But there was no way out that he knew of other than going out of his bedroom and to the front door—crossing right by the bickering duo in the living room. He looked longingly at the sliders and the big wall beyond. Did it encircle the whole back? Surely there had to be a gate? Rob would have gardeners and pool boys coming in and out on a regular basis, right?
Jasper hoisted his duffel over his shoulder and headed out into what, just recently, had been a gorgeous spring day. Now there might as well have been thunderclouds, rain, and freezing wind—he felt so horrible, so sick.
So betrayed.
Why keep these secrets? From me? From each other?
Jasper thought his own tiny family unit was dysfunctional, but he and his dad appeared to have nothing on these people.
He skirted the pool and headed for the side of the house. Thank God, there was a mesh gate, bright white. He hurried to it.
It was locked with a keypad. Combination—so the gardener and pool boy could come and go.
Shit.
He went around the other side of the house and there was a gate there too.
Also locked.
Be a man.
He went back inside, took a deep breath, and then exited out his bedroom door, walking hurriedly, feeling as though it werehewho had done something wrong. He kept his eyes on the prize, the front door, but his scalp tingled as he passed the living room. He was certain they were staring at him.
If his intuition hadn’t informed him of this fact, then the sudden silence between them certainly provided a good clue.
But he didn’t look. He didn’t dare.
He opened the door and froze.
“Jasper?”
Rob.
Jasper wanted to run but could only stand there as he heard bare feet padding across the tile floor toward him. His spine stiffened.
As Rob neared him, Jasper was able to make himself turn.
When he saw the hurt on Rob’s face, it just about killed him.God, am I doing the right thing?He could think of no words. His gut wrenched. His mouth went dry. He could hear the blood pounding in his ears.
“What’s going on?” Rob glanced pointedly at the duffel bag—that tired, worn, and duct-taped symbol of his youth and poverty.
Jasper bit his lip and told himself to be a big boy. “I need to go home.”
“Why?”
“This was a mistake.”
Over Rob’s shoulder, he could see Eloise emerge into the foyer. She stared at him, and he could read nothing in her bland, probably surgically enhanced, features.
“But you just got here.”
Jasper nodded. “And I obviously had no idea what I was getting into.”
“You don’t understand.”
“You’re right about that. I don’t have a fucking clue.”
Before he could say any more, the sound of a car horn interrupted. It was his savior. Jasper glanced outside to the nearly empty street lined with palms and cacti. A black Prius idled across the desert-landscaped front yard. A figure in the driver’s seat waved.
