Page 17 of Until Forever

“Oh, no, baby. I know I don’t know you very well. But let’s just say we Maysons know love when we see it,” she continues.

“The boom,” they all say in unison while nodding or giving some other form of agreement.

I sit up and set the bottle on the floor near my feet. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’ve got the bug, girl,” June adds.

I frown and shake my head, still unsure of what they’re referring to.

Harmony inhales and shifts so that she is facing me. “There’s this curse—”

“It is not a curse,” December cuts her off.

Harmony rolls her eyes with a smile. “It’s when you find the person you’re meant to be with, and no matter how different or how far apart you are or how long you’ve known them, you’ll end up together.”

“That does not exist.” I chuckle.

“It does. He’s your boom. I saw it at the hospital. You think it’s over and maybe even buried your feelings for him. But at the end of the day, you’re both herealone, and with the way you look at each other, it’s there.”

“Which means it’s not over,” June adds.

“Y’all are crazy.” I stand and make my way over to the cooler.

I need to get away and take a moment to clear my mind. Listening to them go on and on about long-lost loves and soulmates is too much for me. That’s not what this is. Yes, they caught me watching, but that doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t help that he looks good in fitted jeans and a shirt that hugs his body like nobody’s business.

But no.

I can’t go there. I won’t allow myself to go there. It’s not just me I have to think about. I have a son, and I have to be careful of those I bring into his life. It’s a can of worms I don’t want to open right now. Maybe that’s why it’s been hard to talk to him. Maybe the reason I can’t look him in the eye or stay in the same space is that there’s a lot unsaid.

So much he doesn’t know about my life and even more that I’m unaware of his. Tonight, I don’t want to think because, for the next few hours, I get to be more than someone’s mother. And Jasper isn’t going to ruin that for me.

CHAPTER FIVE

LATOYA

Time goes by,and eventually, I start to enjoy myself, despite the fact that no matter where I end up, Jasper’s there. Sometimes he’s watching me, and other times he’s talking to Harmony’s brother and the other guys. There was a moment when we both stood at the cooler together, and like a coward, I shied away.

This is crazy.

Honestly, I have no idea what to say to him. It’s sad when I think about it. The number of times I practiced an argument in my head—I would talk, he would listen, and we’d be together again. Somewhere around year three, my tune changed. We wouldn’t be together because if we were meant to be, as Harmony and her cousins believe, he never would have left.

I’m sitting on the couch next to Harmony and I can’t take my eyes off him. He’s playing pool against Harlen, and between every shot, we make eye contact. His brown hair is shorter than it used to be, and his arms are covered in colorful ink. Now all I can think about is how extensive the tattoos are and if they go beyond his arms. Jasper leans into his next shot—eight-ball corner pocket. His muscles flex as he lines up perfectly, and before he takes the shot, he winks at me.

A lump forms in my throat, and I swallow it while tearing my eyes away from him. The moment I do, I see the girls with smirks plastered on their faces. I prepare to tell them that it isn’t what they think it is, but we’re interrupted by the cheers of the guys. Jasper won. He clasps hands with Harlen, and I imagine they’re thanking one another for a good game.

Once Harlen is out of the way, I can see Jas again, and he’s holding a Heineken to his lips but he doesn’t drink it. Instead, he continues watching me. Bax approaches and breaks his gaze. The music is loud, but their voices are audible. I guess that’s what happens when your senses are heightened. You see and hear things you shouldn’t.

“It’s the boom, baby,” Harmony teases.

I turn to her with my shoulders limp and my lips pressed together. “Stop it. This is not that. He just—”

“Looks hot?” December finishes my thought, snickering in the process.

“He’s always been fine. I’m not really surprised by that.” I drop my gaze to my lap and play with the hem of my shorts. “Why did you invite him?” I ask, remembering she didn’t answer me before.

“He and my brother, Bax, were friends until they were about fourteen,” she adds.

“You don’t think you should have mentioned that?”

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