most likely wanted to give Alessandro the biggest room.
“It’s been forever since any man slept in a bed with me,” she whispered as he placed her on the pillows. As much as it pained him that he wouldn’t be with her during the night, he still needed to go.
“I’ll be right back,” he lied as she cuddled deeper into the blanket and then smiled.
“Okay.” It was barely a breath, but he could still hear the satisfaction in the word. Only once he was sure she was fast asleep, Jam left the house. Once outside, he pulled his cell out since he had promised Greg to contact him.
“Tell me she is fine,” Greg pleaded the moment he had answered the phone.
“You never told me that you sent her pictures of us,” Jam instantly shot back, and Greg groaned.
“I didn’t think you’d get that close to her that fast. I never told her that you gave me the money, and you never knew she had your pictures. I hoped she’d teach Alessandro about you. Did she?”
“He looked at me and called me daddy. It’s as if I was just gone for a week or two. I know nothing about him besides that he loves rockets. I was so scared someone would overhear us and … why did you allow me to stay away from him for so long?” Jam knew it wasn’t Greg’s fault, but he still couldn’t help but lash out. He regretted all the time he had missed not only with his son but also with the woman who raised him.
“Honestly? I have a few reasons, dude. I know I never wanted that boy to stay with his real mother, and I supported the decision of handing him over to my sister, but that doesn’t mean I was going to allow her to get locked up for it. Plus, Jamison Loane, you have a dark secret. Until you spill those beans, you will not get the okay from me to have anything with my sister. It suited me just right that you never thought about going to see her.”
Jam actually had to sit down. “What?”
“I’m a guy. And you’re a guy. We don’t do that emotional talk, but you’ve been living with me since you left Collene. That makes ten years. I ain’t gay or anything, and I sure as hell don’t need you running around naked, but honestly, you’re always wearing a shirt. You dress in the bathroom. What guy does that? We sling a towel around our hips and then we walk to our rooms. Besides that, you lost your Jamison-ness. You used to be cocky and smiley and all flirty. Then Collene happened and you changed forever.” Jam stared at the phone and then knocked it against his leg.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Funny, Jam,” Greg growled, and Jam rolled his eyes.
“I gave away my only son, who was abused by his mother when he wasn’t even a year old. Of course, I changed,” he snapped and then wondered why it had taken him to leave for Greg to say what he had on his mind.
“You were different even before that, Jam.”
“She wanted to hurt Aly.”
Greg stayed silent for a moment. “Who?” It was obvious he already knew.
“Aly had just turned sixteen. I knew I was falling head over heels for her. There was this party, remember? The one at the mayor’s home? I stood next to Collene and her mother. Aly came in and I just mentioned that one day she’d be the most beautiful thing Tarance High had ever known. You should have seen the look on Collene’s face, Greg.” Jam closed his eyes as anger surged through him. “It didn’t take long, and I saw Collene gunning for Alessia. Right there at the party. She kept bumping into Aly until I could see your sister’s face contorting with pain. Elbows, kicks, pushing her into tables … I couldn’t take it, especially after Aly left and cried her eyes out in the mayor’s garden. I watched her for a few minutes until I heard Collene and her friends coming. She talked about blue eyes and how well they’d look on Aly. I stepped in her way and told her no one was as pretty as she was and that I’d been in love with her forever.”
“Collene always was after you. You were
“It’s been forever since any man slept in a bed with me,” she whispered as he placed her on the pillows. As much as it pained him that he wouldn’t be with her during the night, he still needed to go.
“I’ll be right back,” he lied as she cuddled deeper into the blanket and then smiled.
“Okay.” It was barely a breath, but he could still hear the satisfaction in the word. Only once he was sure she was fast asleep, Jam left the house. Once outside, he pulled his cell out since he had promised Greg to contact him.
“Tell me she is fine,” Greg pleaded the moment he had answered the phone.
“You never told me that you sent her pictures of us,” Jam instantly shot back, and Greg groaned.
“I didn’t think you’d get that close to her that fast. I never told her that you gave me the money, and you never knew she had your pictures. I hoped she’d teach Alessandro about you. Did she?”
“He looked at me and called me daddy. It’s as if I was just gone for a week or two. I know nothing about him besides that he loves rockets. I was so scared someone would overhear us and … why did you allow me to stay away from him for so long?” Jam knew it wasn’t Greg’s fault, but he still couldn’t help but lash out. He regretted all the time he had missed not only with his son but also with the woman who raised him.
“Honestly? I have a few reasons, dude. I know I never wanted that boy to stay with his real mother, and I supported the decision of handing him over to my sister, but that doesn’t mean I was going to allow her to get locked up for it. Plus, Jamison Loane, you have a dark secret. Until you spill those beans, you will not get the okay from me to have anything with my sister. It suited me just right that you never thought about going to see her.”
Jam actually had to sit down. “What?”
“I’m a guy. And you’re a guy. We don’t do that emotional talk, but you’ve been living with me since you left Collene. That makes ten years. I ain’t gay or anything, and I sure as hell don’t need you running around naked, but honestly, you’re always wearing a shirt. You dress in the bathroom. What guy does that? We sling a towel around our hips and then we walk to our rooms. Besides that, you lost your Jamison-ness. You used to be cocky and smiley and all flirty. Then Collene happened and you changed forever.” Jam stared at the phone and then knocked it against his leg.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Funny, Jam,” Greg growled, and Jam rolled his eyes.
“I gave away my only son, who was abused by his mother when he wasn’t even a year old. Of course, I changed,” he snapped and then wondered why it had taken him to leave for Greg to say what he had on his mind.
“You were different even before that, Jam.”
“She wanted to hurt Aly.”
Greg stayed silent for a moment. “Who?” It was obvious he already knew.
“Aly had just turned sixteen. I knew I was falling head over heels for her. There was this party, remember? The one at the mayor’s home? I stood next to Collene and her mother. Aly came in and I just mentioned that one day she’d be the most beautiful thing Tarance High had ever known. You should have seen the look on Collene’s face, Greg.” Jam closed his eyes as anger surged through him. “It didn’t take long, and I saw Collene gunning for Alessia. Right there at the party. She kept bumping into Aly until I could see your sister’s face contorting with pain. Elbows, kicks, pushing her into tables … I couldn’t take it, especially after Aly left and cried her eyes out in the mayor’s garden. I watched her for a few minutes until I heard Collene and her friends coming. She talked about blue eyes and how well they’d look on Aly. I stepped in her way and told her no one was as pretty as she was and that I’d been in love with her forever.”
“Collene always was after you. You were
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