For at least one full minute, I was too stunned to say a word. I hadn’t considered that Jason’s mother might be crazy. Now, even though she didn’t look like she was insane, I had to admit that it was a possibility.
“What on earth are you talking about?” I tried to keep the irritation out of my voice. Somewhere inside, I still hoped there was a chance she and Jason would have some sort of relationship, but with a bizarre proclamation like the one she’d just made, she wasn’t making it easy.
She gave me a measured look. Nothing in her demeanor struck me as crazy. “Of course you don’t want to believe me, er—”
“Daphne.”
“Daphne. Of course you don’t want to believe me, but you should, and you should walk away from him now while you still can.”
“This is ridiculous.” I rose to my feet, unsure I wanted to hear any more. “I thought you wanted to be a part of Jason’s life because you still cared about him, but this…this is crazy.”
Her look was scornful. “You think I don’t care about him? I’m his mother.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think you know what that word means.”
“You have—”
“What is she doing here?” Jason’s voice was like the crack of a whip. He strode into the waiting area, his eyes flashing daggers, while Vince, the doorman, hovered at the entrance looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.
Jason’s mother stopped mid-sentence then rose to her feet, turning to face him. He stopped walking, and for a moment he just looked at her. A shadow of pain crossed his features, but only for a brief moment, and then his face was expressionless.
“What are you doing here?”
“Jason.” She took a step toward him then stopped. “I need to talk to you.”
“No, you don’t.” He whipped out his phone and held it to his ear. “Reception,” he said curtly then ended the call and faced his mother. “You’re leaving,” he snapped. “Now.”
“Really? Is this how you treat your—”
“My what, Sarah?” His voice was so caustic I actually flinched. “My what?”
Leonard entered the room, walking past the doorman, and Jason tore his blazing gaze from his mother’s. “Get her on a plane,” he ordered, his voice flat. To Vince, he added, “She’s not welcome here. Do you understand?”
Vince nodded and slinked away.
“Jason.” Sarah’s voice held a pleading note, but he ignored her and held out a hand to me. “Come on, Daphne.”
Up to that moment, he hadn’t even seemed like he registered my presence. I wanted to go with him, to forget she’d ever been here, but I’d seen his face…seen the pain there.
He needed to work through his feelings, and I didn’t think a conversation would hurt.
“Jason…” I started in a soothing tone. “She doesn’t have to leave right now.”
Something like betrayal flared in his eyes. His hand was still extended toward me. “Are you coming?” His voice was sharp.
I put my hand in his, and his fingers closed around mine, almost too tight, almost as if he needed the contact to keep himself together.
I can’t imagine there’s a subject that hurts Jason more than that of his mother.
She said his name one last time as we walked away, but Jason’s stride didn’t slow. I turned back to see Leonard take her arm gently and start to lead her away.
Jason didn’t stop until we were in the elevator. As the doors shut, he closed his eyes, and his body almost seemed to sag as he exhaled.
I rubbed a soothing hand over his arm. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah…I just…” He shook his head and looked at me, searching my face with his beautiful gray eyes. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I understand. I know why you’re angry. I don’t blame you.”
“You look shaken,” he said, searching my face. “I wish you hadn’t gone to talk to her.”
The doors slid open before I could respond. We entered his apartment, and he stalked across the living room, still in the grip of a combination of emotions I couldn’t decipher.
I’m going to kill him, and he’s going to break your heart and kill any children you’ll ever have.
What had she meant?
Did she have plans to harm him somehow? And if she didn’t, if she was just going crazy, wouldn’t it be better to find some sort of care for her instead of just sending her away?
“She was here,” I said. “I didn’t think it was fair to keep her waiting and then just send her away.”
“Fair?” He stopped pacing and let out a scornful laugh. “Daphne, we’ve been over this.”
“I know, babe.” I went over to him and put my arms around him. He sighed deeply. “Don’t you even want to know what she wants?” I urged, my voice soft.
“No.” He shook his head, relaxing in my arms. “No,” he repeated, more softly this time, as if he was trying to convince himself.
I swallowed. Evidently, this topic was a hard one for him, and if he wasn’t ready to resolve it yet, I had no right to force him to.
“We have happier things to talk about,” I reminded him, turning my face up to his.
He smiled, and the transformation of his features soothed me deep inside. “Amy called me.”
“It was beautiful,” I told him. “And I have a video. Wanna see?”
“Of course.” We went over to the couch as I brought up the video on my phone.
“My parents will be thrilled,” Jason said. “They love Colin.”
“Who doesn’t? He’s sweet.”
Jason drew me down onto his lap and nuzzled my neck, sending tingles down to my toes. “Am I sweet too?”
I giggled and rolled my eyes. “No, you’re not.”
“I’m hurt.” He took the phone from me and stretched out his arm so we could both watch as Amy said yes to Colin. When the video ended, he kissed the top of my hair.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I know.”
He raised an eyebrow at me, a teasing smile dancing on his lips. “Okay.”
“And I love you too.”
He chuckled. “I was about to go cry in the shower.”
“No, you weren’t.” I laughed. “You know I’m crazy about you.”
He was silent, and I stroked his face. His perfection still gave me butterflies sometimes, like now. I drew my thumb slowly across his lower lip. “I love you, Jason Wild,” I whispered. “I love you so much.”
His chest rose. “You are everything to me.”
I closed my eyes. Nothing else mattered—not his mother, not her words, nothing, just the love I felt for him and the love he felt for me.