Jason’s heartfelt confession left Estre staring into his eyes, which were rimmed with a persistent
redness. His voice had trembled towards the end, a clear sign of his genuine anger-and it wasn’t a
fleeting irritation either.
Gazing earnestly at Jason, Estre remarked, “You know, in all the years we’ve known each other, I’ve
never heard you spill your guts like that. You’ve practically left me speechless.”
Estre skirted around the serious issues, prompting Jason to shoot her a cool nce before he turned
away to light another cigarette. Words had failed him after his emotional outpour.
Jason ignored her after his tirade, so Estre edged closer. His eyes were still reddened, veins
threaded with frustration as if he’d endured a great injustice at her hands. A chuckle threatened to
escape her. Throughout their shared history, she had often been the one to rile him up. Jason’s biggest
gripe with her was her carefree nature, her seemingck of concern for anything serious.
Standing by his side, she nudged him with her hip and teased, “What’s this? Are tears on the horizon?”
Jason simply gave her a look and remained silent.
Estre had intended to pick a fight, but now it seemed futile. Jason’s air of wounded pride made it
difficult to continue their spat. When he continued to ignore her, she prodded, “Giving me the silent
treatment now?”
He just kept on smoking his cigarette, deep in thought.
Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.
With no other options, Estre exined, “I was just humoring my mom, you know? If I didn’t, she’d
never stop.”
Jason still didn’t respond.
Estre tried to cajole him further, “Besides, you know me well enough. Sure, I want to find Isaac a
father, but he’s got to be someone who outshines you. How else am I going to hold my head high
around you? Not to mention your looks-you know what you’ve got. Finding someone who measures up
to you? That’s a tall order,”
Her roundaboutpliment seemed to lift Jason’s spirits, but he didn’t want to show it, maintaining his
cool fa?ade. He turned slightly away, allowing himself a moment’s rxation before regaining his
composure.
Estre noticed Jason’s subtle gestures, including his smile, but she couldn’t be bothered to call him
out on it. Taking a couple of steps closer, she asked in mock seriousness, “Jason, do you really want to
give us a shot?”
At her words, hope flickered in Jason’s eyes. He faced her and said pointedly, “Have I not made myself
clear enough? Or have I not been obvious enough with how I feel?” His intentions had been very
obvious since she returned to Ravenwood.
Estre backed off a step and proposed, “Alright, let’s not dwell on the past. If you can get along with
Isaac and make me fall for you again, we can try starting over. If, after six months, I haven’t fallen for
you again, we’ll go our separate ways.”
Jason replied seriously, “If I can’t meet your expectations, I’ll step back, no arguments.” If he failed to
meet her wishes, he knew he’d have no right to speak of a future with her.
Estre had to admit, the earlier call from Marie, and Jason’s own outpouring today, had softened her
stance. It seemed only fair to give him a chance. Above all, Isaac needed a father, and Jason was his
biological parent. It was his duty to care for Isaac and aid his
recovery.
As for her own rtionship with Jason, Estre hadn’t given it much thought. She simply wished for a
bit of peace without their usual bickering. After all, men were meant to be
useful, and in this case, it was for the benefit of her son.
With this in mind, she added, “Jason, my parents will never agree to this, so let’s just keep this
agreement between us. As for dealing with my folks, we’ll cross that bridge when we
Her words were true; Autumn had already pushed her into dating, and her dad, Cole, would be even
less agreeable. For now, they would take it one step at a time and see what the future held.
Jason put out his cigarette and looked at Estre. No matter how he looked at it, he had the feeling that
she was embarrassed to be with him.
Jason’s continued gaze prompted her to say, “If you’re not on board with this, then I’m of options. We
won’t even have the chance to try.”
Jason replied coolly, “I agree to your terms.”
Despite knowing the agreement was lopsided, Jason had no leverage. When Estre le three years
ago, he had already lost ground in Cole’s eyes.
Estre said, “Great, then you get back to what you were doing. I should head out.” As she turned to
leave, she paused to add, “One more thing. If my parents push for something and I need to y along,
just bear with me, okay? Don’t make a scene.”
Jason’s expression darkened instantly. He felt like he’d been hoodwinked by Estre. All his efforts
were meant to prevent her from dating others, yet she still intended to go through the motions.
His intense gaze made Estre reassure him, “It’s just for show, like you did back in the day.”
09:42
The mention of his past actions struck a nerve. As Jason’s mood soured, Estre patted his shoulder in
constion. But as she made to leave, he reached out and pulled her back with a swift tug. In the next
moment, he drew her close and kissed her lips.
Estre’s hands pressed against his chest, but Jason held her wrists firmly, pushing her back against
the wall, trapping her in his embrace.
After a heated kiss, Estre’s face turned stern as she said, “Jason, I was only going to give…”
But before she could finish her sentence, Jason’s lips were on hers again. She was back
now, and that’s all that mattered?
Jason’s kisses were dominant yet tender, and Estre’s hands, pushing against him, gradually lost their
strength. When Jason’s lips traveled down to the nape of her neck, then to her corbone, Estre’s
breath hitched.
The sensation was overwhelming.
Jason wasn’t wrong, they knew each other’s bodies and needs very well.
09:42