Motherfucker.
“Hazel, can you get me the first aid kit from the bathroom, please?”
She’s sitting at the dining table, scooping cereal into her mouth, when she looks down at my foot. “Eww.”
The doorbell rings, and my frustration skyrockets once again.
“On second thought, you get the door, I’ll get the first aid kit.” The bathroom is closer to me anyway.
“What if it’s a stranger who wants to kidnap me?” she asks.
“Fine. Come in!” I yell to whoever it is. It’s gonna be awkward if it’s the Amazon Prime delivery guy.
It’s not.
Jasper’s light brown hair is what I see first. Then his unshaven face. And those eyes …
“Jasper,” I squeak.
He glances around the room, at Ben, who’s still teary, Hazel, who’s narrowed her eyes in suspicion, and then at me, balancing on one foot while bleeding from the other.
“What happened?”
“Ben broke a glass, and it decided it wanted to live in my foot from now on.”
Ben giggles. Hey, at least he finds this funny. And he didn’t correct me on his name. My first ever win!
“Do you have a first aid kit?” Jasper asks.
“I’ll get it,” Hazel says.
Jasper automatically moves into fix-it mode, guiding me to a chair to sit. He kneels and lifts my bloody foot onto his thigh.
While inspecting it, his finger presses gently against the glass, and I flinch.
“Ah, fu-dgicles.”
Ben giggles again.
I turn my head toward him. “How about you go get ready for school for me. Please?”
He takes off.
“You did a good job,” Jasper says. “Might need tweezers to get this out.”
“Great. Just what a hockey coach needs. An injured foot.”
“I’ll get you back on your skates in no time.” Jasper smiles.
“You a doctor now?”
“No, but it’s a small cut. You’ll live.”
“In other words, you’re telling me to stop being a drama queen.”
“Exactly.”
Hazel comes back and hands Jasper the first aid kit while still eyeing him warily.
“Hazel, this is Jasper. He works at CU.”
“Why are you here?” she asks.
Hazel, my eleven-year-old protector.
“I, uh …” Jasper glances my way and then back at her.
“He’s my friend,” I say.
That appeases her enough, and she goes to take her spot back at the dining table. She puts her headphones on, but I’d bet anything she’s not listening to anything but Jasper and me.
“Should I be scared?” Jasper asks. “She was glaring at me pretty hard. Also …” He lowers his voice. “She’s being bullied? Kids these days must have balls of steel. I’m a grown-ass man, and if looks could kill, I would be dead.”
“She’s probably confused. I don’t have any friends around here.”
“You should really get on that.”
I laugh. “Making friends isn’t like it used to be. How do you even become friends with someone?”
“Might I suggest knocking instead of barging into other professors’ offices? That might be a start.”
“Good tip.”
Jasper gets the tweezers and pulls out the glass in my foot. The blood is flowing now, and the sight … Oh shit. Oh no. Oh fuck, here we go.
I put my hand to my mouth in fear I might vomit.
“You okay? You look pale.”
“Blood.” I shake my head. “Can’t stand the sight of it.”
“Then close your eyes, dumbass.”
I snort but do as he says and then take a deep breath. “Distract me.”
“With what?”
“Anything. Tease me about being the only hockey player in the world who faints when he sees blood. Everyone else does that.”
“I do find that funny, but I’m not going to be mean about it.”
I keep my eyes closed while he bandages my foot. “Tell me the real reason you came over this morning, then.”
“I thought you might want this back.”
I crack one eye open as he holds up my phone.
“Shit, thank you. I didn’t even know I forgot it. It’s been a morning, and I’ve only been home for an hour.”
Jasper finishes up. “No more blood.”
I sigh in relief. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” He gives my ankle a soft squeeze. “And hey, if you ever need another break and the kids have a sitter …”
I glance at Hazel in case she’s listening in and just nod at Jasper. “Thanks. It’s nice to know I can at least call you a friend.”
Jasper frowns, and I swear disappointment flashes in his eyes. He gives a tight smile as he says goodbye and sees himself out.
I feel like I’ve said something wrong, but I have no idea what.
18
Jasper
It’s one thing to have a hookup and then decide it’s not going anywhere. It’s another thing entirely to have your face buried in some guy’s ass, then have him tell you the next morning he only wants to be friends.
Ouch.
It’s my fault, which makes me feel even more stupid.
I should have left it at that one night, but then West came to me, and I wanted to make it better, like he did for me at my reunion.
It’s his eyes …
Goddamn it, one look at how lost and overwhelmed he felt and I was putty for him. Maybe I was the one taking control when we were together, but he had all the cards. He wanted me, and I folded, simple as that.