The road curved gently ahead, the hum of the tires on asphalt a steady rhythm under the soft playlist Jasper had queued up—something chill, dreamy, and just slow enough to match the quiet magic in the air.
Alex leaned slightly toward him, hugging her arms against the breeze. The night wrapped around them like velvet.
"So…" she said, her voice light but curious, "where are we going?"
Jasper smirked, eyes still on the road. "Where I was supposed to take you after the party."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Home?"
He chuckled under his breath and shook his head. "Nope. Originally, I had a plan. After dancing for two hours, we were going to leave the chaos and head somewhere quieter. Chill. Just you and me."
She looked over at him with a small smile. "To prevent an incident like what happened?"
"Exactly," he said, glancing at her. "I didn't want to deal with drunk idiots or party drama. Plus, Britney's parties are all drinks, no food. I figured we'd be starving."
Alex blinked in surprise. "Wait—so you had this planned all along?"
Jasper grinned. "Of course. I wasn't just going to drop off the most stunning girl of the night after a few dances. And now, thanks to that loser and his big mouth, we're thirty minutes ahead of schedule."
He reached over, casually brushed her hand with his fingers. "Lucky me."
Alex pretended not to notice the way her heart sped up at his touch. "You're impossible."
"And yet, you're still here," he teased.
The car turned onto a quiet road leading out of the main town, trees framing the path. She glanced around, curiosity blooming again.
"Okay, fine, Shakespeare. Where exactly is this mystery place?"
Jasper just smirked and said, "You'll see."
The trees gave way to an open stretch of road as Jasper turned onto a quiet hilltop path lit by soft golden streetlamps. In the distance, lights sparkled—like stars resting just above the city skyline.
Alex leaned forward slightly, eyes wide. "Wait… is that the city?"
Jasper nodded, slowing the car. "Yup. One of the best viewpoints around. No one comes here on Friday nights because they're too busy partying. But I thought…" He pulled into a quiet lookout spot and parked, the top still down, letting the soft night breeze brush over them. "You might like this better."
Alex stared at the glowing view in silence. "It's beautiful," she whispered.
He glanced over at her, a smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah. It really is."
She turned and caught him already watching her.
"You meant the view," she said.
He raised a brow, lips twitching. "Maybe."
Alex let out a quiet laugh. "You don't stop, do you?"
"Not when it comes to you."
Before she could say anything more, Jasper stepped out of the car and walked to the trunk. He popped it open and pulled out a picnic basket. "I was going to bring you here after the party. You know… before some idiot tried to ruin your night."
He opened the passenger door and gestured with a bow. "M'lady, dinner is served."
Alex raised a brow. "You planned a midnight picnic?"
"I planned a post-dance gourmet experience," he corrected. He set the basket on the hood of the car, opened it, and began pulling out containers with a flourish. "Homemade marry-me chicken pasta. Strawberries from my garden. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. And"—he grinned as he lifted two elegant plastic glasses—"a non-alcoholic cocktail with citrus, mint, and something secret I'll never tell you."
Alex blinked. "You made all this?"
He handed her a fork and shrugged, looking almost shy for a second. "I like cooking. It's therapeutic. And I wanted tonight to be good… better than good."
She took a bite of the pasta, and her eyes closed. "Okay. You've officially raised the bar for every guy in existence."
"Good," he said, watching her. "Means I get to stay your favorite."
Alex laughed, sipping the drink. "This is insane."
"In a good way?"
"In the best way."
He leaned against the hood beside her, sipping his drink and gazing at the stars. "So… do I get a rating now?"
"A rating?"
"For the night. The food, the dancing, the view, the charming company."
Alex turned to him with a teasing smile. "Nine and a half."
He placed a hand over his heart dramatically. "So close."
"You want the ten?" she asked.
"Desperately."
"Then earn it, Shakespeare."
He smirked, brushing a strawberry against her lips. "Challenge accepted, gorgeous."
Alex bit the strawberry with a mischievous glint in her eyes, letting the sweet juice stain the corner of her mouth just a little. She licked it off casually, fully aware Jasper was watching her like she just performed a magic trick.
