Jaded (Jaded #1)

Bryce lifted his head, met my eyes, and slid back up to kiss my lips.

We made love for the rest of the morning. The last twenty four hours had rolled slowly by and we hadn’t enjoyed the night. It was morning when we got to bed and it was still morning when we breathed after the last climax that pulsed our bodies. Bryce collapsed on me with an arm thrown around my waist and his head rested on my shoulder.

He fell asleep and I stayed awake. I trailed a hand down his back, feeling the sweat, and muscles that aligned and gave him the structure of who he was.

I fell in love with him. I had said it again.

I wasn’t his girlfriend and laying there, with him breathing for us, I realized that I wasn’t going to be his girlfriend. We weren’t simple like that. We were best friends and lovers, but girlfriend/boyfriend limited us beneath what we were. We were more and I was loath to take a label that didn’t justify who I was or how I felt.

I heard movement in the house and slid out from underneath Bryce’s warmth. I pulled on my loose scrubs that hung low on my hips and grabbed one of Bryce’s sweatshirts to cover my top. Silently, I opened the door and moved out as Bryce rolled over in the bed, fast asleep.

When I moved into the kitchen, I stopped short in surprise.

Jefferson Scout stood at the coffeepot, frowning fiercely like it was alien technology.

“Water and coffee grounds,” I said by a greeting. I leaned against the counter, stuffed my hands inside Bryce’s sweatshirt, and smirked. “And then you push ‘on’, but you’ll want to make sure it’s plugged into the outlet first.”

Jefferson nodded, “Ah. I got it now.” He smiled and I saw he had Bryce’s smile.

“Bryce told me that everyone was gone,” I murmured, feeling slightly foolish.

“Yes, well…” He glanced at me, cautiously.

I replied, “I know about the divorce. Bryce told me.”

“Yes, well…,” he continued. “It was too tempting to pass up. My wife left town once she heard that I was back and well—my own home without my wife sounded wonderful.”

I hadn’t quite expected that answer. He sounded tired, resigned, and sad. He didn’t sound like a father who was about to leave his family behind, with no means to pay their bills.

“Bryce is sleeping…” I stopped, realized how that sounded, but I finished anyway, “I know that he’ll be happy that you’re here.”

Jefferson smiled, more to himself than to me, and he noted, “I’m not my wife, Sheldon. I know what you mean to my son even if he doesn’t realize that I know, but I do. I’m not going to burn you at the stake like I’m sure that my wife would like to.”

I laughed, genuinely, and replied, “What are you talking about? Your wife is one of my biggest fans. She prays for me, did you know?”

“Yes. She prays for everything, but I doubt she lives a very Christian lifestyle.”

“No, I doubt she does.”

He sighed as he finished filling the coffeepot. He pushed the ‘on’ button and remarked, “You know—I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation with you before. How long have you been with my son?”

“Seven years.” I acknowledged the truth in my response and knew I had kept him away for most of those years. Hindsight is crystal and bitterly true.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you…finally.” Jefferson Scout smiled an adorable smile and I realized why AnnaBelle Scout had fallen in love in the first place. He may have been quiet, but he was gorgeous underneath his seemingly nerdy exterior. A businessman and inventor (from what Bryce had told me once), but I saw a lot of Bryce in his father.

Color me biased, but I liked the guy.

“If there’s something I’ve learned from even starting this whole ordeal, it’s not to believe what you’re told.” Jefferson nodded quickly, poured himself a cup of coffee that had slowly filtered through, and added, “Some things don’t add up and living with my wife—I pushed a lot of those nagging little things to the back of my mind, but I’ve paid the price now. She’ll take me for everything I have. I’m sure of it, but at least now I have a clear mind. And I can judge for myself what makes sense and what doesn’t. Silly, yes, I know, but…I’ve learned that I can only say what I know. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t think of saying it at all.”

It was an oddly placed speech and I knew that he spoke from his personal demons, but it jarred my own.

Everything unraveled as I heard two of his sentiments.

Bryce had lied. He wasn’t working to support the family. His father had enough money and his wife would take most of that from him.

And Bryce had talked about something that he shouldn’t have known. He had said, before the police even told me—“He moved both bodies.”

Bryce knew that Bailey hadn’t died in the school. He knew before the police told us.