Page 108 of Love By The Falls

“What are you doing, Jason?”

His brow furrows. “What does it look like? I’m here to see Charlie.”

I look around. “Where is Charlie?”

He turns his head left and right, and I nearly laugh at the comical look on his face. “He was just here a minute ago.”

There’s a rhythmic thumping outside and I look out into the backyard through the backdoor window. Charlie’s throwing a tennis ball against the house. “Thanks for picking him up from my parent’s house.”

He stands from the couch. “It’s no problem. What were you doing?”

I drop a small box by the hallway entrance and stretch out my back. “I had some shopping to do, and before that I went to the Jacksons for my weekly tutoring lesson with Jacob.”

“You’re still tutoring?”

“It’s how things get paid around here.”

“I thought that your parents help you out.”

I scoff. “They help a lot with Charlie, but the rent and bills are my responsibility. And I take my responsibilities seriously.”

“Is that some sort of jab at me?”

“It wasn’t, but if you took it that way, you only have to ask yourself why.”

I head into the kitchen to get started on dinner.

“You know, you act all high and mighty that you’re the responsible one, but I never asked for this.”

I turn on him. “And I did?”

“No, but you could have dealt with it differently. You knew it was going to be hard.”

My hand strangles the head of broccoli I pulled from the fridge. “Even after spending time with him, and seeing the kind of person he is, you can say that? Get out, Jason.”

“That’s not what I meant. I’m saying you keep blaming other people for choices you make.”

“I’m not blaming anyone. I’m just angry, Jason, and it’ll take me some time to get over it.”

He shoves his hands in his pockets and turns away. “I—I just want us to figure this out together.”

“Why?”

“Because things are different than they were ten years ago. I’m ready for this now.”

I smile and shake my head. “I’m happy you’re ready, Jason. But we’re not something you pick up when you feel like it.”

“See. There you go, making me the bad guy. You always do that.”

“Jason, I—”

His eyes look up, past me, and they widen momentarily before they quickly narrow into icy slits. “What the fuck? What’s he doing here?”

“Who?”

I turn, and the words stick to my throat when I see Caleb playing catch with Charlie outside. I count the hours in my head since I’ve spoken to him. It was one o’clock when we talked, and now it’s just past five. He must have driven here directly after speaking with me.

I’m still holding broccoli when Jason storms through the back door. Caleb has his hand on Charlie’s arm, correcting his pitch.

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