Baby, I Think I Love You

“Are you really going to start this bullshit now? Honestly,” I hissed at him, jumping into a pair of jeans.

“I’m not starting anything! You find something to pick at and you just keep digging!” Jasper hissed back, shrugging on his jacket. “Look, I’ll be back when I’m back. I told you twenty-some times before that I have a lot of work to do.”

“Oh, suck it!”

“You mean like you did last night?”

“You’re insufferable! Just go to work.”

I shoved him out of the bedroom, glaring as he stumbled and fell over, his body shaking as he laughed. Slamming the door, I fell back onto the bed. The ceiling wasn’t too interesting, but it could be if I looked hard enough. Surely, right?

Yeah, not so much.

“Methinks Jasper is gone,” Avery whispered, grinning as he walked into the bedroom. I glanced over at him, a zombie expression on my face.

“Hey, sweetie. He left for work, and apparently he’ll be back around five in the morning. Then he has to go back in at noon tomorrow. It’s ridiculous,” I grumbled, forcing myself onto my feet.

“Dad called me earlier. He told me to ask if you wanted to do something today,” Avery eased in not-so-subtly. I smiled, picking him up and kissing his forehead.

“I suppose I’ve got nothing better to do, hmm? Do you think you could find a friend to spend the day with? Monique is going to the mall later, and I don’t want you to be home alone.”

“Actually, I was hoping we could just stay home today.”

I jumped, smiling softly when I saw Edwin striding into the room. He closed the door quietly behind him, glancing around to make sure Manny hadn’t seen him. Edwin walked up to me, pulling me into his arms and ruffling Avery’s hair. Avery wiggled out of my arms and set his feet on the floor, joining in on our hug.

“This is how it’s supposed to be,” he mumbled into my stomach, burying his face in my shirt.

“I know, honey. I really messed up,” I whispered, kissing his forehead. Edwin smiled painfully at me.

“Don’t talk like that. If I left you for even a second, it means that I fucked it all up. Avery, it’s my fault not your mother’s. I’m sorry, baby,” he whispered, kissing me quickly. I smiled gently, my heart tearing even more.

But what was I supposed to do?

I glanced over to the bed and saw a piece of paper lying on the bed. Tearing myself from my son and Edwin, I picked up the sheet. It had “Barber Case” scrawled out on the top, and it had Jasper’s handwriting all over it. It certainly looked important.

“Oh, Eddy, before we start chilling like villains up in here, could you drive me down to the firm Jasper works at? He left something here.”

“Yeah, sure.” Edwin had confusion on his face, but there was time for that later.

He drove like a maniac—as usual—so we got there soon enough. I darted into the office, leaving Edwin in the car waiting. The elevator took long enough, but I eventually made it to the Jasper’s office.

“Honey?”

He wasn’t there. I ran out to the receptionist and asked her where Jasper was so I could give him his document. She looked at me funny.

“Mr. Vincent? He’s had this past week off, and he certainly had no need to come in today.”

Hold up! What now?