“This isn’t about my son. This is about apologizing for being a man whore.”
“You already knew I was though.”
“You’re right. How could I forget?”
“Not JoJo though. That’s what you’re angry about. You expected better from him.”
“In hindsight, I don’t know why. You two are one in the same.”
“That’s a lie. You don’t even believe that shit.”
“You made me a believer.”
“Whatever, Harper. Don’t try to change the subject. You’re good at that. As I was saying, I have a youth basketball team thatI coach every other weekend. They’re learning the fundamentals and having a good time, but we play scrimmage games against other teams. It’s just a way to learn team sports, how to follow rules, and get in a little exercise.”
“My son has actually been begging to get on a team. I was going to let my brother Harry find something for him. As soon as we got here, I started having so many issues with his behavior that I took the idea off the table.”
“Blowing off a little steam on the court might be good for him. I’m sure the divorce was hard on him. I know how my parents’ divorce affected me, and I was at least twice his age.”
“It’s probably too late to sign up. We’ll think about it for next year.”
“I’m the coach. I say when it’s too late.”
“I’ll think about it, Jase.”
“OK, fine.”
I was grateful that he didn’t push the issue and even more pleasantly surprised that we had a fairly seamless dinner. It helped that I drank the better part of a bottle of wine, but whatever it took to make it happen was good with me. To know that he and Jordy’s relationship had been strained since our breakup brought some unidentifiable feelings to the surface.
One of the main feelings I recognized was guilt though. Why did I feel guilty when I was the one who had been cheated on and made a fool of? I had the right to be hurt. I had the right to run and protect myself from ever falling victim to their wiles and charm again.
Back then, I felt like leaving and never seeing the twins again was the right thing to do. I was in so much pain the last thing I wanted to do was live in the humiliation of our actions over and over again. So, I ran. I put as much distance between us as I could.
Now as I sat across from Jase, looking into his apologetic eyes, I wondered if I had made the right decision. Yes, I was hurt, and I felt like if I let them, they would have convinced me that I was overreacting. Until that night, I would have trusted Jordy and Jase with my life. After the betrayal, I felt that I couldn’t even trust them with my time.
My divorce had thrust me right back into a world that I vowed I would never return to. Hearing Jase mention how hard he took his parents’ divorce reminded me of the things Jordy revealed to me about how he handled the situation. I could only imagine what my poor baby was going through right now. I hated to think of how our divorce would impact him in the long run. More than anything, I wanted to raise a well-adjusted young man. That was why this move had to work.
“You ready?” Jase asked, looking up as he tucked a few bills into the folder the girl left on the table.
“Sure.” I nodded before finishing the remnants of my wine.
“Shall we?”
Jase stood and extended his hand to help me up. I slipped my hand into his and stood to my full height. It irritated me that a surge of energy shot through my hand and wrapped around my body as his arm snaked around my waist. I took a deep breath to combat the urge to shiver.
“I agreed to be cordial. Don’t push it,” I said, giving him a sharp side-eye.
“Simmer down, tiger. I’m on my best behavior.”
“You better be.”
Jase kept his hand on the small of my back as he ushered me out of the restaurant. I almost didn’t mind having Jase’s hand on me because after multiple glasses of wine, I needed a little help walking in my heels. When we made it to the car, Jase kissed my cheek before opening the door and helping me to slide in.
I picked that moment to finally check my phone. Cameron was spending the weekend with my brother. He loved spending time with his cousins, but I knew to keep my ears peeled in case he decided that he wanted to come home. More than half the time, he wanted to come home when it was time for bed. That was the reason I didn’t like letting him go to sleepovers. He never spent the night; he just liked the fun parts. I couldn’t blame him. I preferred to sleep at home too. The car door opened at the very moment that my phone buzzed in my hand.
Jase:
I’m sorry, Harp. You two need to talk. I’ll blow your back out later, baby. Goodnight.
