Just around the corner

Chapter 16

Jason POV

My phone pings in my pocket. I quickly pull it out and check who is sending me messages. I nearly drop the phone when I realise that I had missed a message from Laura.

Jason, I would like to thank you for the flowers. They are absolutely beautiful. Thank you again for them. Laura xx

Oh shit, she probably is thinking that I'm ignoring her. "Stupid piece of fucking shit" I say to my phone while holding it. Her message was on read all night. I notice that there is another message waiting from Laura to be read.

Hey Jason. I was just wondering, if by any chance you are not busy in the next few days, would you like to have dinner with the girls and I? If you don't want to, that will be perfectly okay. No pressure at all. Have a great day and I hope to hear from you soon. Laura xx

My heart skips a beat. I want to scream it from the roof tops to let her know that I will be there whenever she wanted me to be there. I don't want to come across too needy, so I sit on the reply for as long as I can. Which only worked out to be 2 minutes and 26 seconds.

Jason- Laura, I would love to come for dinner. I am free every night. Tell me when it suits you better. Jason xx

My whole mood changed after I sent that message. Waiting on a reply from Laura, my mind wasn't on work. I look at the time, I still have an hour to go before I can leave this place. It is only an hour but I really just want to get out of here.

I know the boss man will say no, so I take myself out to the trucks and clean them. Off in my own little world, I don't notice Micky has climbed in the front with me. "Fuck, who has got you acting like a little bitch? I thought you were a man?" He says. I turn my head to look at him, "Laura messaged me. Has invited me to dinner sometime this week. Mate, I'm so fucking happy" I tell Micky. He looks at me like I have lost my mind. I probably have but I really couldn't give 2 fucks.

"Shit and here I was thinking you were falling in love with me. So, what, our past means nothing to you" Mick says, sarcasm dripping from his lips. I punch him in the arm and laugh. "You're a wanker man" We both start laughing and get back to the task at hand. I just look up just in time to see the night shift crew walk in. "Oi Micky, it's clockin' off time". I jump out of the truck and head back to the locker room to grab my shit.

Making my way out of the station to my truck, I see a young girl standing out the front. She looks lost and confused. I take in my surroundings, making sure that there is no one else standing there with her. All I can see is her and her push bike. I slowly approach her. "Are you okay?" I ask her. She looks like she wants to cry. "Are you Jason?" she whispers, just loud enough for me to hear. I nod my head at her and her whole demeanour changes.

She straightens herself up and holds her head up high. "I'm sorry for coming here but I wanted to meet you before you have dinner with us" She says and at those words I know exactly who she is. "Lacy?" I question but already know the answer. "Hi Jason" She greets me. I don't know whether to wave, shake her hand or pull her in for a hug. "Hi Lacy. What are you doing out here?" I ask her. She just shrugs her shoulders.

"I told you I wanted to meet you before we have dinner together. I'm sorry for coming here" she shyly says while looking at the ground. "Does your mum know you are here?" I ask her. She shakes her head. "Well how about we chuck your bike in the back of my truck and I give you a lift home. Your mum might be worrying about where you are" I say to her. Lacy looks up at me and gives me a small smile. "That would be awesome. Thanks. It took me nearly an hour to ride here" she says with a little laugh.

My god, Laura was blessed with 2 beautiful young ladies. I just hope that this will bring Lacy and I closer together and she will not try and stand in the way if her mum and I decide to try this for real.

**

The drive back to Laura's was good. Lacy opened up to me and told me all of her concerns with Laura dating. Not just me but in general. I could understand what Lacy was saying. All I could do was try and communicate that I am not trying to replace her dad, but to be someone that all of them could lean on in times of need.

Pulling up in the driveway, I go to jump out of the truck to grab Lacy's bike out of the back, but Lacy stops me by putting her hand on my arm. "Jason?" she calls my name. "Yeah, Lacy?" "I just wanted to apologise again for everything that I have caused you. I was being selfish and not thinking of mum and her needs. I just really thought she would forget about dad and it wasn't fair that I did so" Lacy admits.

"Lacy, I know we have only just spoken about this for the past 30 minutes. I have told you I understood what you were saying. I promise you though, I am not here to replace your dad. I will always be Jason. Even if one day in a future your mum and I work out and we marry. I won't be your stepdad, I will be Jason. I will try and be the male role model you have in your life to help you. Your dad will always be number one and I hope I can do him justice by looking after his girls" I let her know my feelings as best as I can.

I get out of the truck and grab her bike from the back. Lacy takes her time getting out of the passenger seat. Once she does, she comes and stands with me at the back of the truck. "Would you like to come inside Jason?" the look on Lacy's face made my heart twist. She wasn't sure she should ask but when I nod my head yes, she lets a small smile cross her face. "Let's just hope your mum doesn't get mad I am here though?" I say and Lacy laughs. "Yeah if she gets mad, I'm blaming you" she says with a laugh and runs off inside.

I move Lacy's bike to the front porch, take a deep breath and enter the house. I can hear the girls talking but I have no idea where they are. I can hear Lacy tell Laura she has a surprise for her. "Mum, I think it would be best if you close your eyes. I will guide you to where you need to go" Lacy tells her mum. Misty walks out from behind a wall. I watch as her eyes go wide and the smile spreads, but then vanishes. I start to worry that this is the wrong thing.

Lacy walks out backwards from behind the wall Misty came from. I could see that she was holding her mum's hands. "Keep your eyes closed mum. You can open them in a minute" Lacy tells her mum. "Lacy you know I don't really like surprises. Can you give me a clue?" Laura asks. I clamp my jaw shut to not make any noises.

Lacy drops her Mum's hands when they are standing right in front of me. She counts to 3 and tells her mum to open her eyes. When Laura's eyes open, she blinks a couple of times. Not sure she really sees me standing here. "Jason" she whispers out. "In the flesh, babe" I respond. It takes Laura 0.2 seconds to launch herself into my arms. I grab a hold of her and stumble backwards into the door. Misty and Lacy laugh and high 5 each other, leaving me and their mum in the entry way.

"I can't believe you are here" she says. "No, actually what the hell are you doing here?" She asks. No she demands. "Lacy, came to see me at work and I offered her a ride home" I say with a shrug of my shoulders. The smile that spreads across Laura's lips has me smiling in return. Her hands come up to the back of my head, pulling my face to hers. Her lips take mine and I kiss her back with all that I have got. Laura wraps her legs around my waist. I turn us so her back is against the door.

I pull back from the kiss and just stare into Laura's eyes. "Surprise" I say softly. "Best surprise I have gotten in a while" she tells me. She untangles herself from my body and takes my hand leading us into what must be the living room. She pushes me to sit on the couch and then takes a seat sitting across my lap. I am not complaining.

"So tell me babe. What happened in the past 2 months?" I ask Laura. We sit together on the couch and she tells me everything. I feel all the emotions. Anger, hurt, loneliness, worthlessness, hopelessness. Everything that Laura felt in those 2 months are now coursing through my body. The last feeling, I feel though is happiness. That is the feeling I get right now. Laura is happy. She is happy she has both of her girls here and me. She is happy I am here with her.

"I am feeling so content right now" she tells me. "I am happy you are here Jason. I am sorry for everything that happened. I thought I was doing the right thing for my girls but didn't realise that you had made more of an impact on my life then I let myself believe. I have missed you" she says softly. "Well lucky for you Laura, I'm not going anywhere. This is where I am supposed to be"