Chapter 6 #2
“I needed to pick my guy up for robotics. I also needed to see you in person so I could let you know that you have my permission to go to dinner with Jase, but make sure he’s a gentleman.”
“And I need your permission because?”
“Because you’re an overthinker. You’ll talk yourself out of having a good time over expensive alcohol and a good meal and conversation with an old friend.”
“I’m not interested in friends, old or new.”
JoJo cracked a smile, and I swear I almost melted like the Wicked Witch. I fought to keep a straight face as he took a step closer and grabbed my hand.
“Yes, you are, Harper. You deserve it. I’ll talk to my mom if you need a sitter.”
“JoJo, stay out of my life, OK. You had the chance to be a part of what I have going on, and you declined.”
“That’s a lie, Harper. I never declined anything. You didn’t give me a choice.”
“I think I left my jacket at school,” Cam said as he ran back into the room. His presence broke some of the tension between Jordy and me.
“It’s cool, man. It’s nice out,” Jordy interjected.
Instead of telling him to mind his own damn business again, I rolled my eyes. JoJo just chuckled before heading to the door.
“I can’t wait to show my mom all the cool stuff you showed us, Doctor JoJo She loves learning and stuff just like you.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at my son’s statement.
Cam’s excitement softened me to the idea of going along with the program today.
It was good to see him excited to learn.
The thought barely had the chance to pass before JoJo looked at me over his shoulder and winked.
I could only shake my head. I knew he was using my son to get close to me.
I just didn’t have the heart to block him.
This was good for Cameron. I knew it was.
Still, as the butterflies in my stomach began to stir, I knew coming back to Lakeview was a bad idea.
Reluctantly, I followed Jordy and Cam to his car and stood back as he opened the door for Cameron to get inside, then opened my door.
I could tell Jordy was content with himself as he moved around the car to the driver’s side and got in.
He looked over at me and flashed that signature coy smile that I hated and loved at the same time.
I had never gotten over how shy and gentle Jordy was when we met. His humility encouraged me to be bold.
Something about knowing that beneath that mysteriously sexy demeanor was a quiet, shy lover boy, turned me on. Jordy loved and cared for me the way women dreamed to be loved when things were good, and I loved him from the depths of my soul for it.
I had never completely healed from the heartache of his betrayal.
Being close to him brought all those feelings back to the forefront.
His ever-calm demeanor mixed with that sexy, warm cologne he wore threatened to disarm me, so I toyed with the keys resting in my lap to avoid having to pay attention to him.
Paying attention to him meant remembering the good times and not the way he crushed me.
Remembering what a good guy he was would be the key to unlocking my heart.
I had to focus on the pain to protect myself.
I had too much to lose. My son had gone through enough.
I refused to cause him any more psychological damage than I already had.
“You good?” Jordy asked, never taking his eyes off me.
“Amazing,” I muttered.
He laughed again, a little too entertained by my discomfort if you ask me. “You might as well pretend to be happy here. Look how happy your little man is.”
“He’s actually happy. You know I don’t pretend.”
“How could I forget?” he asked with a smirk that made me want to jump out of the car.
Jordy must have sensed my growing irritation because he finally pulled away from the curb. Cameron was oblivious to the tension between us as he leaned forward in his seat.
“Mom, wait until you see the cool robots. Doctor JoJo let us look in the room one day.”
I took a deep breath and released it as my son reminded me why I agreed to come in the first place. His excitement about something related to school was enough of a reward to get me to play nice for an hour or so.
“I can’t wait,” I said, not exactly having to force my small smile.
“That’s what I like to hear,” JoJo commented.
After a successful attempt at not rolling my eyes, I turned my attention out of the window.
I could tolerate JoJo for a little while, for the sake of my son.
Thankfully, it was a quick ride to his school.
As soon as we pulled into a parking spot, I was out of the car.
Cameron was right behind me. As soon as he was out of the car, he grabbed my hand to drag me with him.
“Come on, Mom!”
I laughed. “I’m coming, Son. We don’t have to run. They’re not going anywhere. Doctor JoJo is with us.”
