Enlightened (Red Flags) (26 page)

"I know, it's a bit much," he said anxiously.

I turned and looked at him, nodding, since he had seemingly read my mind. 

"It's amazing, but why such a big home?"

Jason took my hand and pulled me through the living room and into the even more impressive kitchen.  Professional chefs would have died to cook in Jason's new kitchen.  The same marble used on the floor was also used on the countertops.  Jason sat me down on the island and rested his body in between my legs, since there was no furniture in the house. 

"I know.  It's a lot, but I don't plan on leaving this house.  This is my forever home."  He swallowed hard and then looked up into my eyes.  "Cara, I want you.  All of you, and before all of my shit hit the fan, we were close to taking that huge leap and moving in together.  I want to go in that direction again."

"Jason--"

He put his finger on my mouth to silence me.  "I know.  It might be too soon, and that's okay.  I just want you to think about it.  Chelsea and Hunter are getting married soon, and that'll leave you alone in the condo.  If I can have you here with me every day, I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen."

I sat quiet, looking down on a man that had watched his life get rocked, but had somehow found had a way to make a complete 180 from what I was used to.  "When do you plan to move in here?"  I asked, wondering just how long I had to think about this.

"As soon as possible," he hastily answered.  "I have to get out of that house."

"Why?"  I asked, thrown off guard by his mood change.

He ran his hands over his face.  "I want to be rid of my dad, but even more than that, I want to get away from Stacey."

Salt entered my wounds as I listened to Jason say Stacey's name.  I just wanted to forget that the demon even existed, but I couldn't.  It seemed that she was everywhere I turned, without even physically being there.

"What do you mean?"  I asked him, not really wanting to have this conversation, but well aware that it had to happen.

"She's relentless.  She shows up all the time, saying she needs this and she needs that.  She sends her idiotic friend, Amy, over to try and get stuff.  I just want to get away from her.  She has no idea where this house is and I plan to keep it that way."

"Who is Amy?"  I asked.

Stacey's best friend.  She's blonde, kind of ditzy."

"The horrific stalker…" I murmured, catching Jason's attention.

"What? Stalking you?"  His eyes filled with anger.

"Not really stalking.  But after you and Damian got into it the other day, I met up with Mila for drinks and Amy was watching us.  I didn't know who she was until we got up to leave and Stacey came walking up, rubbing her belly."  I cringed as I recalled the scene.  The thought of her and her pregnant belly made me feel like someone had set me on fire from the inside.

"She said something to you?" Jason asked, seething by this point.  "She's so fuckin' desperate for attention.  She's a pain in my ass, but goin' to you is crossing the fuckin' line." 

He stepped away from me and took out his cell phone.  I could feel the heat radiating from him, nothing but unadulterated rage was blazing through his eyes.  He held this phone up to his ear for a minute before leaving a highly emotional, profanity laced voicemail on Stacey's phone.  He slammed his phone down on the countertop, making me fearful that he had cracked it, but that seemed to be the least of his worries.

"Jason, I'm fine.  But you? You're not.  Remember, you are in anger management…"

"I know, Cara.  I've just had it with that bitch.  She's so manipulative and spiteful.  It's getting to the point where I just want her to have the damn baby already, so I can prove it's not mine."

"I know, but we have to wait it out.  As much as she pisses me off, I don't wish any bad on the baby."

"I don't either, but her holdin' this lie over my head is killin' me."  He swallowed hard and tried to compose himself.  "I tried to get her to take a paternity test through amnio-whatever, but she refused, saying she didn't want to risk the baby's health."

I looked at him with shock filled eyes.  "Well, yeah.  I think that's a big concern."

"Of course it is, but if you had this shit hangin' over your head, you'd be desperate for the truth, too."

"I do have it over my head."  I quietly answered back.  Jason looked up at me with worry splayed across his face.  I smiled, trying to reassure him that I wasn't leaving.  "I have her, I have Damian, I have William… I
had
Chase.  My life has been turned into one big cluster-fuck."

