"Oh, come on," I burst out, losing the silent stare-down contest because I just could not take his judgment anymore. "You knew this was inevitable the day you asked me to come back. Stop making me feel guilty."
His eyebrows came together as he lowered his coffee cup. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said in his sexy morning voice.
"Stop sounding like Gerard fucking Butler," I snapped without meaning to.
He looked at me as though I was crazy. "What?"
"Nothing. So I slept with your boyfriend. How many times must we go over this? He's my boyfriend too and you're responsible for making that happen," I declared loudly.
Jasper turned to refill his mug. "Doesn't make it any easier," he muttered and I sighed and sagged against the sink, watching his broad back with a guilt-ridden expression.
Fuck, why did this have to be so complicated? Why did he have to be so complicated, making me care when I should just be enjoying my relationship without worrying about how Jasper fucking Wells dealt with his issues?
"Do you...er...want to talk about it?" I offered slowly. God, what was I saying? But it was like I could not stop. The fixer in me would not let me. "I mean, I know it must be hard for you. I heard you and Cole arguing about something-"
"Don't," he gritted out, throwing me a dangerous look. "Don't you fucking question where I stand with him because your brain would never be able to comprehend just what we are to each other."
I gaped at him. "Jasper, I was just being considerate-"
"Whatever," he barked at me, grabbing his coffee and walking away. "Warm his breakfast. It's in the fridge. And make him lemon juice. He likes it."
I bit back a grin at those caring words spoken in his stern voice.
"Okay, Daddy," I said under my breath and then sucked in a sharp breath when Jasper paused at his bedroom door and scowled at me over his shoulder. Shit. Did he hear me?
"I already have one," he bit out harshly. "I don't need another."
Then he disappeared inside his bedroom and I was standing there with my jaw hanging open like, what the fuck?
Another what?
~~~
Chapter 16
Jasper
It has been two weeks. An entire goddamned fortnight and Cole still has not forgiven me for my act of omission.
Oh we talk, he isn't the type to award me the silent treatment but it is as though we are flat mates instead of lovers.
I took a burning sip of my scotch as I sat in our home office, trying to book a cheap flight to London online. I needed to leave for my parents' wedding anniversary celebration in three days. Cole usually went with me but I was pretty sure he would not this time.
My family loved him. They thought he was my best friend instead of my boyfriend because I never really made that part clear. But after seeing us together for six years without any significant others, I think they have figured it out by now.
Cole does not have any family of his own. He grew up an orphan in foster homes and then my family kind of started to think of him as their own because of his winning personality. There was something so endearing about him. He could charm anybody's pants off. Or skirt for that matter.
Scowling, I gulped down more scotch and then jumped, making the liquid splash over my hand when said skirt-owner appeared in the office doorway all breathless and excited, looking at me with her damned big, blue eyes.
"What do you want?" I asked rudely, snatching some tissues from the box nearby and blotting out the spill.
Her plush pink lips parted and she held up a glossy copy of this month's Vogue Italia issue with a glimmer in her eyes. "I saw your photos," she told me. "Oh my God, Jasper, why didn't you tell us?"
I made some non-committal sound to get her to fuck off but she would not budge as she presented me with the sweetest smile I had ever seen on a woman. God, it just about took my breath away. Why was she smiling at me like I was God or something?
"Come on, Jasper," she said in an excited tone. "I mean, Vogue Italia? That's a pretty big deal. I'm...I'm so happy for you."
God, why? I hated her. She needed to stop bugging me. Pouring some more scotch in my glass, I went back to my task and ignored her but it was hard because just then, Cole walked past the office and Skye turned to him with the same excitement as though it was her name on the article as the photographer instead of mine.
"Cole, did you see this?" she gushed, showing him the pages where my photos were displayed. "Jasper got hired to do a shoot by Vogue Italia. I mean, how amazing is that?"
I stopped breathing for a minute as my boyfriend's gaze skimmed over the photos before he turned to glance at me coolly.
"Wow," he said and I never heard a more lukewarm response in my life. "That's great. Congratulations."
Then he walked off to do whatever he was going to do after dropping a kiss on Skye's head as she stared after him. My fingers clutched the glass knowing what was coming. She turned to me with pity in her eyes, probably saw the devastation on my face and I