He blinked, a stunned smile forming. "Okay, not fair. You're weaponizing fruit now?"
Alex gave him an innocent look. "What? I'm just eating."
"Sure. And I'm just breathing," he said, feigning dramatic breathlessness. "You're killing me, Red."
She snorted. "You gave me the strawberry, not my fault you didn't think I'd eat it like a human being."
"You didn't eat it like a human being. You ate it like some goddess from a commercial meant to ruin men's lives."
Alex laughed, nudging him with her shoulder. "You're so dramatic."
"Says the girl who wore that dress knowing I wouldn't be able to focus all night," he shot back, gesturing toward her with his fork. "You're the dramatic one."
She rolled her eyes but smiled. "I just wanted to prove I could pull it off."
Jasper leaned back on his hands and looked at her with a proud, warm grin. "Alex… you didn't pull it off. You owned it."
She looked away, cheeks heating. "Shut up."
"Never," he said, nudging her back. "This is the only time I get to be shameless and cheesy without you running off."
"Oh, I can still run off," she teased.
"But I brought pasta," he said, holding up the container like a peace offering.
Alex laughed again, giving him a look. "Fine. You're safe. For now."
He took a bite of his cookie and chewed with a satisfied sigh. "So what do we do after this? Dessert? Stargazing? Or should I serenade you terribly and ruin the entire romantic atmosphere I worked so hard to create?"
Alex grinned. "Stargazing sounds safe. The serenading sounds dangerous."
Jasper leaned in a little, voice playful and low. "I live dangerously, gorgeous."
She looked at him, one brow raised. "Then start with stargazing and work your way up."
He nodded solemnly. "A wise queen makes wise decisions."
They leaned back on the hood, shoulder to shoulder, the cool night air wrapping around them as stars blinked above. The city glowed beneath them, but up here—it felt like their own quiet little universe.
Jasper tilted his head slightly. "You know, for a girl who doesn't do parties, you sure made tonight unforgettable."
Alex smiled softly. "Thanks to you."
"Nah," he said, brushing his fingers lightly across hers. "Thanks to us."
Alex didn't move her hand away when his fingers brushed hers. Instead, she let them rest there, barely touching, just enough to feel the electricity buzzing between their skin. The stars above twinkled quietly, like the universe was holding its breath.
"So," Jasper said after a long, comfortable silence, "any constellations you actually know, or are you like me and just pretend to see stuff?"
Alex squinted up at the sky. "That one's the Big Dipper."
"Liar. That's a plane."
She laughed. "Okay, maybe. But I know Orion's Belt. Three stars in a row, right there."
Jasper nodded, pretending to study it. "Impressive. Beautiful and smart. You're just out here collecting infinity stones of perfection."
She groaned. "You're impossible."
"And yet… you're here. Sitting on my car. Wearing that dress. Eating strawberries. Laughing at my terrible jokes. So I must be doing something right."
Alex rolled her eyes again, but her smile didn't fade. "You're lucky I like strawberries."
"Oh, I'm lucky, period," he said without missing a beat.
The wind picked up slightly, causing Alex's hair to fall across her face. Jasper reached over gently and tucked a strand behind her ear, his fingers lingering for just a second longer than necessary.
Alex looked at him, really looked. The soft glow from the city below lit half his face, and his usual cocky smirk had melted into something gentler, more sincere.
"What are you thinking?" she asked quietly.
"That I wish this moment could last a little longer," he replied, equally quiet.
Her heart thudded. She didn't answer right away, just looked back up at the sky. "It can. For a little while."
Jasper smiled, then leaned back again. "Alright then. But fair warning—if I fall asleep here under the stars, you're driving us home."
Alex smirked. "Deal. But if I drive, you owe me dessert every day for a week."
"Bold of you to assume I wouldn't already do that," he replied, eyes closing, his hand still lightly touching hers.
And so, under the sky, with city lights below and soft laughter in the dark, they stayed. Not needing words. Just presence. Just them.