“Um, yeah, of course. I’ll make myself at home.” I rolled my eyes. “That’s all fine and good until Mr. Nice Guy comes back to mark his territory like a self-respecting caveman. I’m already imagining it. ‘Woman, leave. This house is mine.’”
I smiled at the rough voice I used to imitate James. Jasper stretched his lips into a straight line.
“Speaking of which, where’s that thug of a brother of yours?”
He shrugged and I thought about Jordan’s pat again.
“Your dad loves you, but you don’t have many pictures in the house, do you?”
Jasper bit his lip.
He got up and went into the living room with his back straight. I followed him. He stretched an arm, pointing at the old piece of furniture that towered over the living room. It was made of glass window displays and compartments full of crystal glasses. He pointed up. There was a hidden photo behind the decorative objects.
“Can I see it?”
When he nodded, I reached up and grabbed the frame. It was a family photo taken at a different time but in the same place. Right in this living room. It seemed like a memento of a summer together judging by the clothes and their tanned faces. I recognized Jordan, a little scrawnier compared to now, standing next to a very young and undeniably beautiful woman. She had long red hair and a tiny nose sprinkled with freckles. She held a newborn in her arms. There was another couple beside them and a little boy and a little girl with dark hair and striking eyes. The kids both sat cross-legged on the floor, and even though the picture was a little faded, they looked familiar. Very familiar.
“Weird. I think I know them,” I whispered. “They look like . . .” Amelia and Brian.
I was shocked. Jasper didn’t answer, but the more I looked at them, the more I was convinced of it. Was it them?
Jasper put his finger on a specific place in the photo, redirecting my attention. In the corner, there was another little boy with a bandana tied around his head, holding a sword with a funny, angry expression.
I couldn’t hold back my amusement.
“Did Rambo know it was a family photo or was he dressed up to go trick-or-treating?”
Jasper hinted at what had to be a snicker as I kept laughing until we heard footsteps approaching.
Jasper’s expression didn’t change. He just tensed his shoulders.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
I hid the picture behind my back and looked James right in the eye. His jaw was clenched. I tried to return his glare with an equally cutting one.
“I’m tutoring Jasper. Your dad asked me to,” I replied. My breath got lodged in my throat when James made a move. At that point, I gave him a once-over: messy hair, dark tracksuit pants, and a sports T-shirt.
“Forget it, White.”
“Look, I’m doing it for my mom, okay? I don’t even want to be here.” But the way I said it was unfortunate. Jasper bowed his head.
I didn’t mean to upset him, so I parted my lips to backtrack, but James attacked me before I could talk.
“What the hell is so funny?”
I showed him the photo. “You were so cute.”
“Shut up,” he snapped, ripping it out of my hands.
Jasper and I gave each other a conspiratorial look.
Jordan came down the stairs, interrupting the scene. He’d changed into a nice suit, and he looked like he was about to leave.
“Why don’t you two go back to studying?” suggested James.
He jerked his head toward the kitchen, so I followed Jasper without talking. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to sense the tension that had just risen between James and his dad.
I helped Jasper with his math homework. He didn’t open his mouth, but he always got the right answer. Our silence was interrupted by James and Jordan, who’d started fighting furiously. I didn’t know what to do. I looked at Jasper, who was looking at the door, so I ran over to close it. He put his hands over his ears, and I felt a stabbing pain in my chest when I realized he was shutting his eyes as hard as he could. I didn’t like to see him tense with his hands balled into fists and his shoulders close together. He was suffering.