"I'm so sorry, Gorgeous.  All of it's because of me, but I'm not letting Damian get away with the shit he's pulled on you.  He's bein' a little bitch, takin' his anger on me out on you.  I'll handle his shit."

"There really isn't anything to handle, Jason.  I blew off a meeting yesterday, and after Friday, when William saw you in the parking lot; I'm pretty much going tomorrow to pick up walking papers."

"No you aren't.  Come on, Cara.  You're much too valuable, and after seeing those damn text messages, I think you have a good shot at getting him in some deep shit if he tries anything with you."

"You don't know William, Jason.  He cares about nothing but productivity, and if Damian goes to him with bad shit about me, which he will, I'm toast."

"Fuck 'em both, Cara." His voice raised but he quickly caught himself.  "Unless William wants to have a sexual harassment suit hangin' over his head, he'll start carin' about you a little more.  He is utterly responsible for your well-being as his employee, and Damian's texts are incriminating. If he wants to play hard ball, then I'm more than willin' to shove the shit down his throat." The southern drawl oozed from his lips, making me appreciate the fact that he was overly protective, even more.

"Whatever, I'm done talking about the nonsense that's overtaking my life.  I want to move on to better topics of conversation--like this house."

Jason relaxed and coyly smiled at me.  "What about this house?"

"How much is it costing you to rent every month?  It's massive!"

He laughed and shook his head.  "I'm not renting.  I bought it and I'm not paying anything a month because I paid cash for it."

My mouth hit the floor and my eyes bulged out of my face.  "You bought this house?  Cash?"

"Yes.  Why are you so shocked?"

"Well, it isn't a piece of crap house, Jason."

He fixed himself back in between my legs and looked up to me.  "Cara, my dad wanted me to stay away so badly, that he gave me a monthly allowance on top of what I was making at Bradley.  I've been stockpiling money for a while now."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and gently rubbed my fingers through his hair. 

"That house I just sold paid for the bulk of this one, believe it or not."

I didn't know what to say so I sat there in shock.  I had no idea that Jason had that sort of money at his disposal, but to hear that his dad had wanted him away and would use money to make it happen, made my heart ache a little for him.  He seemed happier now that he was breaking free of the nightmare that was his family, but I couldn't help but think how awful it had to feel knowing that your own parent really wanted nothing to do with you.  Heather's words played over and over in my mind, and the more I replayed what she'd said to me, the more depressed I became for Jason.

"Why so quiet?" he asked, now studying my subdued face.

"It's just so sad to me.  You and your family."

Jason sighed.  "Don't even go there.  I'm a lot happier now, Cara.  Sometimes you get dealt a shitty card in life.  You just have to roll with it."

"It just explains so much, though."

"What does?"

"You and the way you are. The way you used to be."

"I'm lost." he said, looking visibly confused.

I giggled at him.  It wasn't often that Jason was lost or couldn't figure things out, but of course, since it was about him, he overlooked it. 

"You seem to have residual anger at your dad that you never really figured out how to channel.  You try to control things since you never had control over that situation.  And you're tough as hell because that was your coping mechanism."

"Whoa.  Did you go to school for Business or Psych?"

"I've been through enough and I'm now paying attention.  Just say I'm… enlightened." 

Jason picked me up from the island and held me in his arms.  "I seriously hate myself for everything I put you through.  I swore every day that I was without you that if I got the chance, I would let you know exactly what you mean to me."

"I think I know--"

"No. You don't.  You don't because I was too much of a hot head to tell you."  He stood me up but took my hands in his.  "What kind of guy gets a beautiful girl, who's smart and completely devoted to him, then treats her like shit whenever he feels like it?"  He stopped talking and searched my eyes, but I gave nothing away.  "A stupid son of a bitch, that's what kind of guy does that."

I tried to cut in but Jason kept going.

"I live everyday afraid that you will wise up and walk.  I'm so afraid of losing you, and the silly little bullshit that keeps creeping up makes me feel like your patience is wearing thin."

I put my index finger up and over his lips, effectively signaling for him to keep quiet.  "I'm with you because I want to be and for no other reason.  I went through a period of hating you, but even through that, I still loved you.  You've embedded yourself in me like a bad rash that I can't get rid of."

