Page 94 of Love By The Falls

“Mom! Your friend Jason is here!”

Jason!

Caleb stiffens beside me. “Is that your ex?”

“Yes.”

“What’s he doing here?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t even know he was back in town.”

I maneuver out of Caleb’s arms and jog up to the front door. Jason stands in my foyer, wearing ripped jeans and a thin leather jacket.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

Jason opens his mouth but shuts it when his gaze moves behind me. I know it’s Caleb, simply by the furrow in Jason’s brow. “Who areyou?” he asks.

“Caleb Consuelos.”

Caleb crosses his arms over his bare chest. He hasn’t changed yet and Jason’s left eye twitches as he takes in Caleb’s lack of clothing.

Jason puts both hands on his hips. “What the hell is he doing here?”

I walk past Charlie and push Jason outside onto the front porch. “Don’t you dare speak to me like that in my home. You’re the one who showed up uninvited.”

Jason’s not backing down. “Who is that guy, Char? Why does he look familiar? Did you know him from college?”

“None of this is your business, Jason. None of it.” I cross my arms beneath my chest and the action stretches my T-shirt over my belly. Jason’s eyes drop to my bump.

“So, the rumors are true. You are pregnant,” he spits out.

His tone grates on my nerves, and I feel inexplicably embarrassed by his judgement. I don’t respond to hisstatement, and he looks over my shoulder at the door behind me. “It’s his, isn’t it?”

I shake my head and bite my lip. His words hurt. It feels as though he’s accusing me of something, but I’ve done nothing wrong.

“What do you want?”

“I want to see Charlie.”

“I’m taking him to my parent’s house.”

“Why, so you can spend time with your boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend. Not that it’s any of your business.”

“Let me take care of Charlie while you’re gone, then.”

“No.”

“Why not? It’s been weeks now and you haven’t let me spend any time alone with him.”

I squeeze my arms together, digging my fingers into my flesh. I can’t use the excuse that he’s a stranger because he isn’t. “You can drive him to my parent’s house and stay with him there if you like.”

He stares at me and tries to soften his face when he pulls his hand over his nose and mouth. “I’m sorry, alright. I got freaked out when I saw the guy behind you, like… like he owns you or something.”

“He doesn’t own me, Jason. No one does.”

“You know what I mean. Like he has some right to you, and I didn’t like it.”

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