Page 49 of Golden Ruin

I steal another quick glance toward Sterling. “No, not really. We’re just taking Jax to school.”

I realize I may have been too loose with the word we right around the time I think Matt picks up on it, too. Because he’s suddenly quiet.

“That’s… actually why I’m calling,” he eventually says, and I hate how my heart’s racing. “I wanted to wish him a good first day back.”

“Of course. Hang on a sec.”

I pass the phone to Jax, and I don’t even have to guess if Sterling knows who’s on the line. The way his jaw tenses and the blank look in his eyes say it all.

It isn’t lost on me that Sterling seems visibly annoyed by how involved Matt is with Jax. And I see it again now, how he takes a deep breath when Jax laughs loudly in the backseat, how he glances at Jax through the rearview mirror, how he’s now white-knuckling the steering wheel.

We pull up to the drop-off line, and things move pretty quickly, so I tell myself that’s the reason Sterling is suddenly rushing Jax off the phone.

“All right, bud. Wrap it up. Time to get going.”

Jax pouts a little but obeys. “Bye, Matt.”

He hangs up, then passes me the phone, and I’m still processing whatever this is from Sterling. I don’t want to call it what it feels like.

Because it feels… like jealousy.

“That was nice of him to call,” I say to Jax, and Sterling’s body goes rigid. He stares straight ahead, inching forward in the line.

I thought I noticed something the night Matt visited, but Sterling’s probably the most confident person I’ve ever met. Not in the sense that he’s arrogant, but I definitely wouldn’t expect this.

Matt’s presence in me and Jax’s life affecting him.

There’s suddenly this thick tension in the air as I come to the realization, and I’m not sure what to do with it.

Sterling puts the truck in park, then unlocks the doors. We step out, and he unbuckles Jax before helping him climb down. Hand-in-hand, they round the front of the truck, and I wait my turn for a hug when Sterling stoops down, bringing our son into the tightest squeeze.

“Have a good day, okay?”

Jax nods against his shoulder. “I will.”

“We’ll be here to pick you up after school, but if you need us to come get you sooner than that, all you have to do is call.”

Another nod from Jax, then they separate. He’s all mine next, and I scoop him up, being careful of my injured arm.

“I love you to the moon and back. You know that?”

Jax laughs into my ear. “Yes.”

“You better.”

I lower him, and he takes off toward the door without a second thought. Like I said, kid’s fearless.

Sterling beats me to my door and opens it, closing it behind me once I’m inside. My eyes track him as he rounds the hood of the car, lifting his hand to wave at one of the dads before hopping in.

I stare at the school, praying Jax will be okay as Sterling eases out into traffic.

“You sure it’s not too soon? You think he’s ready?”

A gentle laugh pulls my eyes back toward him. “He’ll be fine. We’re the ones struggling with this.”

I laugh, too, because he isn’t wrong. Especially with how eager Jax was to get to his friends.

“You’re right.”