With that, we hug, and then Janelle makes her way to her car before zipping off. Slowly, I shut the door before sitting limply on my sofa. Do I want to get back with Jason? The truth is that I don’t know. What he’s done blows my mind in a bad way, and what kind of stupid would I be if I took him back? Yet, I adore him, and I can’t just turn those feelings off either.
I guess Janelle is right. I need time to think, and as my hand steals over my pregnant belly, I settle back to mull over the situation.
12
Jason
I wipe a greasy hand on my forehead and slam closed the hood of the Honda I’m working on. Business has been steadily picking up, and Jerry and I have started talking about potentially bringing in another guy to help with the workload. We’re not quite there yet, but if Benning Motors keeps growing at this rate, it’ll have to happen because Jerry and I just can’t take more on our plates.
“You all set with the carburetor, boss?” my employee asks from behind me. “I can put it up on the lift for the oil change now.”
I nod. “Go for it. I’m going to start on the brakes on the Chevy. I told the guy we’d have it for him in an hour.”
Jerry’s brows shoot up in surprise.
“That’s going to be tough.”
I grimace.
“I have no choice, bud. It is what it is.”
“Good luck, boss,” my employee says in a whistle. “That Silverado is the shit.”
I hoist the truck onto the second lift and get to work. It’s soothing because fixing cars is mindless work for me. I know what I’m doing, and at this point, it’s all muscle memory which is key because for the last month, I haven’t been able to focus on anything.
It’s been four whole weeks since Olly kicked me out of her house. The cops haven’t come knocking, so I guess she isn’t pressing charges, but still. I think about the curvy girl non-stop, and even more, I wonder about the baby. Is she going to keep him or her? My heart starts shaking at the possibility that she won’t. I want this child so badly, but I know it’s her body, and her choice. Yet a great wave of sadness washes over my frame when I think about the life that could have been.
Then, a put-put-put rattling hits my ears from just outside the garage door and immediately, I jerk. I’d recognize that noise anywhere, even over the clanging and banging of Jerry doing whatever the fuck he’s doing. Sure enough, when I turn around, it’s Olly climbing out of her trusty VW. Her blonde curls blow in the wind, and to my delight, there’s a small bump beneath her sweater, which she cradles protectively. The sweet girl has never looked more beautiful than now.
She approaches, and I desperately want to take her in my arms, but I force my feet to stay in place. Finally, Olly stops in front of me.
“Hi Jason,” she says tentatively.
I swallow.
“Hey. Nice to see you, Olivia.”
She bites her lip, her eyes looking around.
“Um, is there somewhere we can talk?”
I nod. “Sure thing. Let’s hit the office.”
I lead her towards the small room, and once we’re inside, I shut the door and gesture to a spindly chair before a metal desk
“How can I help you, sweetheart?” I growl. “Thanks for not turning me into my parole officer, by the way.”
She shakes her head.
“Yeah, you’re lucky. I mean, I don’t understand why you did what you did! If you wanted sex, why didn’t you just make a move when I was awake? I was dying for you to touch me.”
Okay, I can see that we’re getting into it right away.
“I know,” I say in a low growl. “I guess I became addicted to the habit. You were so gorgeous and so responsive even in your sleep, and I just kept doing what I was doing.”
She fixes me with a look.
“You violated my trust, Jason. You made a copy of my key without my knowledge and had sex with me while I was sleeping. Do you even understand how wrong that was?”
I hang my head, shame coursing through my gut. “I do. There’s no possible way for me to express how angry I am with myself, Olivia, and I owe you a sincere, heartfelt apology. If you want to talk to my parole officer, the offer stands. I’ll even go with you. I’m not afraid to return to prison if that’s what you want.”
Olly bites her lip and my heart clenches. Oh shit, what is she going to do? The silence hangs between us like a weighted blanket.
“I don’t want you to go to jail,” she says finally. I blow out a breath of relief. Don’t get me wrong because I would go back to the slammer in a heartbeat for Olivia, but being in prison was a hellish experience that I’d rather not repeat.