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Jason worked his jaw but kept his voice even. “What about Mark? Did he have a lot of medical issues?”
“He’d just been in a major crash, man.” Jeff looked up. There was pain in his eyes. And anger. “Why are you asking me this?”
“Because I think something else is going on here.” Jason lowered his voice even though no one else was around. “Do you think the hospital is covering something up?”
Jeff turned to him with fists clenched. The sponge dripped suds all over his shoes. “Jesus Christ, man.” He threw the sponge back into the bucket and picked up the hose. But he didn’t turn it on. His knuckles were white against the green. “How could you even say that?” He finally looked Jason in the eye. “Mark is dead. Nothing is going to change that. Nothing will make it better. Just drop it.”
Jason opened his mouth to say something, but whether it was to apologize or defend himself, Cassie wasn’t sure. The door to the house opened and an older woman poked her head out. She smiled from ear to ear. “Jay Broussard, is that you?”
Jason waved, but he couldn’t bring a smile to his face. “Hello, Mrs. Galanis.”
“He was just leaving, Ma.” Jeff leveled Jason with a glare. “Don’t you dare say anything about this to my mother. She wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“See you around.”
Jeff turned on the hose and began rinsing off the car. Jason and Cassie had to choose between backing off or getting soaked. Jason stood his ground for half a second, then relented. They walked back to the car with their heads hanging low.
Jason waited until he pulled away from the curb. “Jeff’s family wouldn’t be able to afford a car like that after racking up Mark’s hospital bills.”
“Then where did Jeff get it?”
“My guess is some sort of settlement.” Jason stared straight ahead. “If it was a malpractice lawsuit, they could’ve settled. Forced Jeff to sign an NDA. Even if he wanted to talk about it, he couldn’t.”
“Didn’t seem like he wanted to, though.”
Jason shrugged, but there was a weight to his shoulders now. “Some people don’t find comfort in the truth.”
“So, what now?”
Jason rolled to a stop at the end of the street and waited while cars zipped by in front of them. “Well,” he started. She could hear the hesitance in his voice. “I guess it’s time to tell you why I moved to Savannah.”
18
It turned out that the reason Jason had left New Orleans was because his fiancée had broken things off with him. Cassie listened to the story in silence, taking in every word, while she was hyperaware of not reacting in a way that betrayed her feelings.
In theory, she didn’t have a problem with Vanessa. Nor was she jealous. Jason told her they had been drifting apart for a while, neither one happy with their direction in life. Vanessa had been brave enough to say something first. Jason hadn’t disagreed, but that didn’t mean it hadn’t stung.
That was ten years ago. They hadn’t stayed in touch. Jason had moved soon after, wanting to start over. His family had told him not to run away from his problems, but Jason didn’t see it like that. He’d needed a clean slate somewhere else, somewhere no one knew him. That way, he could forge his own identity away from everyone else’s expectations.
Cassie didn’t think that sounded so bad.
Everyone expects a teenager to go through different phases as they figure out who they want to be. Not enough people talk about the fact that even twenty- and thirty-year-olds struggle with their identity. Hell, she was climbing toward forty, and she was still trying to figure out her life.
If Cassie knew for a fact that moving to a random city where she didn’t know a single soul would give her the time and space to figure all of this out, she’d do it in a heartbeat.
And she’d told Jason as much.
When they pulled into a parking spot in front of a diner an hour later, Cassie was nervous, but not apprehensive. Jason had texted Kiki for Stacey’s number, and then gotten Vanessa’s number from Stacey. After a brief call full of nervous laughter, Vanessa had suggested they grab a bite to eat.
Both Cassie and Jason hadn’t gotten out of the car yet, and she was the first one to break the silence. “How are you feeling about seeing her again?”
More nervous laughter. “It’s strange, for sure. Like, will I even recognize her? Will she still be the same person from ten years ago? I’m not. Maybe she won’t recognize me.” He turned to Cassie. “Thank you for being here. I know this is weird, and I’m sorry—”
Cassie held up a hand. “It’s weird, but we’re all adults.” She smiled. “Besides, this is about Jasmine. And Vanessa clearly wants to help. We can deal with a little discomfort.”
Jason nodded and pushed open his door. Cassie’s stomach churned, but she did the same. The cool air dried some of the nervous sweat that had beaded along her hairline. Her head cleared, and her resolve strengthened.
