Page 18 of Room 908

I nodded. “Knocked me a little loose, but I’ll be fine.”

“Is it always like that?”

“No, but… it does happen. I feel like I should warn you. It’s not the worst I’ve been hit, but things can always go sideways. We wear helmets and padding for a reason, after all.”

“Of course,” he said softly.

My mouth quirked to the side. “Have you honestly never watched me play? That hurts, Jasper.” I laughed, overplaying how wounded I felt, but it bothered me more than I wanted to admit.

He shrugged bashfully. “Sorry. You know, I tried watching you back in high school, but I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to watch you get hurt.” That was more of an admission than I’d hoped for, and I clung to that with everything I had.

“Well, if you’ve been avoiding watching me play, that you care too much is an acceptable reason, I suppose,” I teased, letting him off the hook, and I loved the way he bit his lower lip to keep from grinning.

Jasper shook his head. “I promise I’ll get better at this. I just need some practice.”

“Or maybe I’ll just have to try harder not to get hit.” We shared a smile, and there was a long pause. I knew he was about to let me go, now that he’d confirmed I wasn’t injured. “Hey, can I take you guys out for dinner?” I asked before I lost the chance.

“Oh, that’s not—”

But before he could say no, Cameron ran into the room and leaped onto Jasper’s back and said, “Yeah! Can we go for pizza?”

“Were you eavesdropping?” Jasper asked Cam. I would have to thank my son later, since he and I seemed to be on the same page. Maybe he could be my wingman.

“You got it, my man,” I told Cam. “Be ready in half an hour. I’ll pick you guys up.” Part of me realized, as I took in Jasper’s struck look, that I was bulldozing him into dinner, but the other part of me didn’t care. I wanted to be with them—whether that was just today or the next year or an eternity—and I would do whatever it took to convince Jasper to give us a shot.

11

Jasper

Eric’shousewaslikesomething out of a dream—except I didn’t think my imagination was this good. It was bright and open, with lots of natural light and hardwood floors. The kitchen had brand-new stainless-steel appliances and granite countertops, and there were double sliding glass doors leading out to the deck. And yep, sure enough, a pool. Cam was sure to be excited.

“This is… incredible,” I finally said, grudgingly. I didn’t want to like it. It certainly made my house look like a total dump in comparison, but I couldn’t compete with this, and dammit, I was jealous.

I was here under the pretense of making sure the house was safe for my son, but really, that was just an excuse to snoop. I’d never had a single doubt about his living arrangements. Eric probably had cleaning staff, a landscaper, and a personal chef, not to mention plenty of security. With a place like this, Cam would never want to come home.

My last hope had been that it would be sterile and impersonal, but Eric was clearly making an effort. There was a soft blanket thrown over the back of the leather couch, and a few decorative cushions in colors that matched the paintings on the wall that I recognized were by a local artist, Shane Howe. He’d even put up some framed pictures of us from the game the other day.

I saw him watching me from the corner of my eye. “Yeah? I’m glad you like it. I hadn’t done much with it since I bought the place, but I wanted to make it more of a home for when Cam comes over. Did you want to see his room?”

“Sure,” I said glumly.

It was hard to look at Eric like this, relaxed and on his home turf. He was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a dark green t-shirt that was just tight enough to hug his chest and shoulders. I could see a bit of ink peeking out from under one sleeve, and I was tempted for a moment to reach over and lift the fabric so I could see what he’d deemed important enough to mark his body with it permanently.

He moved toward me, bringing the scent of laundry detergent and a slightly spicy aroma I recognized as him. This was too much like old times. It reminded me of study sessions turned make-out marathons. Even though I was his tutor, he’d taught me more than I ever taught him. But on the wave of lust I felt, there came the inevitable sting of betrayal. I didn’t think I would ever be able to feel one without the other, as entwined as the two emotions were.

My skin warmed when I felt Eric’s hand skate over my lower back as he gestured toward the hallway. “Last door on the right.”

My breath stuttered past my lips as I tried to regain control of my body. “Uh-huh,” I muttered, walking faster to put some distance between us. Even without the point of contact, though, my skin was still tingling.

Gods, what was wrong with me?! I wasn’t some naïve, lovestruck teenager anymore, but he was awakening all these feelings I thought I had grown out of long ago.

I froze, standing in the doorway of Cam’s room. It was nice. No, that wasn’t quite right.Nicewas not the word to describe it. It was moreextravagant. The bed was twice the size of the one he had at my place, with a soft gray bedspread and too many pillows. Light poured in from the tall windows, offering a view of the massive backyard, which Cam could admire from the cushioned window seat. There were shelves along one wall filled with books, but my eyes were dragged to the wide-screen TV mounted to the wall.

My lips pursed in annoyance. This was exactly what I was worried would happen. These were the kinds of decisions parents were supposed to make together, but Eric hadn’t even asked. It felt like I was stepping into a warzone, where Eric could buy our son’s love, and what I wanted didn’t matter anymore.

“What?” Eric asked, watching my reaction. “What did I do wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” I claimed, trying my best to wrestle with the warring jealousy and irritation.

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