AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her words suck the air out of my lungs, and all of a sudden, I’m the one having a panic attack. Except she isn’t looking at me, so I can get my shit together without her noticing. I set my phone down on the bar as quietly as I can, turn away, and start to rub my chest to get the pain to lessen.
Dying overseas is always a possibility. Even so, I almost died when some jackass slammed into me in a hit and run. But hearing that I don’t have a chance with Casper because of it, and it being a valid reason, leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
“My life isn’t complicated.” She goes on, and I have no choice but to sit there and listen. Even if I want to run, I can’t. She’s a drug, intoxicating me with just her presence. “I’m a teacher. My life is planned out. And I don’t have room for complicated. This, whatever’s happening between us, can’t go past you leaving. I’ll be done with Cassie’s stuff by then, and hopefully I’ll have the condo sold. After that, I’m going home.”
The way she says it, pulling the same thoughts I’ve had about us right out of my head, has my teeth grinding.
“I’m not looking for forever with you, Casper.” The lie burns, but I’m not going to give up a chance at having her. “I’ll be in California soon. And after that, I’ll be overseas.” I don’t mention that after I get home, there isn’t a chance in hell that she’ll be able to keep me away. I’d be an idiot to not want more after the taste I’ve had of her.
For a brief moment, I think there was a flash of something more in her eyes before it’s gone.
When the doorbell rings, I know it’s the pizza. No one else rings the doorbell but delivery. I’m actually thankful for a break in the tension. While I go to pay the man, Casper sets Laurence down next to her, and the little guy just keeps snoring through everything. Waving her down when she tries to get up, I shake my head.
“Stay. I’ll bring you a plate.”
Even though I want to gag at just the sight of pineapple and pepperoni mixed together on her pizza, I pull a plate from the cupboard. After she has a plate, a napkin, and a thankful smile on her face, I dive into mine. Delicious pepperoni, hamburger, and ham all topped with extra cheese.
She looks up at me over the pizza she is about to put into her mouth and bites her lip.
“Can you keep whatever happens between us… uncomplicated?”
Her question takes me by surprise. I’m the one who usually demands everything stay simple. I’m always the one keeping anyone from getting close to me. Yet the thought of saying that is wrong. She has me wound up in knots, completely opposite of everything I am. And like a starving man, I’ll take whatever she’ll give me.
“Yeah, of course.”
One dirty little secret of a lie won’t hurt anything, will it?
7
CASPER
“Laurence is adorable,” I tell Sori the next morning over coffee at her place. “He slept through the entire night without ever waking up.” I don’t tell her that he snores. No doubt, she already knows.
I ran to my sister’s duplex when Cole brought Laurence home, mostly to change but also to breathe. In addition to the dirty clothes I was desperate to get out of, I needed to take a shower and brush my teeth before I saw him or anyone else again. Waking up pressed against his chest had been amazing, except that I’d drooled all over his shirt and had dreams about being with him forever. Until I woke up and came crashing back to reality. I’m clean and groomed. Comfortable in a pair of leggings and an oversized shirt, I’m also enjoying the peace of the morning without the stress of anything else added in.
“Yeah, he does that now that he’s over three.” Sori takes a sip and looks over to where her son is currently holding a sippy cup of milk. He watches them intently from his own little table. “He also acts exactly like an adult when he’s awake.”
She is right. Laurence is staring at me with intelligent eyes, and I can see the man he’ll be one day hiding there. He has a shrewd look, a lot like his father’s. Although there is compassion in his eyes that I’ve only seen in his mother’s.
“Tell me about Cole.”
It’s a good thing I don’t have any coffee in my mouth or I’d have spit it out.
“There’s nothing to tell.” The answer comes automatically.
Sori smiles knowingly. “Do you want to hear how Emmett and I met?” She laughs lightly. “It’s really funny actually. First, I need a refill.”
After checking on Laurence, she brings a pot of coffee and refills both our mugs. Once I have enough sugar in it to question whether or not it is actually coffee, I am fortified.
“Tell me everything.”
“I have a tattoo on my foot,” Sori tells me. “That’s how this whole thing started. Emmett was stuck-up when I first met him. A lot like Cole is cocky. It’s part of being a Morgan, I think anyway. I blame Mimi, their grandmother.” Sori laughs. “Just don’t tell her I said that. She’d refuse to tell me I’m her favorite anymore.”
“He left his phone on the subway, and I decided to return it, first adding a few selfies I thought he’d appreciate.” Sori smiles over the rim of her coffee cup. “He changed for me. And he changed me too.”
My phone starts ringing on the table before Sori can say anything else about their relationship. As soon as I answer, my mom starts talking a mile a minute in my ear and I know there will be no stopping her.
“Casper, I had the worst dream last night. I had to call and make sure you’re alright. It was absolutely crazy, and I’ve been waiting until I thought it would be an acceptable time to call. I don’t know how you’ve been sleeping down there, and I know you like to sleep.” She sounds like she’s out of breath from running down the street instead of sitting at her kitchen table like I know she is.
