Page 45 of Sweet Little Thing

I closed the door to separate us and sighed, relieved to be away from Stone. I hoped he wouldn’t be staying in the pool house. I didn’t think we’d ever be okay together. He wasn’t going to approve of this. Not the way the others had. I couldn’t imagine Stone accepting me as Jasper’s girlfriend or an employee of the company Jasper’s father had left him.

I’d had a wonderful morning with my sister. I wouldn’t let Stone ruin my mood. I sat down and began working on the heap,the mountain of files that I’d barely dented; as the time ticked by, and before I knew it, the door opened, and Jasper came walking inside.

“I’m starved. Come eat with me?” he asked.

I stood and straightened my skirt. “Sounds good. I’m hungry. Where to?”

Jasper held out his arms, and I walked into them. I loved feeling like I had someone. That I wasn’t against the whole world by myself, protecting Heidi from that world without a net to catch us. . .if we fell. . .because before there was no net. . .but now. . .I luckily had Jasper.

“Stone will eventually thaw,” he said, speaking into my hair as he held me against his body. “One day, the two of you will get along just fine. I swear, it will happen.”

I doubted that, but I guess I could hope. “If you say so, Jasper.”

Jasper laughed and pulled back enough to kiss me. I was being greedy to want all his friends to like me. His friends didn’t have to like me. Jasper did, and that was all that mattered—having him.

He held my hand as we walked downstairs. Jasper wasn’t hiding this. Whatever we were and were becoming, he was making sure everyone knew. Brandy Jo would throw me out of a window if she had the opportunity. The raw hate in her eyes spoke volumes as we passed by her desk, which was a warning for me to watch my back and avoid high places around her.

“Where to?” I asked again. Jasper paused. His eyes fixed on something straight ahead. I followed his gaze and saw Portia stepping out of a black limousine near the entrance. This was going to be messy. She’d be even less thrilled than Stone. No, the woman would be furious. And even worse, her son controlled everything. She’d be looking to have her vengeance any way she could.

I expected Jasper to release my hand, but it tightened aroundmine and remained. I thought for a moment that we were going to stand there like a wall as if we were keeping the enemy army from entering the building, and then Jasper moved us forward. After the doorman briefly spoke, we stepped into the light, the sun shining bright, unlike the situation. Portia saw us and stopped. Her eyes went from our faces to our hands. Still joined, my palms getting sweaty. The fury and outrage that I expected didn’t materialize. There was no dramatic fit. Instead, there was fear in her eyes—a fear I didn’t understand.

“I didn’t prepare for this. But I should have. She’s gorgeous. Her genetics are excellent. You’re a man, and I left you alone with her. . .I just. . .well. . .expected more fromher. More determination, self-reliance, and pride. More of everything.”

Jasper was tense before, but his grasp of my hand was so tight now that it was boarding on painful. I didn’t say anything about it. He was angry. I understood that.

“Portia,” he said, “I won’t allow you to hurt her. Say anything to upset Beulah. If you do, you’ll be gone without a dime. Do you understand what I’m saying? I’ll leave you fucking destitute.” Jasper’s tone was so cold it made me still.

As for Portia, she didn’t look concerned. Her shoulders remained straight, and her head aloft, poised in that way I was accustomed to seeing, though I couldn’t say that I missed her.

“Son, you’ve made a grave error. One you’ll no doubt completely blame on me. Though, eventually, you would’ve known. Secrets can’t be hidden forever. I’ve learned that the hard way. But this secret, with its lies, has to be revealed. It won’t just hurt Beulah. It’ll affect you both.”

My heart began to beat rapidly in my chest. Anxiety and fear began spiraling where the happiness had been. She had a secret. We knew about only one that she hadn’t wanted to share with either of us. The fact she’d taken in Heidi and I without question. Although I never knew why and my mother said nothing abouther my entire life. Was that secret going to take my security away? This feeling of having someone snatched from me?

“Portia, what the fuck are you rattling on about? I’m not going to waste my time, and Beulah’s, listening to your bullshit.”

Her chin lifted. Portia wearily exhaled. “I’ll meet you both at the house in an hour. I have some things you both need to see.” She looked at me and then back to Jasper. “You’ll find that I’m not ‘rattling on’ about ‘bullshit’.” Even when she cursed, it sounded polished.

Portia turned on her heels. The chauffeur opened the door. She climbed back in, but we didn’t move until they drove away. Jasper’s body and emotions seemed wound so tight that I could feel it as if it were a heavy blanket on us both.

“We don’t have to listen to her. Let’s go eat,” he said. His tone was abrasive, anger sizzling where his smile had been only a few minutes ago.

“I want to hear what she has to say. This is about my mother. I know it is. I’ve always known there was something more to the story—a reason why she helped us. Now, after hearing all that, I think we should go. I think. . .Jasper. . .that we have to go.”

He took my hand and tugged me to him. Jasper held me there tightly as if I would evaporate into thin air. “I don’t trust her. She’s trying to end us.”

I didn’t think that was what she was doing. “Let’s see what she wants to show us. That’s all I’m asking Jasper. If my mom is connected, I want to know.”

He sighed and continued to hold me. We stayed that way for several moments. When he finally let go, he replied, “Okay. If that’s what you want.”

Chapter

Thirty-Four

Jasper

Nothing had ever been so terrifying. . .unknown. . .and yet. . .waiting there. Not even when my father had a heart attack. I’d never been wracked with such impending doom. I fought the urge to turn the car south and drive to the Florida Keys. Or go west until we got to California. As far away as I could get from all this. From Portia and what she had to say. From Beulah’s mother. . .and what she couldn’t.

It wasn’t Portia’s lies that scared me. I told Beulah that it was, but it wasn’t. I was afraid to face her secrets. My mother hadn’t been furious. Portia didn’t act as if us holding hands was distasteful or offended her. She’d been disappointed and disturbed. That wasn’t setting well with me. It was too unlike her.

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