"Sweet. Thanks, babe." 

I laughed then leaned up and kissed him. 

"We better get out of here.  I want to have lunch down at the marina, and if we stay here any longer, I'm gonna take you on this damn island."  Jason smiled a salacious smile, but took my hand and led me out of the house and back into the Shelby. 

We had lunch down at the marina then strolled around, holding hands and talking about different boats that Jason said would be his next big purchase. I knew nothing about boats, but Jason sounded like an expert, so I just agreed and nodded my head.  There was no further talk about Stacey or my chaotic work and home life.  The day was meant to be a lazy, relaxing Sunday and that was just what we'd turned it into. 

I allowed myself to wonder where we would be if Jason had been so caring and attentive from the beginning, but I quickly dismissed the thoughts because I was a firm believer that everything happened for a reason.  Maybe Jason and I going through everything that we had been through was exactly what we needed to be completely happy. 

When we returned to the condo later that evening, Chelsea and Hunter were there, with a large, white book in their faces.  Hunter looked exhausted while Chelsea looked anxious.  Jason and I exchanged glances, not exactly sure what we were walking in on, when Hunter looked up and allowed a smile to creep across his face."

"Hey guys.  Good to see you, man."  Hunter said, standing to give Jason a handshake with a guy hug.

"Good to see you, too."  Jason stared apprehensively over at Chelsea.  "Should we leave?"

"No, you're good.  You actually just saved my ass.  I can't take much more of this wedding planning."

Chelsea looked up from the book and over in our direction.  "Hunter is just freaking out because we've set a date."  My eyes shot open.  "We're getting married in two months."

"What?"  I asked, genuinely surprised.  "How are you going to pull of this wedding, a Chelsea Peters-James wedding in two months?"

"I have no clue, but we're making it happen."  Chelsea replied.

"Yeah.  It's either that or run off and get married on our own without her mom playing interference.  You would think she was planning her wedding day."

Chelsea laughed.  "We compromised on the two months.  Mom can still come, but we have to limit the amount of time that she has control over everything."

"Evvvverrrything," Hunter repeated, greatly exaggerating the word.

"So, um, would you like to be a groomsman for me?"  Hunter asked Jason.  The awkwardness in the way he delivered the question made me laugh.  Hunter was a man of very few words, and seeing him have to ask something that most would deem a big deal was downright comical.

"You got it, man.  Whatever you need me to do."  Jason looked over to Chelsea.  "That is, as long as your wife-to-be doesn't mind me being in your wedding pictures."

"I don't care.  Cara's my maid of honor."  She stopped and looked over to me.  "You didn't know that until now, but yeah, you're my maid of honor, so I guess it's only right that your boyfriend stands up for Hunter.  You two
are
a couple, right?"

Jason and I looked at one another near simultaneously.  We hadn't even discussed that, but after everything that had happened between us recently, and the fact that we were still standing, it only felt right that we were a couple, completely devoted to making things work out between us.

"We sure are," I chimed in, taking the lead since Jason didn't know how to answer.  "And this couple needs to get to bed.  I have to go and get fired in the morning."  Jason shook his head at me as I grabbed his hand and pulled him in the direction of the stairs.

"Well, you horny new couple, can you please keep the screams to a minimum?  I have an interview in the morning with a school, and I need my rest."

Jason scooped me up and flung me over his shoulder, smacking my ass once I was situated.  "I can't promise that, but I'll try," he said, then turned and walked out of the room.  When we made it up to my room, Jason lay me down on the bed and took of his shoes, before throwing himself down next to me.

"Do you want me to take you to work in the morning?" he asked, looking concerned for me.

"No, I'll be alright."

"You sure?  There really ain't nothin' to worry about, but you seem wound up by the whole thing, so I can take you if that helps."

I smiled as I ran my hand over his light stubble.  "I've gotta be a big girl at some point.  I can manage, but thanks." 

"Alright, but know, I'm ready to be your attack dog the second you need me."

"I'm sure you are."  I pulled him off the bed and into the bathroom with me for a shower.