Page 44 of I'll Carry You

“What happened?” Jason stepped in and closed the door behind him.

She hugged her arms to her chest, which had the unintended effect of making her breasts more pronounced. He’d have to ignore them for now.

Jen took a shaky breath. “I’m being evicted.” She grabbed the paperwork from the console table by the front door. “When I got home today, this guy was waiting who served me the papers.”

Taking the papers from her silently, Jason felt his pulse return to a normal pace. He scanned the papers, then looked over them at her.

Even crying like this, she was gorgeous.

She held a hand to her forehead, her cheeks red. “I’m so embarrassed.” She turned away. “I mean, I don’t have to ask to know you clearly aren’t struggling, and here I am, working two jobs, and I can’t even keep my own place.”

Jason refolded the papers and then pulled her into his arms. She cried against his shirt. She was right. It wasn’t fair. She worked harder than anyone he’d met. She was so soft, yet so incredibly strong. Feisty, yet kindhearted. The feminine scent of her shampoo reached him as he pressed his chin to the top of her head. Even that he liked. Everything about her made him want to take care of her.

“I’m assuming you don’t have the money for the back payments?”

She shook her head and sniffled. “God, I must look terrible.” She stepped back and reached for a tissue. “No, I don’t. And I still owe the preschool, too. I got buried in credit card debt and hospital bills after Colby was born. I had pre-eclampsia and ended up needing to be in the hospital for forever. And I couldn’t work during and after the pregnancy. Everything just piled up. And I’ve spent the past few years trying to get unburied, but I...”

Can’t do it on your own. As she shouldn’t have to.

No wonder Dan hated Kevin.

She grabbed the eviction papers and crumpled them up, then stomped on the ball. “I’m so sick of it.”

Jason watched her outburst. Despite her anger, something was amusing about it, and he repressed the urge to smile. He reached for her hand. “How much do you need?”

She wiped the remnants of tears away and scanned his gaze. She squeezed his hand and let it go. “If you’re thinking of lending me money, don’t. I like you, Jason, I really do. But I’m not taking your money. As it is, I’m going to have to move back in with my parents and live off their help again for a while. And they’ve been really generous. My mom paid off two of my credit cards only for me to max them both out again.”

Despite the inherent absurdity of it, he understood her pride.

If she only knew who he really was.

But would she hate him? He’d have to explain why he’d come to Brandywood. Have to dredge up everything about Kevin. And even if he got her to agree to anything, the money for Colby would take months or years to access after a long bout of legal wrangling.

She needed his help now.

When he didn’t respond, she gave him a brave smile. “I’m going to go touch up my makeup. Sorry to be such a wreck when you found me. Make yourself at home.”

As her footsteps faded down the hall, he stepped a few paces into her apartment. Despite the presence of a toddler, it was neat and organized—well decorated, too. The furnishings were simple but clean. The only thing that even seemed remotely out of place was her chef’s coat on the back of a chair.

If giving her the money she needed wouldn’t work, he’d have to find a way that made her feel as though she’d earned it. But with sex in the equation, it complicated everything. He had every intention of sleeping with her—it was a question of when, not if.

And if he didn’t tell her who he was soon, she might never forgive him.

But if he told her now...

Was there some in-between? Would she be more forgiving of his lie of omission if he let her in a bit more? If he could reduce the scope of what she didn’t know about him, she might see why he’d waited to tell her. Maybe.

He raked his fingers through his closely cropped hair. He didn’t know.

Trying to predict how a woman would react was about as accurate as a weather forecast a month out.

When she came back out to the living room, she held a peacoat over her arm. “Ready to go?” She grabbed her purse from the table.

“Before we do, I have something to propose to you.”

She arched an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

Jason came toward her and took her hands in his. “What do you think of the idea of being my girlfriend for the next few weeks?”