Page 43 of Until Forever

“The last one there is a rotten egg,” I exaggerate while already running.

“Mom,” I hear behind me, followed by the hard slap of his shoes against the uneven concrete.

He catches me this time, reaching the gates when I do. We’re laughing and hunched over, out of breath. When we turn, we find that Jasper didn’t run this time. He straggles in with his eyes boring into me.

So much for avoiding the obvious attraction.

My smile falters, and my stomach churns. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been nervous around a guy. I shouldn’t be. It’s not like he’s some unfamiliar person. He knows me and I him. Which is probably why I feel like this? I know that look. It’s gotten me in trouble and is how we got JJ.

The intercom blares, serving as the distraction I need to glance away.

“Attention, visitors. We’re closing soon. Please make your way to the exit.”

I check my watch, the realization of how long we’ve been here surprising me. We stare at each other, and I shrug while Jasper places a hand on JJ’s back, scooting him back uphill.

JJ grins over his shoulder. “Last one there is a rotten egg,” he blurts and takes off without notice.

“You little sneak,” I yell and sprint right behind him.

People look on, cheering us on along the way. The end is only a few more feet ahead, and I’m gaining on JJ. Excitement bursts through me, and I push harder to claim my victory, only it’s not mine at all. Out of nowhere, Jasper shoots past us, doing a slow run when he reaches the turnstile. Our mouths gape open, and Jasper points at us, laughing at the looks on our faces.

“That was so fast!” JJ rushes him, laughing when Jasper lifts him over his head.

“Call me The Flash,” Jasper flaunts while setting JJ back on his feet.

I can’t stop the grin from forming. My heart is full seeing the two of them like this. To finally give JJ what he’s been asking for. To give them both the opportunity to know each other.

At first, it was weird, I’ll admit that. And it’s not that I didn’t want Jasper in his life. But it was like shell shock to see the ghost of my past staring me in the face. I didn’t know what to say to either of them, even though I’ve rehearsed the day they’d meet a million times since JJ was born. It took a second to wrap my mind around it, and I’ll be honest when I say that the lack of anger from Jasper is appreciated.

I guess he has grown.

We coast the town with the windows down, and the rest of the ride home is uneventful. I peek at JJ through the side mirror. He’s quiet and playing on his tablet. A soft smile parts my lips as I glance over and observe Jasper from the passenger seat. He’s singing along to an old R&B song. When he catches me staring, he sings to me while dancing in his seat. I join in, taking the next line toWeakby SWV.

But it caused me to act in such a crazy way.

He follows with the next piece of lyric, and we bump shoulders, enjoying the moment together. It’s been a long time since we’ve done this. Though, back then, we’d be on the back of his Harley with me singing along into his shoulders. It’s nostalgic—the moment—as if for a split second we’re lovesick teenagers again, and the complications of our relationship cease to exist.

I sigh, settling down and nestling into the plush seat, staying this way until we pull up in front of my home. I wrap my arms around myself as I step down from the truck. JJ opens his door, and I watch him hop out with a grunt. We’re heading up our walkway when I hear Jasper’s door slam. By the time we get inside the house, he’s on our porch.

“All right, JJ, bath time.” I inch around Jasper to hang my keys on the hook behind the door.

JJ takes off, his run hitting the hardwood floors in loud, erratic slaps. Adjusting my clothes, I look around my place, realizing it’s not how I left it. The mail is stacked nicely in the basket I never use, the floor is mopped, and the smell of Pine-Sol fills my lungs. I enter my kitchen to an empty sink, and there’s a fresh bag in the trash can.

“You cleaned?” I direct over my shoulder at him.

Jasper leans against the threshold, folding his arms over his chest. “Yeah.”

I cock my brows and face him, shaking my head in disbelief. “Thank you. But you didn’t need to do that.”

“I know I didn’t. But—” He pushes off the wall and inches forward. “You mentioned having a go of it lately. With JJ having his spells and all the double shifts, I figure it’ll be nice to have one less thing for you to worry about for a little while.” He lands in front of me, so close I can smell the syrup still lingering on his breath.

I gulp, squaring my shoulders to appear larger and unfazed. “Are you trying to win me over with niceties?” I tease and awkwardly wander to my fridge, removing the wine I left to chill.

“Is it working?”

“No.” I shake my head.

I sit the bottle on the counter and remove two wine glasses from the rack. Jasper’s at my side now and turns so that his butt is against the countertop. He leans into me, bumping his shoulders with mine softly. I meet his gaze only to burst into laughter. He’s staring at me with his brows hiked to his hairline. He doesn’t believe me, and quite frankly, neither do I.

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