Page 48 of Memories By the Shore
I jog around the house to the back and see the window in his bedroom is open. I pull one of the chairs from the patio table, place it against the paneling, and climb on top. Peering in through the crack, my heart sinks as soon as I see Jasper lying on his bed.
Is he sleeping? Is he alright?
I push the window all the way open and slide through. “Jasper,” I say, stepping onto the floor. He doesn’t move.What the hell?
Filled with a mixed bag of emotions and questions, I approach Jasper’s bed. He’s curled into the side, facing the wall, and looks like he’s in a deep sleep. I let out a sigh of profound relief. There wasn’t anything wrong. He probably just slept through our lesson.
I kick off my shoes, pull back his comforter, and crawl into his bed. Tucking myself into his back, I inhale his scent, letting it flow through me. He continues to lie still.
“Avery?” Jasper’s voice is distant and weak. I don’t recognizeit.
“Are you okay?” I ask, burying my nose into the creases of his shirt.
He rolls over, facing me. His usually vibrant brown eyes are now a shade lighter. He slides an arm between my legs, hooking me and pulling me into him. My face falls into the warmth underneath his chin.
“I’m alright,” he whispers.
I’m still unsettled. A slight anxiousness rests in my mind, wondering if there is more to this story of him being justalright.
I run my hand through his hair, then lightly kiss him on his wet lips. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” he says with an unconvincing smile. This is all he’s willing to give me now, so I push my concern aside and cuddle into him.
A dense silence surrounds us. Even the typical sound of the waves in the background is muted. Realizing I had left my water bottle in the car, I decided to get a glass of water from the kitchen.
“I’m going to grab something to drink. Do you want anything?” I ask him.
Without a verbal response, Jasper only shakes his head.
I nod in acknowledgment, then slide off his bed. While walking down the shallow hallway, I hear the door unlock. It must be his dad.“Hey, Avery,” Duke warmly greets me with bags in his hands.
“Hi, Duke,” I respond, going to the kitchen.
He places a few grocery bags on the counter. “How’s Jasper?”
I bite my lip and stiffen. I’m unsure how to answer thisquestion because I hoped Duke would know. “He’s in bed.”
“Okay.” A worried but expectant expression transforms his typical jovial, sun-kissed face. “He’ll be fine in a few days.”
I can tell by Duke’s response, he knows more than he wants to share too. I want to pry, and I fight every urge not to, but I care for Jasper and he’s not acting like himself right now.
“Okay,” I say, then grab my glass of water and head back to Jasper’s bedroom, but my legs stop moving. I need to know what’s going.
With my eyes focused on the tan shag carpet beneath my feet, I turn on my heels. “Duke?”
He glances up from behind the door of the refrigerator. “Yeah, sweetie?”
I suck in a breath of courage. “What’s going on with him?”
He closes the door and then leans against it. Clicking his tongue, he’s thinking about what to tell me—or how. “Has he ever mentioned to you about what he struggles with from time to time?”
My heart squeezes in my chest. “No.”
“I don’t think he’ll be upset with me for telling you,” he begins. “Hell, it might help.”
“Okay,” I say, waiting for him to continue.
“Jasper has depression.”
