally broke the silence. “I thought you were in California.”
Jason ran his hand through his already messy blond hair. The flashing club lights sparkled in his eyes. They were still as mesmerizing as before.
“I was,” he responded, dropping his hand to his side, “until about a month ago. What are you doing here?” Jason finally met my eyes again, and my stomach flipped.
The curiosity in his eyes matched my own. We were both just as eager to learn about each other.
“I actually just transferred here. Layla, Jess, and I moved in together.” Surprise flashed across Jason’s face.
Someone bumped into Jason, causing him to move closer to me. We were now less than a foot apart. My heart was drumming like crazy.
Was I just imagining things, or was there still a connection?
The scent of him intoxicated me. So much time had passed, yet here I was, still yearning for him. It also didn’t help that he was so much more attractive now.
“Look at you,”—Jason looked down at me with those sapphire eyes that drove me wild—“chasing your dreams.”
“It still feels like a dream.” I closed my eyes for a moment, recalibrating myself. I was slightly tipsy. I didn’t want my emotions to get the best of me. I hadn’t thought about him in a while.
I was astonished to feel this way after despising him for so long.
“Still interested in teaching?” Jason tilted his head as he asked the question. My heart bubbled that he remembered.
“I am.” I nodded in return. “Are you still playing football?”
Jason crossed his arms as he leaned against the bar. I took a moment to inspect the tattoo covering his left arm. It was so foreign to me.
“Yeah, I actually transferred here too. I haven’t played for a year, though. I start again this semester,” Jason explained, looking thrilled.
My eyes wandered his body as I took in how much leaner and more muscular he looked.
“Hey, babe.” My eyes flashed as I saw a blonde girl weave her arm through Jason’s. The blood in my veins ran cold. It felt like someone had thrown a bucket of ice on me.
“Hey.” Jason’s lips formed into a small smile, and he glanced at me briefly as she gave him a brief peck on the cheek. The beautiful girl turned to stare at me with large emerald eyes.
I would’ve easily mistaken her for an Instagram model. She was slim and petite, and her makeup was flawless. My heart ached at how good they looked together, like a power couple.
“Nice to meet you.” I forced myself to smile and offered my hand. Lola slipped her soft, manicured hand into my own and smiled in return. “I should actually go. My friends are waiting for me.”
Jason’s eyes gave away nothing as I turned and scurried away like a dog with her tail between her legs.
