His Destructive, Toxic Love (Jasper and Eliza)

Fear flickered in Brock's eyes. Casper placed a firm hand on Brock's shoulder. "Do you want to win first place?"

Brock's eyes welled up as he shook his head.

Casper narrowed his eyes. "I'll ask you again. Do you want to win first place?"

Brock hesitated.

He saw Casper with a certain charm. Casper could make him believe anything was possible, even winning first place.

"Mhm." Brock agreed.

Casper felt a surge of pride. Brock still had some fight in him. "Alright then, let's go get that first place."

Casper and Brock joined the kindergarten relay race. These kiddie races were really all about the adults. The kids' abilities were pretty much the same across the board. Watching from the bleachers, Dillon raised an eyebrow. Hadn't Casper and Eliza had a huge fight? So, Casper caved in after all.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," a woman's anxious voice piped in from beside him.

see a sweaty Eliza. He

made it. Brock's about to compete, and we can't wait to watch

field. She quickly spotted her son,

Could Casper have figured something out? She shook her head. Brock looked more like her than

The race started.

with all his might but only made it about twenty or thirty meters before crashing

heart clenched, her eyes brimming with worry. She thought Brock would burst into tears like he always did when he fell. He'd always been a

He quickly got up, brushed the dirt off, and, without a second thought, continued running towards

passing the baton, the parents in

this last-minute "father and son"

Casper took

to Casper, his big, clear eyes shining with excitement and a touch of caution. Casper bent down and

blinked in surprise but then gathered his courage

him up, and placed him securely on his

time sitting on a man's shoulders, and from up

below, Eliza couldn't