Page 43 of Only Forever

I hesitated. Even though the backyard was completely fenced in, I still felt a little uncomfortable being out there. I felt vulnerable being outside, even though trees surrounded most of the fence and no one could see into the backyard. I knew it was irrational, but I felt exposed. I steeled myself against the spurt of fear, telling myself the backyard was just an extension of the house. The fence gate was locked, and it was no different than being behind the locked door of my house. Besides, Jason was being so understanding about my unwillingness to leave the house, that this was one concession I could make.

“Sure,” I said, trying to smile brightly, not wanting Jason to realize I was hesitant. I didn’t need him thinking I was any weirder than he already did.

I led the way, a little embarrassed by how weedy the backyard was. I had gone out there every now and then to try and tackle the grass from getting too overgrown, but as time passed, I had gotten tired of bracing myself for going out there, and my landscaping efforts had gotten more infrequent. I had hired someone to mow the front lawn every now and then, but I didn’t want them in my backyard because it technically still felt like a part of my house and I didn’t feel comfortable with anyone invading that space.

“It’s a little wild out here,” I said with an embarrassed laugh. I walked over to the patio furniture I had covered a long time ago, since I never used it. As I started taking off the covers, I was glad that I had used them, because while the furniture had some wear and tear, it had been spared the brunt of the weather and still looked decent.

Jason glanced around the backyard while he helped me take the furniture covers off. “I can help you maintain your yard. Itwouldn’t be much work at all.” He looked at me and smiled. “I’m the master of yard care. Just leave it to me.”

I smiled back at him, my heart swelling. There was such care in his expression. I must have done something good in my life to have had Jason Mayors placed in it.

My smile disappeared as soon as that thought entered my mind. I definitely hadn’t done anything good in my life. It was the exact opposite.

Jason’s brow furrowed at the sudden change in my expression. “Is something wrong?”

I shook my head, pushing those thoughts out of my mind. “No,” I lied. “Let’s sit down.”

I sat down on the wicker loveseat, motioning for him to come sit next to me. It was a warm breezy day, and I felt the tension melt away as Jason pulled me closer to him on the seat. I had felt a little nervous when we had stepped outside, but Jason’s warm comforting presence made me relax. We were quiet for a while, enjoying the sun’s rays and listening to birds chirping. It wasn’t a sound I was used to anymore, being holed up in my house, and it made me realize how much I was missing out on life.

“Daphne,” Jason said after a while. He shifted to turn to me. “I don’t want to ruin the mood, but being in your backyard, I can’t help but remember what happened the last time we were out here.”

My tranquil mood disappeared with his words. The last time we had been out here had been before college graduation, when Shelby had called him but I answered. The last thing I wanted to talk about was what happened or didn’t happen between him and Shelby, but Jason continued before I could stop him.

“I want to let you know that nothing ever happened between me and Shelby.” He grabbed my hand, as if he could impart his truth on me through his touch. “I swear, I only ever thought of her as your friend. Nothing more.”

I nodded slowly. I had to either decide to believe him and let him be part of my life, or not trust him and keep my distance from him. I had been repressing the memory of what had ended our relationship years ago, but sooner or later, my suspicions about him and Shelby would intrude on our relationship. But if I believed Jason was innocent, it would mean that I had thrown away a relationship that had meant everything to me for nothing. I didn’t know which pain was worse.

I decided that what was already done was done. There was no point in regretting not believing Jason back then. It was too late to take back my decision in the past. I decided the present was all that mattered.

“I believe you,” I said finally. “I just don’t know why Shelby would have lied to me. What would she have to gain from that?”

“Maybe she was jealous of our relationship,” Jason said. “I took up a lot of your time, and maybe she was upset that you weren’t spending as much time with her as you used to.” He sighed heavily. “Who knows.”

“It really doesn’t matter anymore,” I said, deciding to put that issue to rest. I had decided to trust and believe Jason, and it would be pointless to ponder Shelby’s motivations.

“Thank you for trusting me,” Jason said tenderly, his eyes soft. He leaned over, brushing his lips lightly against mine. The warm breeze ruffled our hair as Jason’s lips caressed mine, and for the first time in a long time, I felt truly happy.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The rest of the afternoon was idyllic, as we enjoyed the warm weather in the backyard. When it was getting close to dinnertime, Jason announced that he was going to make dinner, and he made a quick grocery run to get all the ingredients. When he came back, he quickly got to work in the kitchen.

“Can I help with anything?” I asked, watching him puttering around in the kitchen. He stopped to pour me a glass of wine, and then waved me away to sit on the stool at the other side of the counter.

“You just relax,” he said. “I’ve got it under control.” He flashed me a sexy grin, and then got back to cutting vegetables. I admired him as he worked. He deftly moved around the kitchen as if he had been cooking there for years. Back in college when we had been dating, we had cooked together often in this kitchen, but nothing elaborate. It was usually just spaghetti with jarred sauce or boxed macaroni and cheese. Still, it had been fun and cozy to act like a domestic couple, and the feeling was the same now. To see Jason back in my kitchen warmed my heart and made me feel safe.

I was impressed with Jason’s dish of pasta with shrimp and salad with homemade croutons. I promised that I would make dinner next time as we dug into our meal. For the next couple of days, Jason spent practically the entire day at my place, except for sleeping there. I stayed true to my word, and made a roast dinner the next night. Jason acted like it was the best thing he ever ate, and while I agreed that it was quite good, I tried to hide my smile when he outrageously announced that it deserved a Michelin star.

The threatening letters weren’t completely forgotten, but it was just a whisper in the back of my mind. By the time Jason got back on Friday night from picking Chloe up at the airport,something he insisted on doing, it was barely a thought in my head.

“Daphne!” Chloe exclaimed when I opened the door. She enveloped me in a big hug, and I hugged her back enthusiastically. I was so happy to see her, but also concerned at the evident strain on her face despite her wide smile.

Jason walked in behind her, carrying her suitcase and setting it inside. “Although I’d love to stay, I’m sure I’ll just be in the way of you guys catching up.” Jason leaned over and gave me a quick kiss and then departed after saying goodbye. Chloe’s eyebrows were sky high after I closed the door behind him.

“What wasthat?” she exclaimed. “Are you guys a couple??”

I laughed, not knowing how to answer. Jason and I had purposely never had a discussion about what we were. We had an implicit agreement not to discuss those things. We were just enjoying our time together.

“There’s plenty of time to discuss stuff like that later,” I said, motioning her towards the living room. “I have a glass of wine waiting for you.” I paused. “Unless you want to wash up and change first. You must be tired since you had to fly out right after work.”

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