Page 23 of Now or Never

Chelsea braced herself before looking up up up and meeting the big brown eyes that had once looked at her with so much love.

“Hi,” she said, her voice thick and crackly from not speaking.

Lilian’s and Vincent’s gazes ping-ponged between them. “You know each other?” Vincent said.

Chelsea nodded, searching her brain for neutral words that wouldn’t give away how well she knew him. She was about to say “We went to school together,” but Jasper spoke first.

“Of course she knows me,” he said, with a shake of his head, as if thinking otherwise was completely absurd. “She’s the mother of my son.”

six

Adam narrowed his eyes at Jasper Fenton as he loomed over Chelsea. Her spine had gone stiff, shoulders had crept up to her ears, jaw had clenched. Something bad must’ve happened between them for her to be this uncomfortable in his presence. What made little sense was how happy Jasper looked to see her. No signs of tension or apprehension. He looked thrilled, smiling widely as he asked what she was doing there, and whether she and Ben lived there permanently now, and whether he’d started school.

How could this guy not know where his son was living or what school he was attending?

The whole thing seemed super fucked up.

Adam hated how awkward Chelsea had become. And hated how this fucking guy was looking at her, like a present had fallen into his lap. Adam knew it probably wasn’t a good idea to get involved, but she was his friend now, and he would have her back.

Always.

Just like any other one of his friends.

Adam reached around Chelsea’s back and placed his hand on her opposite shoulder, moving in closer to her side. The move did not go unnoticed by Jasper. He stopped speaking midsentence, his gaze snagging on Adam’s hand before connecting with his eyes.

Adam did what he thought would antagonize the douche canoe most: he smiled.

“Who are you?” Jasper asked as he squared his shoulders and tipped his chin up.

“Adam.”

“Uh-huh,” Jasper drawled out, glancing at Chelsea, then back at him. “And you two are . . .”

Adam smiled again and cocked an arrogant brow that he knew the guy would take as a challenge. He just couldn’t help himself.

Jasper exhaled through his nostrils like a dragon breathing fire.

“Friends,” Chelsea said.

Jasper clearly didn’t believe her. He opened his mouth to say more, but Lilian cut him off and brought the conversation to the film. She told him in no uncertain terms that they would use Monroe Manor for the film, shook Chelsea’s hand, and told her she’d email her the paperwork, then confirmed lunch with Adam before announcing they had much to do and forcing Jasper and Vincent to follow her into the gardens to discuss logistics.

Once they were all out of earshot, Chelsea turned on him. He braced himself, figuring she would demand to know why the hell he was having a pissing contest with Jasper, but thankfully, she had other things in mind.

“Who the hell are you?” she asked, crossing her arms across her chest and tapping her foot.

She looked so goddamn cute when she was demanding things.

He wanted more.

“What the hell was that?” he volleyed back, jerking a thumb toward Jasper.

“Thatis none of your business.”

Adam smiled and nodded. “And here I was, thinking we were friends.”

Chelsea rolled her gorgeous eyes and turned to walk away from him. He gently grabbed her hand in both of his. She turned and looked at him.

“My mother was Grace Hartley,” he said, waiting for her to recognize the name. But she didn’t. She just gently shook her head, the tips of her hair dancing along her bare shoulders. “As in Hartley Communications.”

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