Page 29 of Yes & I Love You (Say Everything 1)

Chapter Eight

Two weeks after the surgery, Jasper leaned against his sister’s kitchen counter and stared down at the first hospital bill that had arrived in the mail.Fucking hell.Even with some insurance coverage from his parents, he was in the hole for thousands. The little nest egg he’d been trying to build by living rent-free at Gretchen’s for a couple of months was going to be obliterated. So much for getting his own place anytime soon or having any money at all to invest in promoting his group.

“You look a helluva lot better,” Gretchen said, stepping into the sun-dappled kitchen and grabbing the coffee carafe off the island. She was dressed for her research job at the university in a white blouse and gray pants, her blond hair pulled into a twist. The only hint that she wasn’t one hundred percent humorless scientist were the bright-red cherry earrings dangling from her earlobes. “How are you feeling?”

Jasper scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “I was feeling pretty good until I opened the mail. How can surgery cost this much? I was only there a few hours.” He flipped the bill her way.

“You’re lucky you’re still on Mom and Dad’s plan. One year older and you’d be in the hole for three times that. Emergency surgery is crazy expensive.”

He tossed the bill on the counter in frustration. It was no one’s fault that his appendix had decided to quit, and being in debt was better than being dead from exploding organs, but he wanted to tear the damn bill to pieces and burn them. How could he never manage to get ahead? Or not evenahead—just simplycaught upwould be nice. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’m going to need to crash in your guest room for a while longer if I have any shot of paying this down.”

Gretchen frowned and set the coffee carafe down. “Jas, you said you’d be able to move out at the end of this month.”

“I know, but that was before my appendix decided to go all time bomb on me.” He flicked his hand toward the bill. “I can’t pay on this and afford rent solo. And my guess is that there are more bills coming.”

His sister folded her arms and glanced out the window, squinting like she was concentrating hard. “Well, you’re going to have to figure it out.”

It took him a minute to process what she’d said. “What?”

She let out a breath and looked back to him, her brown eyes meeting his. “You can’t stay, Jas.”

“I can’t stay,” he repeated. “You’re being serious?”

She nodded, expression grim but determined. She used to wear the same expression when they were teens and she’d refuse to cover for him with the Deareses when he’d done something to break the rules.

His heart picked up speed, some old, etched-in reaction to being told he can’t stay somewhere firing up all hisoh shitsystems.Sorry, Jasper this placement just isn’t working out. Sorry, Jasper, but your parents refused rehabilitation, so you won’t be going home.“Why? I mean, I know it’s a pain having me here, but I’m really not going to be here much with two jobs, and don’t think I’m taking your place for granted but—”

“I’m moving in with Timothy,” she said, cutting him off. “I already put in my notice here, and the owners have another renter ready to go.”

Jasper sagged back against the counter, the news knocking him backward. “Moving in? I didn’t even realize you guys were that serious.”

“Because you haven’tbeen here. We’ve been dating for over a year. I was already planning this move before you called from California and said you needed to come home. I pushed back the date and asked Timothy to be patient, but I can’t delay it anymore.” She sighed and held her hands out to her side. “And I shouldn’t have to. You’re twenty-five and—”

“I should have a steady job and insurance and all that important adult stuff,” he said in a mocking, formal voice.

“Don’t,” she warned, fire coming into her eyes. “Don’t act like I’m being a bitch about this. I know you love improv and you’re good at it, but you’ve tried to make a career out of it and it hasn’t worked. College didn’t work out. Acting hasn’t worked out. It’s time to make other plans—real plans.Practicalones.”

He grimaced.

“Practical isn’t a dirty word, Jasper. I know you think I’m the boring one with all my ten-year plans and spreadsheets, but look where it’s gotten me. Steady job. Steady relationship. Money to pay my bills.”

Jasper glowered at her. What did she want from him? A sheet of gold stars? The Good Responsible Person medal? He managed to keep his mouth shut because whatever was going to come out wasn’t going to be nice.

“You don’t want to look up in your thirties and realize you’re still making lattes and don’t have a penny in the bank. You’re not always going to be able to get by on a wink and a joke,” she said, bracing her hands on the island and pinning him with a pointed look. “Do the improv for fun, for a hobby, but start looking for a real job. It’s time. You’re too old to be crashing at your sister’s house and riding on your parents’ insurance.”

Jasper’s jaw was clenched so hard he worried for his teeth.

She crossed her arms in challenge, like she knew he was about to explode and go toe to toe with her. “Mom and Dad would tell you the same thing if they weren’t afraid of hurting your feelings.”

Her flaming spear landed solid. “Don’t,” he said in a low voice, a warning. “Don’t bring Mom and Dad into this. They have never been anything but one hundred percent supportive of what I wanted to do.”

“Supportive because they love you, but that doesn’t mean they agree with the path you’ve chosen. They worry about youall the time,” she said, a pained note in her voice. “They think they failed you in some way.”

His stomach dropped and his surgery scar twinged, the words deflating him like a pin to a balloon. “What?”

“Think about it, Jas. Their job was to take you in and prepare you for life but”—she put her arms out to her sides—“you’re still living like you’re eighteen. You’ve failed to launch. They think it’s something they did.”

Her voice was quiet, but the blow was harsher than anything else she’d said. He looked down, gripping the back of his neck. The thought that he had disappointed the Deareses made him sick to his stomach. The best day of his life was the day they told him they wanted to adopt him, not to let him stay until he aged out of foster care, but to make him an official part of their family, give him their name. The very last thing in the world he wanted to do was let them down.

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