This is forever, Jillian.

The box rested in my palm, and I closed my fingers over the velvet. I liked to take it out of my desk drawer whenever I had the opportunity and check it over, as if I didn’t have every facet of the gem already etched in my brain. In my soul. I liked to imagine sliding it over her finger and keeping it there. Forever.

This is forever, Jillian.

She shared my conviction, but there were limits to her beliefs. I saw that in her eyes, felt it in her words. She believed in forever as long as forever never came. It was my job to prove that my promises were not empty ones. Marriage was not just a piece of paper to me. My heart was already bound to her, but it was not enough. And it was not enough for her. Despite her never broaching the subject or indicating her need, I sensed it as well as I knew my own. Forever meant forever, and that was what I intended to prove when she became my wife.

And then I would spend the rest of our lives being the husband she always deserved. She would never once question her decision to be mine.

I’d make sure of it.

I set the amethyst back in its temporary home and locked the drawer. It was where I trusted it most. I did not want to leave it at my place with the amount of people who tended to come and go. There was a time when I was rarely there at all and Connor had the house practically to himself. That was not the case any longer, of course, not since Daniel’s been home. I was now back to sleeping alone in my own bed at night, and I couldn’t wait to be done with that shit permanently.

Thinking of you.

I sent off a quick text to Jillian and leaned back in my chair. I was on a break, my next class not coming in for forty-five minutes.

You must be looking at your hand.

I chuckled. I fucking loved that she’d trusted me the previous night. She’d let me take her in public places before, but they’d always been private enough to make her feel comfortable. She didn’t get off on exhibitionism, and I didn’t get off on displaying her to others. She was for my eyes only. Even if her body was covered, her sounds still belonged to me too.

No, but I will be later when it’s sliding into your mouth and I’m watching you taste how sweet you are.

Fuck, I was getting hard. I shouldn’t do that shit here. It didn’t matter how much time I had before I needed to compose myself again.

Chase! I’m supposed to be working.

You started it.

I switched it over to playful mode. Her sexy-as-fuck body would be trembling beneath me soon enough.

As long as you finish it.

Always, Wild Horses.

I placed the phone in my top drawer and checked the time. Cassie would be down in the gym area, working on the spring play. It seemed like an excellent time to pay her a little visit.

I left my room, closing the door quietly behind me. Sandra’s classroom was across from me, and it was fully occupied with students. The door was ajar, which meant they weren’t in ‘do not disturb’ mode, so I peered through and spotted Hazel independently working on a design project. She noticed me immediately and waved. I smiled, waved back, and continued on. I fucking loved my job.

I headed down the short flight of stairs to get into the gym/auditorium. Its use was based on the day and the situation. Right then, theater students were filling the space in order to rehearse their roles. Which play, I wasn’t sure; it hadn’t been announced yet.

I took a left and entered the large room, noting the kids on stage and Cassie off to the side. She didn’t see me come in, and I didn’t want to disrupt the middle of her practice. I parked myself on a chair and watched.

The fifth graders were stomping across the stage, rolling through lines. This time it was just a play, but whenever they’d performed a musical in the past, I’d been part of it. Whether that meant coaching voices or playing the piano, I was involved. It took extra time on my part, but I enjoyed it. Music in all shapes and forms was my passion; if I could contribute, I didn’t hesitate.

Jillian was also my passion. The song that drove me deeper and made me even more of myself. I could find the melody without her, but it would be weaker, lacking the depth I needed. She intensified every nuance of my life and made it richer. She was everything I was looking for before I even knew I was looking.

And that was the reason I was there, sitting on a metal chair, waiting for the chance to speak with the teacher. When Jillian was hurting, I could feel it. Our connection didn’t allow anything otherwise.

Cassie collected a stack of papers off the piano bench and handed them out, her back towards me. Jillian was protective over Daniel; that was the kind of mother she was. I accepted that. Did I think she might be overestimating the severity of the situation? Of course, but it was still a valid concern. Valid enough to have prompted a visit from me.

“Mr. Nolan?” Cassie finally spotted me. The kids were huddled in a circle, heads down on their papers, likely running parts. “Can I help you with something?”

“Yes, Miss Randall. If this is a good time, I’d like to speak with you a moment.”

She whispered something to the kids, and they nodded. Then she walked over. “This is a perfect time. I just gave them each another small part to study.”

“Which play is this for?”

“Ah ah ah.” She waggled her finger at me. “It’s still a secret. But I will tell you this”—she glanced back and then forward with her hand to her mouth—“it involves star-crossed lovers.”

Romeo and Juliet. “I’ll just have to wait for the official announcement to come out, then.”

“You will come to see it, right? I mean, not just the school performance but the nighttime show? You know how hard these kids work on our productions. I don’t have a date set, but it’ll be in May.”

“Wouldn’t miss it. Neither would Jillian.”

“Great. They love a big audience, so the more the better.”

