Chapter 31
Arlo
Jasper reaches across the middle seat, taking my hand in his. “I want to take you and the kids out to dinner tonight.”
I turn sideways to look at him. “Oh?”
He grins. “Yeah, I was thinking we could go into Graymont. They have a really nice steakhouse. It’s been a while since we’ve been on a date.”
Raising my eyebrows, I cock my head. “You literally took me to lunch last week.”
“Arlo.” He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “That was hardly a date. It was just lunch.”
“And a date involves the kids?”
The smile that spreads over his face has my heart beating double time. “Yes. A family date. First time treating my little family to a special dinner.”
His little family. God, at this rate I might have to propose to him, because if I don’t lock this perfect man down, someone else might come along and steal him from me.
“A family date,” I echo.
Jasper squeezes my hand. “Yes, a family date. I think it’ll be fun.”
Or it’ll be a nightmare. “How much trouble do you think Salem is gonna give us?”
“Well…” He shrugs. “Hopefully none. He’s done better this week.”
I nearly laugh at that. He’s done a little better. As long as I take him to Hunter and Theo’s multiple times a week, no one looks at him the wrong way, and no one tries to get him to eat more.
“I’m anticipating a fight over the cost of food.”
Jasper sighs. “Honestly, I kinda am too. But I want to do this for you all, and I think the only way he’s gonna start getting more comfortable with the idea of money being spent on him is to have money spent on him.”
This time I do laugh. “Then you can explain it to him.”
“I feel like exposure therapy is what’s gonna help him.” I can’t fight another laugh, and Jasper side-eyes me. “No, I’m serious. Think about it. We keep telling him that it’s all good, but we haven’t really been able to show him.”
I shrug. “Alright. We’ll try it.” I shoot him a grin. “I love the idea of having a family date night.”
Jasper brings my hand to his lips and presses a kiss to my knuckles. “And if it goes well, maybe we can make it a weekly thing.”
Sighing, I sink into the truck seat, staring at him. “Sounds good to me. Oh, we should probably talk about me working.”
“Okay.” Jasper’s eyebrows shoot up, and yeah, okay, it is a big jump.
“I just mean, like… right now I’m only working during their school hours, but I’d like to go back to my normal schedule eventually. Or at least as close to it as I can get. I don’t want you to need to support us forever, and I can’t do everything I need to with part-time hours.”
Jasper studies me for a second, then nods. “Okay, what do you need from me?”
I nibble on my lower lip. “Uh, maybe if I work later on the days that you’re off work… Would you be able to keep the kids?”
There’s silence for a second, then Jasper cocks his head. “I kinda thought that was the plan anyway. What part of my family are you not understanding? Of course I’ll be home with the kids while you’re working. That’s kind of what partners do, isn’t it?”
That’s… actually a really valid point. Holy fuck.
I actually really have a support system now.
What a wild fucking concept. “You’re serious.
” Jasper sighs, and I hold my hand up. “No, hang on. I know you’re serious.
I just mean… I think it just—wow. It really just hit me that you’re in this with me. Like, holy fuck, we have two kids.”
Jasper’s eyebrows draw together, and he bites his lower lip in what looks like an attempt to not laugh. “Yeah, baby boy. I’m in this with you, and we for sure have two kids.”
I let out an almost manic burst of laughter. “Holy fuck. Okay, but what about if you get called in for an emergency or whatever?”
“Then I’m sure Salem can handle things until we can get an adult to the house. I’m sure Luca would help. Or even Theo and Hunter. And I know for a fact that Deb will.”
“Yeah…” I nod, thinking. “And I could also take them to work with me if I absolutely needed to.”
Jasper smiles. “There you go, baby boy. We’ve got it figured out. It’ll all be okay; I promise.”
The dreaded pickup line starts moving, and Jasper shifts his focus. I hate this damn line, and every day that Jasper drives instead of me is a good day. I get to be the passenger prince and not worry about the stupid people, and everything is all good.
Nora comes bounding out of the school, her head on a swivel, and when she sees us, her eyes light up in excitement.
She skips toward the truck, her hair bouncing around and a huge smile on her face.
She climbs into the back seat, humming a little under her breath.
Jasper and I share a smile, then he turns in his seat. “Did you have a good day?”
“Yes! Miles got in trouble in class.”
“Miles?” I ask, confused at the new name.
“He’s a brat. He was yelling at the teacher, and he got sent to the principal’s office. When he left, Alex and me were laughing.”