Speaking of Doctor JoJo, he lingered a few steps behind as we made our way to the class. I could feel his eyes on me, but I refused to acknowledge him. When we made it to the classroom where they set up the Sprouts program, I found a place in a back corner of the room to stay out of the way.
Cameron found a seat and listened intently as Jordy and Mr. Brown, who happened to be one of the science teachers, gave them instructions for the day. There were about twelve other kids who were participating in the program. They all seemed excited to resume their projects.
When they gave everyone permission to get started on the assignment of the day, Jordy moved toward Cam and another little boy around his age who was also new to the program.
I hated to admit it, but JoJo was a natural with the kids.
As he moved around the room, stopping at each designated station to offer his help, that became even more evident.
The ease in which he spoke to them and even assisted them with whatever they were doing caused a gentle stirring in my belly.
Jordy’s attentiveness was one of the things I loved most about him.
No matter what I was going through, he could always comfort me.
Well, almost always. Whatever I felt was something that I wasn’t ready or willing to acknowledge.
I was so entranced with watching Jordy interact with the kids that I let my guard down enough to let him slip up on me.
“Relax, Harper,” he said once he stopped in front of me. He let his eyes rake down to the base of my throat before they flashed back up to meet my eyes.
“I will once I’m out of here.”
“Why are you making this so hard for me, Harper? Let me in, baby. You know who I am. You know I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you. I don’t want to make excuses for breaking your heart. I just want access to it again.”
“I just want my son to have fun and hopefully find something that will help him adjust to this move. That’s the only reason I came here, Jordy.”
His smile never faltered. He was enjoying this. He was enjoying watching me fight to hold on to the fraying threads of my resolve. I would not give in to him so easily. Too much time had passed. There was too much on the line now. I had a son to think about.
Cameron was the only thing that mattered to me anymore. I had to make things right for him. Right on cue, my son looked over at me, grinning from ear to ear. He held up what he was working on, and even though I had no idea what I was looking at, I smiled.
“I’m here, JoJo. What more can you ask for? You can’t expect me to enjoy myself. I’m only here for my son.”
Jordy’s boyish grin widened as he leaned in a little closer, invading too much of my space for my liking.
He looked like he had this big secret, but I refused to ask him what it was.
There was something unnerving simmering in his eyes.
His cockiness made heat crawl up my neck. That, too, was something new.
Jordy was confident, but cocky was more of a Jase’s thing.
I swallowed as I tore my eyes away from that gorgeous smile and put them on my son where they belonged.
I was here for Cameron. At least that was what I kept chanting over and over in my head.
Jordy was magnetic. It was the reason I had stayed away for so long.
No matter how hard I tried to resist, I was always drawn to him.
“At least unfold those arms off your chest. You’re over here looking like someone put you in the corner for misbehaving in class.”
I laughed. I didn’t know how he got to me, but JoJo had successfully made me laugh. I hated him, but he was so adorable that I didn’t care.
“Shut up, JoJo,” I said, rolling my eyes playfully.
“There’s my girl. I missed you, baby,” he said, winking before turning back to the class.
I took a shuddered breath, knowing that letting him talk me into going to that class was my most recent mistake. I could have sent Cam alone. I trusted JoJo enough to leave my son alone with him. That wasn’t the issue. I was just being stubborn by coming.
I knew how much I wanted to be around JoJo.
No matter how much I refused to admit it, I missed him.
Denying my feelings for him had been easy when I was hundreds of miles away.
With him popping up every time I turned around, being his sweet and charming self, I knew that I didn’t stand a chance against him.
I was going to have to find other ways to avoid him. It was too late for us. There was no use in dredging up the past and reliving all our mistakes. There was still so much pain in my heart when it came to my relationship with Jordy and Jase that I didn’t even know where to start unpacking it.
My hurt and shame were the reason that I had shoved thoughts of them down so far into my subconscious.
Jordy standing right in front of me brought back the feelings of guilt and anger that I felt when I made the decision to disappear.
Now I was questioning how rational I had been.
Regret was the last thing I wanted to feel.