Unable to take another second of hearing Jase talk about me, I pull his face down to mine and kiss him hard, hoping to convey every emotion I feel right now. When our kiss ends, I say in a whisper, “I love you. Thank you.”
“Just speaking the truth, Dimples.”
My phone begins to ring again. I pull it out and see it’s Victoria this time, and my stomach knots. What if something is wrong with my mom? “I need to take this,” I tell him. Then to Quinn I say, “I really do care about your brother and Skyla. I hope you can give me a chance.” She nods once but doesn’t say anything, so I press answer on my phone and walk outside to take the call.
“Victoria, how are you?” I say politely.
“I’m calling because of your mother,” she says, getting straight to the point.
“Is everything okay?”
“No, she’s been admitted into the hospital for alcohol poisoning. Someone found her passed out in front of the diner.” Victoria had told me my mom was still going there daily in case Snake showed up, but I didn’t know she was drinking while there. This has gotten out of hand. I need to give my mom answers once and for all. I should’ve done it sooner, but Adam was right. I was too scared. I’m not sure what would be worse: to find out he’s alive and living his life, which would mean he just didn’t want us, or to find out he’s dead and all this time my mom has been waiting on a man that will never show up.
“I think you need to come back. She needs help, Celeste, and she won’t let me help her.”
“Okay,” I tell her, “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” We hang up and I go inside. The aroma from the dinner Jase is cooking wafts into my nose and my stomach rumbles.
“Smells delicious,” I tell him when I enter the kitchen. “Can I do anything to help?”
“Nope.” He gives me a kiss on the tip of my nose. “Sky is setting the table and the fettucine is almost ready.”
“Okay, I’ll get the drinks,” I offer.
Once the table is set, and the drinks are poured, Jase spoons heaps of pasta and chicken onto all of our plates, just as Jax walks through the door and joins us at the table.
“Rick will be gone all week,” Quinn says to Jase as we eat our food. “So, if you need any help with Sky this week, I’ll be available.”
“Jase mentioned you have a photography business,” I say, trying to make an effort.
“I do, but it’s slow-building,” she admits. “I started it about five years ago, but it’s hard to get my name out there.”
“What kind of photos do you take?”
“Mostly family portraits. I don’t have an office. I shoot on location, like at Central or Bryant Park.” I remember that earlier when Giselle, Olivia, and I were talking, Olivia mentioned she wanted to get professional pregnancy photos done. Giselle said she did too.
“My friends, Giselle and Olivia, want to get pregnancy photos done. Is that something you do?”
“Yeah.” Quinn nods. “But you don’t have to—”
“Don’t do that,” I say, cutting her off, knowing exactly what she was about to say. “You’re running a business. When someone offers to bring you in business, even if you think it’s out of pity, you take it.” I shoot her a wink, and she laughs, and it feels like maybe she and I will be okay after all.
“Actually,” Jase says slowly, “Sky and I are going to be flying down to North Carolina to visit her mom.”
“Oh, yay!” Skyla exclaims. “I can bring her the signed paper Celeste gave me.”
“I was wondering if maybe…if you don’t have too much going on…if you would want to join us,” Jase says softly.
“I was actually planning to fly down myself,” I say. “My mom isn’t doing so well, and I need to go check on her.”
“Oh, what’s wrong with her?” Jase asks with a look of concern.
Not wanting to get into it with Skyla at the table, I simply say, “She’s just not feeling well, and I haven’t seen her in a while.” I don’t mention that I actually haven’t seen her in over ten years—since I left. I refused to return, and she refused to leave.
“All right, then how about we look at flights when we’re done eating?” Jase suggests. “We can book a room, and while you’re visiting your mom, we can visit Amaya.”
“Sounds good,” I tell him, taking a bite of my food. “And can we just make it official that you’re the cook in this relationship? This is so delicious!”
Twenty
Celeste
“Sky, please hurry up!” Jase yells across the hotel suite to his daughter. We arrived in Piermont late last night. After checking in, we were all so exhausted from flying, we crashed into our beds the second after we changed our clothes.