I turn to glance at her. “Did you get in trouble for laughing?”
She rolls her eyes. “No. Mrs. Marshall didn’t even notice.”
I frown. On the one hand, I should probably tell her it’s not nice to laugh at people, but hey… if he was being a little brat and yelling at the teacher, he should get in trouble. This must be what they talk about when they tell you to pick your battles.
“Well, I’m glad you didn’t get in trouble,” I say, turning to face the front just as Salem’s bus pulls up.
He’s the first one off, and he keeps his gaze on the ground as he makes his way toward us.
Nora sighs. “Salem’s in a bad mood again.”
It seems like he’s always in a bad mood these days. I’m still working on finding a therapist to talk to, but part of me wonders if I should find a family therapist so we can talk to them together.
Salem is not the kid he used to be, and while that’s partly my fault, it’s also my job to help him find himself again. I thought for sure this would be easier, that he would settle in quickly. That he would feel safe.
If anything, the opposite seems to be true. He retreats into himself a little more each day. He gets snappy with me and with Nora. He ignores my attempts to get him to open up, and he fights me every time I try to talk to him.
After climbing into the back seat of the truck without a word, he slams the door shut behind him.
Well, so much for my hope that today was a better day.
Fuck.
Jasper seems completely put together and unbothered by the whole thing. As soon as he pulls away from the curb, he glances in the rearview mirror. “Did you have a good day at school?”
I want to look at Salem and see what his facial expression is, but I’m too worried about setting him off, so I don’t.
“Fine.”
“Just fine?” I ask, unable to help myself. “Did anything fun happen? Did you make any new friends?”
He snorts. “What am I? Five?”
I frown, finally glancing back at him. “No, but friends are important at any age.” Salem falls silent, so I turn back around in my seat. “What about you, Nor? Other than Miles getting in trouble, did anything fun happen?”
The ride from the school to our house is short, but Nora talks the entire way home, her voice animated and bubbly.
When we pull into the driveway, she jumps out of the truck right away, waiting for us to get out too. The second we’ve all piled out, she looks up at me. “Can I go play in the backyard?”
I glance at Jasper. “Probably not, right?”
He shakes his head. “I want to take you all to dinner tonight.”
“What kind of dinner?” she asks.
Salem starts to walk past us. “Hey, wait a second. We’re talking.”
He stops in his tracks, then slowly turns around to look at me. “You were talking to Nora. Not me.”
“We were talking to both of you.”
Salem frowns. “No. Nora asked a question. You answered her. Had nothin’ to do with me.”
“It does have something to do with you. Jasper wants to take us to dinner.” I raise an eyebrow at him. “That includes you.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t want to go. I’ll stay home.”
I should probably let it go. I don’t want to. “No. You’re going.”
Jasper slides his hand into mine, squeezing gently.
I’m not gonna argue with him about it, even though that squeeze felt like him telling me not to worry about it.
Worrying about it is my fucking job. And I’m so tired of Salem acting like this.
I know he’s having a hard time, and I know this isn’t his fault, but goddamn.
“Jasper is offering to take us to dinner. As a family. You’re going. ”
Nora takes a step back and then another before she turns on her heel and rushes toward the house, inputting the code and disappearing inside.
After pressing a quick kiss to my temple, Jasper jogs after her.
I’m thankful for it. Even though I hate that she needs regulation after I promised there wouldn’t be fighting or anger here.
Salem crosses his arms over his chest. “You’re not the boss of me.”
I have no idea how parents control their impulses.
I guess some don’t. And that’s why we’re here.
That’s why Salem is having such a hard time.
Frustration courses through my veins. “I’ve let you get by with a lot of shit, Salem.
I’ve let you disrespect me and Jasper and even Nora.
But not tonight. You will go to dinner with us.
This is not up to you to decide, and last time I checked, I am the boss of you. ”
His nostrils flare as he stands stiffly between me and the house. He looks like he’s gearing up for a fight, and you know what? Let him. Maybe we need a good argument. Maybe that’ll be the only way I get him to open up.
Finally, he breaks the tense silence. “I’ll go to your stupid fucking dinner. But I’m not going to be happy about it.”
I laugh. “I’m not surprised. You’re never fucking happy about anything.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I want to take them back. Hurt flashes in his eyes, but he hides it quickly. “I’m going to my room. Tell me when it’s time to leave.”
He turns on his heel and goes inside.
I stare after him for a second before dropping my face into my hands and drawing in a deep breath. I really am fucking this all up.