I will the tears not to fall, but the gesture—hisgesture—wrecks me.
“You should come up,” I say before I can think better of it. “We can put him to bed together.”
His lips part slightly, like he wasn’t expecting that. But then, he smiles.
“Yeah, okay.”
As we climb the stairs to my apartment, Tate chatters about breakfast. “Can I go with Grandma tomorrow morning?”
“Did she invite you?” I ask.
“No,” he says, grinning. “But I want to invite her.”
Corbin chuckles. “I think she’d love that, bud.”
His arm brushes mine on the staircase, sending a shiver down my spine.
I unlock the door, and Corbin motions for me to go inside first.
“Wow!” Tate laughs as he kicks off his shoes. “Did you clean the house, Mom?”
Corbin steps inside, glancing around. “Did you clean, Jules?”
I scratch the back of my neck. “I may have tidied up.”
Okay, I definitely tidied up.
After talking to Corbin last night, I couldn’t focus on painting. I had too many thoughts. Mostly about him. So, I cleaned. Ideepcleaned. Everything is in its place, even the mismatched dishes.
“It looks great,” Corbin says, his voice softer now.
I clear my throat. “Shower, Tate. Then Dad and I will read you a story before bed.”
Tate sprints down the hall, leaving the two of us alone in the kitchen.
Corbin watches me carefully. “You seemed off today.”
I keep my back to him as I put on the teapot. “I’m fine.”
“Then why have you been so distant?” His voice dips lower. “You didn’t even say goodbye when we left.”
Despite the gnawing sensation in my chest, I turn to face him. “Are you and Pearla a thing?”
Corbin’s head jerks back slightly, caught off guard. “Leo’s mom?”
“Yeah.”
“No.” His answer is immediate. “She lost her husband three years ago.”
“So, she’s single,” I snap before I can stop myself.
He huffs out a short laugh, like he can’t believe what he’s hearing. “Jules…” He trails off, his lips twitching. “Are you…jealous?”
My stomach drops.
I cross my arms. “You spent Tate’s entire birthday party talking to her. You barely even spoke to me.”
The second the words leave my mouth, my eyes go wide. I shouldn’t have said that.
