Page 90 of Ghost of a Chance
Meeting with Victor had made him realize how stupid he’d been in his grief.He allowed himself those first few months when he’d needed to be alone, but these last few years he’d been running in place.Using the busyness of work as an excuse to not reach out to the people who mattered.
As he sat across the table from Kirsty he vowed he wouldn’t do it again.He’d confess it all.Show her the broken boy that still existed inside of him.That one who held on to his fears and his secrets because too much of his life had been known by everyone around him.
She finished typing, closing her laptop with a resounding snap.
Leaning back in the chair, crossing her arms under her breasts she pierced him with that inscrutable look from her heavily lined eyes.
“I know you’re cross with me but it’s sort of sexy,” he said.Immediately regretting it when she tightened her jaw.
“Sorry,” he said, sighing.
“For?”
Everything.
“For trying to distract you with that comment,” he admitted.
“Okay.You were writing a short story?Tell me about that.”
Stretching his legs out under the table he took a deep breath.“I wasn’t per se.It’s not as simple as it sounds.”
“Then break it down for me.You are really good at explaining things when you put your mind to it.”
“Fuck.I’m sorry I never told you.It’s just that it wasn’t only about Paul.”
“Who else could it be about?We should definitely talk to anyone involved in this.Does it have to do with quantum theory?”
“It was Dad’s short story.He was working on the theory for a science fiction book idea he had.Paul and I were trying to flesh out the idea before my twenty-first birthday so we could give it to my mom as a gift.To thank her for supporting us,” he said.
Twenty-One
His dad again.She understood why he hadn’t gone all into it at first.But as they had grown closer, he should have mentioned it.Victor knew it was a big deal to Paul at the time of his death.Hearing now that they had been trying to finish it for Jasper’s mom just reinforced that.
She had to separate her lover from the man she was working with.There was no time for hurt feelings.This could be a solid lead to unraveling whose spirit was trapped in the book.
“Tell me more about what exactly you were doing?”Pulling her notebook closer to her, she picked up her pen ready to jot it down.She thought better with pen and paper than she did on the keyboard.
She’d been ticked from the moment Victor had told her about Jasper and Paul.Mainly because he’d lied to her once more but also because she’d trusted him.
Letting him sleep in her freaking bed because he’d made her feel safe enough to invite him.Now she realized that she’d been played.Who knew what he really felt for her, if anything.
She’d tried to get over her own walls.He had his own.He hadn’t bothered to hide them.But because of that sweet, sexy way of his she’d just sort of taken to him like she did Chewie.She’d simplified him.He was complicated but he seemed to emote in big chunks so she’d thought…that he’d finally let it all out.
She had more baggage…well, that wasn’t fair.They hadn’t lived the same life and he was lugging stuff around too.
“It was sort of what we discussed the other day.Dad’s theory was in a fictional world, could it work there, but he hadn’t had time to really do much research before he died.”
Jasper’s voice was low, despondent almost.It took all of her hurt to keep her from reaching out and taking his hand.He needed her but she needed to get this sorted before she figured out what was going on with the two of them.
“As you know physics isn’t really my thing.But it was Paul’s.I asked him to help come up with a fictional way this could work so I could finish the story.He got into it and started looking over the notes my mom had sent,” he said.“I don’t always get it.”
“That’s not the only time you don’t comprehend,” she said, unable to keep herself on the task of just taking notes.
“You’re right.”
“Don’t agree with me, I’m still mad at you.”
“Fine, but I’m sorry I didn’t mention this before.When it comes to my dad…it’s hard because I want to just pretend that it’s cool that I’ve never known him, but I’m not.Mom will talk about him all the time but it’s not what I want to do.Not sure I’m explaining it right.”
