“Your daddy sounds like a wise man.”
“He is. He’s the best. So is my mom. I’m lucky to have them, and I know how lucky Jasper feels to have you.”
“That’s mighty kind. I gotta thank you for putting the smile back on my boy’s face.”
Back? Although it kills me not to ask what happened to make Stiles stop smiling, reading his body language, he wouldn’t appreciate me prying. “I’m flattered to be the cause. Jasper is quite charming when he’s not being Robocop.”
“Robocop,” the colonel laughs. “That’s a good one.”
Stiles doesn’t laugh with us. “We better let you rest, Pops. The doctor said we shouldn’t stay too long.”
“You trying to rush this girl on outta here.”
“He’s just worried about you, Colonel.” I take his hand again. “It was such a treat meeting you.”
“Same here, darling. Get Junior to bring you for dinner next week.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“I’ll be back in the morning, Pops.”
I watch Stiles adjust his grandfather’s pillows, close the blinds to block out the light, pour him a cup of water, and talk softly to him. All of it gives me another peek under the layers. Although he keeps personal details and emotions close to the vest, I’ve learned that honor and responsibility are important to him and that, for all his steeliness, he’s kind and compassionate. I can see that in the way he is with his grandfather and with me. There is so much more about Stiles to peel back and discover.
“Your grandfather’s great,” I remark as soon as we’re outside the hospital and walking to the car. “I hope it wasn’t too awful for you.”
“It was fine.”
“I’m not going to hold you to that dinner, Jasper.”
He stops and drags a hand over his face. “I don’t know what we’re doing here anymore, Jordyn. We have these rules, but—”
“We’re bending them, and you’re not okay with that.”
“Are you?”
“Yeah, I am. I love having sex with you, and I love being with you. Those things can co-exist without it turning into more.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning something between just sex and a relationship. Meaning spending time together outside the bedroom without the promise of a future.”
“The more time we spend outside the bedroom, the blurrier the lines will get.”
“If at any point it gets too complicated, we’ll revisit and revise.”
“You sound so sure.”
“I’m only sure of one thing.” I look up into his wary expression. “I like what we have, Jasper, and I want to keep enjoying it.”
“I like it too.”
Relieved, I pull him down into a kiss that should have waited for a more private moment, but neither of us seems to mind.
* * *
That evening, we make dinner together. It consists of a jar of bolognese sauce over boiled spaghetti. Sprinkled with parmesan cheese and chili flakes, it’s decently edible, but would be an affront to any self-respecting nonna. After watching a dark comedy on Netflix that we laughed through, appreciating the satirical humor, we headed to the bedroom around midnight.
Stiles sleeps in the raw, which is great for me, but I like some coverage. A tank and PJ bottoms are my faves. But after washing up, Stiles stops me from dressing.
