The person she had grown to love most in the world.
But illusions belonged to the world of dreams. And she didn’t, she couldn’t, believe in dreams. The dreams she had, they were in the past now. And just as she had made Jason promise to move forward, to stop looking back, she had to do the same thing. The hard part was to convince her heart to let go.
CHAPTER FIVE
Late April. . .
“Sorry, man,” Tyler said, coming into the living room from the direction of the stairs. “Couldn’t find the game. I guess we’re stuck with NBA Basketball again.”
Jason shrugged. “I don’t mind. Just means I’ll get to beat your ass. Again.”
Tyler chuckled as he settled into the seat next to him on the couch. “Yeah, yeah. I’m getting better though.”
“I’ll spot you 10 points,” he said with a grin.
“Pity points?” Tyler asked, sounding insulted. “Just for that, I’m definitely kicking your ass today.”
“Do you two ever do anything else but play with that thing?”
They both turned to find Megan standing there, holding a large shopping bag and looking at the plasma screen which was now hooked up to an Xbox system, with a mixture of annoyance, amusement and resignation.
“We watch T.V.,” Tyler said with a smile.
“Great,” Megan said with a shake of her head. “That will help counteract the brain rot.” She nodded at the plasma screen. “You know there are other things to do besides stare at that thing all day long.”
“Really?” Jason injected. “Like what?”
“Reading?”
He grinned. “Was I ever a big reader?”
“Well. . .” she hedged.
He glanced over at Tyler who gave an imperceptible shake of his head. “Right.”
Megan made a face. “Just for that, you’re not getting cake!”
“Him or me?” Jason asked innocently.
“Both of you!” she retorted as she headed for the kitchen.
“Aww, come on Meggers,” Tyler protested half-heartedly. His attention was more focused on setting up their game though.
“Yeah, come on,” Jason chimed in. Since their compromise, the interaction between the three of them seemed to be much easier, and he was definitely enjoying it. “You can’t use cake as blackmail. That’s wrong.”
“So is ganging up on me,” she called back.
“Think she’s serious?” he mumbled to Tyler.
Tyler shook his head. “She’ll give up the cake eventually.”
“I heard that Tyler Adams!” Megan poked her head over the counter top separating the kitchen from the living room. “Now you’re definitely not getting any cake! And dinner’s not looking good for you either!”
He laughed softly as Tyler turned and made a face at Megan. His latest compromise with Megan had definitely helped to settle things down. The underlying tension that always seemed to be brewing beneath the surface between himself and everyone else had dissipated noticeably.
His interaction with Tyler went back to easy camaraderie. He had to admit that Megan was right. Having Tyler stay with him was helping them re-build their relationship. He was learning more and more about Tyler, and in turn, more and more about everything else. His mother. Tyler’s mother. Their relationship with his father. Bits and pieces of his past here and there.
He really did like Tyler. He wasn’t the nerdy, yet surprisingly athletic kid he had felt an intense rivalry with when they were young. Tyler was funny and easy-going and having him around really was like having a brother. He wondered if his relationship with Tyler had improved before or after his father had divorced Tyler’s mom because he could vaguely recall that Tyler hadn’t been all that thrilled with being his stepbrother either.
Then there was Megan.
He only wished things with Megan were as easy as things were with Tyler. On the surface, they were definitely getting along well. Those awkward moments between them were still there but didn’t happen as frequently. Their interactions flowed better, even
But illusions belonged to the world of dreams. And she didn’t, she couldn’t, believe in dreams. The dreams she had, they were in the past now. And just as she had made Jason promise to move forward, to stop looking back, she had to do the same thing. The hard part was to convince her heart to let go.
CHAPTER FIVE
Late April. . .
“Sorry, man,” Tyler said, coming into the living room from the direction of the stairs. “Couldn’t find the game. I guess we’re stuck with NBA Basketball again.”
Jason shrugged. “I don’t mind. Just means I’ll get to beat your ass. Again.”
Tyler chuckled as he settled into the seat next to him on the couch. “Yeah, yeah. I’m getting better though.”
“I’ll spot you 10 points,” he said with a grin.
“Pity points?” Tyler asked, sounding insulted. “Just for that, I’m definitely kicking your ass today.”
“Do you two ever do anything else but play with that thing?”
They both turned to find Megan standing there, holding a large shopping bag and looking at the plasma screen which was now hooked up to an Xbox system, with a mixture of annoyance, amusement and resignation.
“We watch T.V.,” Tyler said with a smile.
“Great,” Megan said with a shake of her head. “That will help counteract the brain rot.” She nodded at the plasma screen. “You know there are other things to do besides stare at that thing all day long.”
“Really?” Jason injected. “Like what?”
“Reading?”
He grinned. “Was I ever a big reader?”
“Well. . .” she hedged.
He glanced over at Tyler who gave an imperceptible shake of his head. “Right.”
Megan made a face. “Just for that, you’re not getting cake!”
“Him or me?” Jason asked innocently.
“Both of you!” she retorted as she headed for the kitchen.
“Aww, come on Meggers,” Tyler protested half-heartedly. His attention was more focused on setting up their game though.
“Yeah, come on,” Jason chimed in. Since their compromise, the interaction between the three of them seemed to be much easier, and he was definitely enjoying it. “You can’t use cake as blackmail. That’s wrong.”
“So is ganging up on me,” she called back.
“Think she’s serious?” he mumbled to Tyler.
Tyler shook his head. “She’ll give up the cake eventually.”
“I heard that Tyler Adams!” Megan poked her head over the counter top separating the kitchen from the living room. “Now you’re definitely not getting any cake! And dinner’s not looking good for you either!”
He laughed softly as Tyler turned and made a face at Megan. His latest compromise with Megan had definitely helped to settle things down. The underlying tension that always seemed to be brewing beneath the surface between himself and everyone else had dissipated noticeably.
His interaction with Tyler went back to easy camaraderie. He had to admit that Megan was right. Having Tyler stay with him was helping them re-build their relationship. He was learning more and more about Tyler, and in turn, more and more about everything else. His mother. Tyler’s mother. Their relationship with his father. Bits and pieces of his past here and there.
He really did like Tyler. He wasn’t the nerdy, yet surprisingly athletic kid he had felt an intense rivalry with when they were young. Tyler was funny and easy-going and having him around really was like having a brother. He wondered if his relationship with Tyler had improved before or after his father had divorced Tyler’s mom because he could vaguely recall that Tyler hadn’t been all that thrilled with being his stepbrother either.
Then there was Megan.
He only wished things with Megan were as easy as things were with Tyler. On the surface, they were definitely getting along well. Those awkward moments between them were still there but didn’t happen as frequently. Their interactions flowed better, even
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