He glanced down at my breasts again, pursing his lips. “I’m not about to complain. How do you plan on using them? For evil, or for good?”
I snorted, rolling my eyes, and climbed out of his lap to sit beside him. We’d chosen my car because his had the car seat andwas a complete mess, but now I wondered if I made a mistake. It was going to smell like sex in here until I got a new air freshener.
Elias readjusted, grimacing. “We gotta find our way into a bed at some point. Pretty sure the buckle is digging into my ass.”
I chuckled, reaching for my clothes to get dressed. “You’re the one who wanted to climb into the back like we’re seventeen.”
I hadn’t had any better ideas, aside from a repeat in the laundry room, but he didn't point that out. He made a face, readjusting to sit closer to the edge of the seat. “Yeah, well, I’ve never fucked in the back of a car before. I didn’t even own one until the kids showed up. I didn’t expect the car to bully me for the insult.”
The comment was so unexpected, I burst out laughing. He grinned back at me, pulling me back into his lap after my jeans were back on.
“Totally worth it though.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, pressing my forehead against his. “Worth it.”
I couldn’t stay the night again, I had work in the morning and so did Elias, but he refused to allow me to drive home alone. After what happened the night prior, I didn’t argue with him. He shot a text to Jasper, letting him know he was escorting me home and would only be gone a few minutes. Jasper sent back a thumbs up as his only response. It was at least a response, and neither of us complained.
The drive was uneventful, and when I pulled up in front of my garage, Elias waited until I was inside before pulling away again. I watched him go, smiling to myself as he drove off. In the short time I’d known Elias, I’d done a lot of things I wouldn’t normally do, but he didn’t make me feel like he was pushing my boundaries. It felt more like he was breathing life back into me. For years, I only cared about work, and teaching summer school during school break. I lived and breathed my work. And at somepoint, I must’ve forgotten that I was a person outside of school. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was living again. Elias did that.
If I wasn’t careful, I was going to fall for him. The sweet, chaotic biker was everything I never knew I needed.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
JASPER
Something was wrong with Zero. He was trying to hide it, pasted a smile on his face every morning, but all week, he’d been… off. Distant. Like he wanted to be somewhere else. Part of me wanted to get pissed. If I could tell, Isla probably could too, and she didn’t deserve to have to deal with adult emotions. But I was also worried. Zero was the only thing keeping me and Isla together. If he decided he was done, we’d get split up. I didn't want that.
I didn’t know who to go to about shit like this. Zero asked a few times if I wanted to go see the therapist again, but I didn’t want her asking me questions. Isla seemed fine, so there was no reason to go. Unless Zero needed to talk to her? Would he? How the hell was I supposed to know what adults needed?
“Jasper? Is everything alright?”
Being so wrapped up in my head, I’d walked straight past the cafeteria and down the long hallway, ending up outside of Ms. Brooks’s classroom. It wasn’t my class anymore, I caught up pretty fast in Mr. Karlsen’s class and they told me I’d be stayingthere, so I wasn’t sure why I’d come here. I just didn’t feel like sitting in that crowded room when I needed time to think.
Ms. Brooks pushed out of her chair, coming to join me in the hallway. She showed up most days at the house, not just to spend time with Zero, but to help me with teaching Isla too. She even helped me when I had a question about my math homework earlier in the week. I didn’t mind her being around as much as I thought I would. She didn’t act like a teacher at home. She was just… a person.
“Why don’t you come in and sit down?” she suggested, stepping aside and gesturing to her classroom. “We can talk about what’s bothering you.”
My feet were moving before I decided to agree. I sat at one of the desks in front of hers, frowning at the surface as I considered what I wanted to say. Ms. Brooks didn’t push, sitting behind her desk and waiting for me to speak.
“Do you think… Does Zero regret taking us in?”
When I looked up at her, I waited for the fake reassurances, the pretty promises that Zero wasn’t going anywhere. Adults were all the same after… everything that happened. They didn’t want to upset me, so they lied. I didn’t want lies. I wanted the truth so I could be prepared for it.
Ms. Brooks didn’t look like she was faking her emotions. She pressed her lips together, eyebrows going up as she asked, “Why do you think that?”
I shrugged. “He’s… off lately. I figured he was tired of us or something. He basically became a guardian overnight. He didn't have much of a choice.”
Coming around her desk, Ms. Brooks sat in the one next to mine, putting a hand on my arm and squeezing light. “Jasper, I don’t think Elias regrets for even a second taking you and Isla in. He loves you. Believe me, he would’ve given up a long time ago if he didn’t.”
“Then why…”
She sighed, her brows furrowing a little. “I think Elias feeling distant is less about you and more about his club. What do you know about what’s going on?”
I lifted a shoulder. “I mean, I was at the mall. I know there’s a bad crew in town making messes.”
“They are,” she agreed with a nod. “But do you know why?”
I shook my head. Zero didn’t tell me much about it. I didn’t ask.
