Life and Other Inconveniences(117)

It sounded like a precursor to this was a mistake. I nodded, feeling my muscles start to tighten.

“But if you did stay, I’d be really, really happy. Selfishly. Because I’d get to see you more than if I have to fly out to Chicago.”

My heart practically jumped out of my chest into his hands. “So . . . you’d come out and visit? We’re not just a summer fling?”

“You’re the second person I’ve ever slept with, Emma. I don’t do flings.”

“You’re the second person I’ve slept with, too.”

“We’re basically freaks of nature in this day and age.”

“That’s fine with me.” The happy, warm buzzing was back.

“Me too.” He smiled, tugging my gooey caramel heart, then kissed my nose, which thrilled me. Yep. I had it bad. “I have to get back to work,” he said.

“Then get out of here.”

“I’ll call you later.”

“Okay.” Smiling like a happy dope, I got into my car before I blurted out my love for him and the names of our future pets.

And as I drove away, I decided it was time to pay Jason a visit. I called his house, and Jamilah answered. “Hey, it’s Emma!” I said.

“How are you?”

“I’m good. Is Jason there? I was thinking I’d stop by.”

“Oh.” There was a pause. “Um . . . he’s still living with his parents, Emma.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “I filed for divorce.”

“Oh! I thought . . . I thought you were getting back together.”

“No. I tried, but no.”

I paused. “Is it okay if I say something judgmental right now?”

“Go for it.”

“You deserve so much better.”

She laughed. “I’ve been thinking that about you since the day we met.”

“I’ll remind him of your son’s birthdays, too. You know. The way you did for Riley. Your boys are part of our family, too.”

Her voice was husky when she spoke. “That Jason. He sure gets the best women, doesn’t he?”

“He does. Let’s get together this week, okay?”

“Sounds great. Thanks, Emma.”

I took the all-too-familiar road to Courtney and Robert’s house. It was time for Jason to tell me just how much he was contributing to Riley’s college expenses. No more tap dancing around my goodwill.

Their house hadn’t changed much. Courtney still had those ugly plaster geese lining the walk. I knocked on the front door, loudly, and a second later, she answered, then jumped back in surprise like I was going to hit her. “Emma! What are you doing here?”

“So nice to see you, too, Courtney.”

“What do you want? Jason, I suppose. I hope you’re proud of yourself, breaking up him and Jamilah. She was the best thing that ever happened to him.”

I leaned past her head. “Jason! I need to talk to you.”

“You have no manners,” Courtney said.

“Really? This from the woman who has ignored her granddaughter for sixteen years? Who blamed her son’s girlfriend for getting pregnant, like I could do that on my own? You’re trash, Courtney. No amount of ass kissing and social climbing will ever change that.”

Jason appeared in the foyer, chewing something. Right. It was dinnertime. The afternoon at the motel had taken a lot more than an hour. I squished down the pleasure that thought induced and stuck with righteous anger.

“Hey, Em,” Jason said. “What’s up? You want to grab a drink somewhere?”

“No. I need you to tell me exactly how much you’ll give to Riley’s college expenses. Now. Miller told me the company’s doing really well, so how much, Jason?”

“Robert!” Courtney called. “You need to come here.”

“Why do we have to talk about this now?” Jason asked. “I can’t predict how well the company—”

“How much, Jason? Can I put you down for half, or would you like to cover it all?”

Robert Finlay appeared in the front hall. “Oh. Hello, Emma.” Like we’d seen each other yesterday, not seventeen years ago when he let his wife kick me out of their house for having the audacity to get pregnant by his son.

I ignored him. “How much, Jason?”

“Look,” he said. “Jamilah and I are getting a divorce, so things will be tight.”

“So you’ve never saved any money for your daughter’s education? You just figured she’d turn eighteen and your child support payments would end, and she’d be on her own for college. Is that it?”

“He’s not obliged to pay anything,” Courtney said.

“Legally, no. Morally, another story.”

Jason’s face was getting that look I knew so well, since I’d seen it so many times. The jaw hardening, the eyes going flat. The look that said, Don’t push me.

All these years, I’d told myself he was a good guy. A good father. A good friend.

He wasn’t. He was just . . . nothing. A man who had to be reminded to interact with his daughter.

“I can’t commit to a figure,” he said. “I’ll help if I can.”

“But you won’t help, will you? In fact, you’re the one who’s always needed help, haven’t you? From your parents, from the family business, from Jamilah. And here you are, living in Mommy and Daddy’s basement. How proud you’ve made everyone, Jason.”