“Both of them?” I ask, stunned that Jase’s father actually made the effort to approach him.
“Yes,” he says, sighing heavily.
“What happened?”
He shrugs. “It could have been worse.”
So it was pretty bad. I brush back a few strands of hair from hisforehead. This time, his sigh is soft, and he snuggles up against me. For a long time, we’re quiet. I wait until he starts to talk.
“They apologized. Or at least, they pretended to. But... it wasn’t enough.” His voice breaks as he tells me about the conversation with his parents, and my heart aches for him. I hate that it hurts him so much.
“That’s so awful,” I say when he’s done.
“Yeah.”
“What do you want to do now?”
“I don’t know. I don’t have a clue. I need time to think, and then we’ll see.”
“Then take your time.”
He looks up at me, and his eyes are so green. “You told Dad that he was the one who was disappointing me.”
“I did.” I blush.
He smiles. “Thank you.”
I smile back. “Any time.”
He takes my hand and kisses my palm. My skin begins to tingle. “How was your day?” he asks, and I know that he wants to ask how I’m doing, but he’s not going to, because he also knows that I don’t have a real answer to the question.
“Pearson was here.” I drop the bombshell, just like that. Jase sits up abruptly.
“What?”
“He came to see me. Charlotte got expelled.”
“What?” His eyes go wide, and I have to smile. All at once, I feel much lighter.
“Don’t ask me how he found out what she did. But he knows. And there were consequences.”
Jase opens his mouth and closes it again. “Fuck.” It doesn’t sound like a curse. More like an expression of relief.
“Yes.”
“She’s gone.”
“Yes.”
“Thank God.”
“Yes.” I smile.
“How are you?” He puts a hand on my cheek. He strokes my lips with his thumb, and a warm tingling spreads through me.
“Better,” I say, and it’s the truth. I really do feel better.
He tries to take his hand back, but I hold on to it tightly. Desire is pulsing through my body. It’s been days since the last time he kissed me properly—since hereallykissed me. It feels like an eternity. I think about my talk with Mom, and how I told her that I can talk to Jase. And I know I can. But maybe... maybe we don’t need to talk just now.
