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“I can’t stay here with you.” She moved to stand and he put his hand on the top of her head, keeping her down. He’d been touching her a lot. It had stopped bothering her, even though she acted as if it did. Now, she was simply too emotionally exhausted to scold him.
“Why? It’s not like you haven’t done it before.” He snorted, reaching around her back and unhooking her bra without getting under her shirt or even looking. The weight of her breasts without the support of her bra was excruciating. Now that she had the two-lined truth staring her in the eye, all the symptoms she’d been ignoring the past day or so became glaringly obvious.
“That was before,andfor a whole different reason.”
“Callie, come on.I’m not going to try anything with you tonight.” He pulled her bra through the armhole of her shirt and tossed it over the back of his desk chair. “You look like you’re seconds away from passing out, and our lives just turned on a dime.Surprisingly, sexis the last thing on my mind.” He dragged back the covers, patting his mattress,which,she knew from experience,was more comfortable than the twin in her dorm room. “If you goback to your roomexhausted and alone, you’re going to start crying all over again.” He wasn’t wrong, and it was annoying. “Sleep, Callie.I’ll take youto the dormin the morning.”
“I guess Shakespeare was right, huh?” Her words were whispered and low, almost like she was speaking only to herself. “Lust is madness and only ends with regret.”
She met his gaze head on, letting him see the sadness and despair in her own. They’d been warned, the first time they were alone together, they’d been warned what would happen if they gave in. It was as if the universe had provided them with foreshadowing, and like so many, they’d simply ignored it.
“Callie, sleep. Thingsalways seem better in the morning.”
She seriously doubted that was true for their situation,but she scooted back, letting him pull the covers over her body. His kindness was appreciated, and she was too worn out toargue.“Where are you going?”Afterhe tucked her in and plugged her phone into his charger like a modern-day gentleman, he moved to the door.
“I need to call my family, let them know we’re moving home for the summer.” He gestured to his bags by his closet. “I was going to go for a quick visit, but now…” He let his words trail off. “I need to take care of a few things, but I’m not leaving the house. I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”
He brought her comfort, there was no denying that. His scent, his sheets, all his things crowding the room. Jasper made her feel better. Hemade tonight less terrifying. In a million years, shewouldn’t’veever expected him to be this way.
She was grateful for him. So incredibly grateful for him.
“Good night.”
“Good night,Callie.”
He turned off the lights, then tugged the door closed, blanketing her in darkness. Silent tears started to fall the moment she was alone.
Knowing Jasper would be backsoon, that he’d crawl in beside her, helped. She felt less isolated.
He’d known she needed him, needed him to get through the night. He’d known exactly what to say, exactly what to do.
In a surprising turn of events,he’d been everything she needed him be.
Chapter Seventeen
Jasper
Regret. Callahan’s delicately spoken words had pierced his heart. She seemed so sad, so hopeless and lost. He’d done that to her. His demands and desire. He sighed, pulling his bedroom door closed with a soft click. He knew his friends would be waiting for him. He could hear them moving around the house, putting away food and locking up for the night. Jacehadbought this house as an investment, then armed it to the teeth before allowing the three of them to move in. His twin had always taken security seriously, butit’dgotten even more over the top now that he was the new king of the shifter underworld.
Jasper walked slowly down the stairs. He was as tired as Callahan. He feltemotionallyspent. He felt like he’d had a grueling workout, not a conversation with a petiteredhead.
“Hey.” Blake came out of the kitchen, a sympathetic pout on her lips. “How is she?”
“Exhausted. Scared. Sad. All the thingsyou’d expect.” He collapsed on the couch, leaning his head back and scrubbing his hands over his face. He needed a shave. He’dbeen existing in a daze since Riley had dropped the news about the pregnancy. “She’s sleeping now, hopefully. I’m going to take her home in the morning and help her pack up her dorm room.”
“What does she want to doaboutthe baby?” Riley came in, wiping his hands on a dishtowel.
Without fail, hedid the dishes every night before bed.Corey said she’d raised him to be a good mate, a mate with manners. Both Blake and Jasper were reaping the benefits of Corey’s hard work.
“As expected,it seemsabortion is out, butshe’s talking adoption. Maybe. I don’t think she really knows yet.” He pulled his phone from hisjogger’spocket. “We’re going to take the summer to figure it out.”
“She moves home tomorrow, right? Is she going to tell her family?” Riley came and joined him and Blake on the couch, perching on the arm. “They aren’t shifter. Theywon’t notice the pregnancy this early. She’s so tiny,butI doubt she’ll show’tilthe fall.”
“About that.” Jasper winced. This was the part of his plan he needed his friends to be on board with. Because the males in their familywerein fact shifter, and they’d notice the pregnancy instantly. “She and I, we’re uh, moving back to Haxton for a few months.”
Blake narrowed her eyes in disbelief. “What? Why?”
“Apparently,her parents are as religious as she made them sound out on the patio. She started rambling about them locking her in a basement when they found out. And she doesn’t want to lie to them for months.” Jasper sighed. “I told her she could live here for the summer and tell her parents she was doing some kind of bullshit mission work. She didn’t love thatidea since she’d belying. Then my dumb ass mentioned that Maddi does that free medical clinic.”
