Page 56 of The Try Line

"What are you doing here?" Jason asks breathlessly.

"I couldn't let you go without me. But I missed the flight by minutes. What areyoudoing here?"

"I couldn't leave without you," he says, feigning a casual shrug. Then he smiles at me, those bright blue eyes putting the summer sky to shame.

"I love you, Mik Sanders. I'm not going anywhere without you ever again."

CHAPTER 25

JASON

"Are you ready for this?"

He scoffs. “Areyou?”

My hand squeezes tightly around Mik's, looking over at his nervous expression. We're sitting in his driveway, tension filling the car. It’s both reminiscent and completely different from the last time we were sitting in this exact spot.

Janel is expecting us. Or at least she's expecting Mik. I'm not sure if he warned her I'd be coming with him, but I'm not about to let him face this alone. We were both in the wrong, and we need to own up to it together.

We've been talking all morning about how to do this, how forthright we should be. I agree with Mik that we shouldn't outright lie, but there's no reason for us to make things worse or hurt anyone with the dirty details. Maybe that makes me a coward and a home-wrecker. I just don't see how it would help anyone for us to expose the details of our sordid affair. We're in love and always have been, and while what we did is absolutely wrong—abhorrent, actually, especially since his wife is also my sister—I wouldn't take itback.

Mik hasn't told me a lot about their relationship dynamics, but I don't really want to know too many details. Just like I'm sure Mik doesn't want to hear about all the escapades that didn't make it on the front page of a tabloid.

What matters now is our future.Together.

Mik squeezes my hand back before shutting off the car. He waits for me at the front of the vehicle, and I walk with him up the stone-paved path that leads to the front porch. Janel opens the door before we even reach the steps. She doesn't look pleased to see either of us, but she also doesn't look surprised to see me with him. She stares us down for a few moments before turning and disappearing through the door, leaving it open with the clear expectation that we'll follow.

Mik starts up the front steps, but I reach for his hand and pull him back.

"Everything is going to work out," I tell him, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

It was meant to be quick and discreet. I don't want to flaunt any public displays of affection while we're here to discuss the dissolution of Mik's marriage and my role in their undoing. That would be stupid and cruel.

But Jase walks out before we can pull apart and sees the whole thing. His eyes dart from his dad to me, and then down to our joined hands. Mik tenses, and opens his mouth to explain, but a wide grin cuts across Jase's face. Mik's mouth clamps shut.

Jase bounds down the steps and hugs his dad, and then me. I'd briefly mentioned my conversation with Jase at the cookout while we were talking this morning. Mik was more worried about Jase than anything else.

"Jase, I–"

"Facetime," Jase says, interrupting whatever apology or explanation Mik was about to give. Mik blinks at him and furrows his brow. Jase lifts an eyebrow. "We can video chat, which is probably the most we'd see each other while I'm at school anyway. And if you can, maybe try to make it back for the championship game. I can send you recordings of the games if you want to do our usual post-game break downs. And maybe I can come visit during a break.” He takes a breath and smiles again. “You won't miss anything important, Dad."

Mik is shocked silent. He looks overcome as he pulls Jase into a tight hug, wrapping both his arms around him.

"I love you, son."

"I love you, Dad. And I'm happy for you."

"You are?" Mik asks, pulling back so I can get a hug in, too.

"Family get-togethers will never be boring again," Jase says sarcastically. Then he gestures towards the house. "Mom's kicking me out while you have the super awkward conversation you're about to have. When do you leave?"

Mik still looks shocked by how well Jase is taking this, and admittedly, I'm surprised at how well he's taking it all in stride, too. From our conversation at the cookout, I knew he was pretty resigned to the idea that his dad and I had a thing for each other. He wants his dad to be happy. I was worried that taking his dad so far away wouldn't get the same reception, but he didn't even wait for us to tell him anything. He just knew. Just like he knew we were in love all those years ago.

"Uh, a week. Your Uncle Jason moved his interview to give us time to get things, um, settled here. But we'll only be gone for a long weekend, and then we'll be back to get things more…"

"Settled?" Jase finishes for him with a sarcastic smirk. He looksso much like his dad when he does that. "Alright, well, let's do something before you go?"

"Yeah, I'd like that."

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