Her smile never wavered, and I gave her the benefit of the doubt. At that point, there was no reason not to. I’d been honest when I told Jillian that she’d respected the boundaries of our relationship, starting right after the talent show last October when we’d openly come out as a couple. One of the top fucking days of my life.

“And I’m sure Daniel will be there as well.”

“I hope so. He can see more of what I do.”

“Which brings me to the reason I’m here.”

She tilted her head. “It’s not to discuss the play or one of our students?”

“No. And I realize this is during school hours.”

She waved me over to the other side of the gym, where she could still keep an eye on them and keep them out of earshot. “It’s no problem, Chase. All I’d be doing anyway is waiting for the next twenty minutes for them to finish so we can talk it over. I’m betting on Carly showing off some of her acting skills when she finds out Lisa has more lines than her.”

We got to the far wall and leaned against it. “So, what’s up?”

“It was pretty surprising to see you with Daniel at the party.”

“I know! Tell me about it. How freaky to find out that he’s Jillian’s son.”

“So, you two… high school together?”

“Yeah, just for a year. It’s not like we were close back then or anything, but I remembered who he was when I saw him again in the parking lot.”

“And now you guys are seeing each other?”

She moved in closer. “Are you jealous?” I moved back and she lightly slapped my arm, laughing. “God, Chase. I was teasing you.” She flicked her eyes up as if thinking. “Yes, I suppose you can say we’re seeing each other now. I like him. He’s sweet, not like a lot of the guys I’ve dated before. Why are you asking?”

“I would think that’s obvious. I’m just curious, considering.”

“Hmm….” She tapped her fingers on her bottom lip. “I guess you’re almost like his father by default. What a crazy world, huh?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Could you just imagine if I got married to Daniel and you got married to Jillian? I’d be your daughter-in-law.”

“Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself here? It’s been what, a whole four days?”

She laughed again. “Lighten up, Chase. You’re being too serious. I was teasing again. The last thing on my mind is wedding bells.” She lifted an eyebrow. “What about you?”

“What about me, Cassie?”

“Is there an ‘I do’ in your future?”

“I think that’s between Jillian and me.”

“Touchy, touchy. You’re asking questions about Daniel and me. It’s only fair for me to get some in.” She smiled wide. “Considering we’re both involved with members of the same family. Mother and son. How wild is that? Truth really is stranger than fiction.”

“Four days and you consider yourself involved?”

“There go the questions again. Just like an overprotective father asking about my intentions.” She looked me up and down. “Is there a shotgun hiding in there somewhere too?”

She was light, jovial, but I wasn’t appreciating her humor. And I wasn’t getting a damn thing from it. I knew Cassie, but I didn’t know her well enough to make a determination. The conversation was cordial and just upbeat enough on her part to put me on the edge of suspicion. Not Jillian and Perry suspicious—not even close. But close enough.

“I’m not asking for details. That’s your business. But I found it interesting how this all came about, and I thought I’d stop over and see if you felt the same.”

“Aww, that’s sweet. I find it interesting too, Chase, but there are much more interesting things out there. This is more of a lucky coincidence. I can’t wait to see what evolves as a result of Daniel coming into my life.”

Her lips curved and she lowered her head, adjusting the collar of her blouse. A part of me didn’t trust her worth shit, but until I had definite reason, I wouldn’t stoke the fire. Jillian already worried enough. Daniel was a big boy. He had every right to choose whom he wanted to date.

“I’ve kept you long enough from your class. I also need to get back and prepare for mine.”

Cassie focused on the stage. “Yes, definitely. Thanks for stopping by, Chase. It’s been nice. We haven’t had a friendly conversation in a while. I hope we can do it more often.”

“Have a nice day, Miss Randall.”

I turned to leave and she stopped me, placing her hand on my arm. “In all seriousness, I’m sorry for how I acted all those months ago. I got a little jealous over something I had no right to get jealous over. But that’s all behind us now. I know you love Jillian, and I really like Daniel. I want to see if anything comes of it, and hopefully, Jillian will be okay with that. Maybe you can put in a good word for me.”

She smiled and dropped her hand, going back to her students. She glanced over her shoulder. “You have a nice day too, Mr. Nolan.”

I went back to my room and leaned against the desk. My time with Cassie was nothing worth reporting. Nothing worth giving a second thought to. Daniel was my concern now. The other half of Jillian’s heart. Did I see him as competition? Fuck yeah. I wasn’t perfect. I couldn’t help how I felt, but I could control how I acted. I would not let that side of me take over. I’d get to know him better. I’d let him get to know me better. Then I’d put that rock where it belonged.

Meeting Daniel had gone much smoother than expected, but it was just the beginning. Accepting me as her boyfriend was not the same as accepting me as her husband, but I could be patient. Jillian and I had already come this far, and I was not about to fuck up everything we’ve worked towards by moving too quickly. She wanted that ring just as badly as I wanted it on her finger. And when our time came, we’d both get what we wanted.

She wanted forever, and I wanted nothing more than to be the one to give it to her.