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.

Eliza. He lowered his gaze slightly, turning his

we can't wait to watch

nodded and then looked toward the field. She quickly spotted her son,

at his sports day? Could Casper have figured something out? She shook her head. Brock looked more like

The race started.

his might but only made it about twenty or thirty

tears like he always did when he fell. He'd always been a bit fragile and not good with

brushed the dirt off, and,

baton, the parents in the other lanes were already a good

expected the dad in this last-minute "father and son" duo to be

Casper

a bit shy. He stuck close to Casper, his big, clear eyes shining with excitement and a touch of caution. Casper bent down and

surprise but then gathered his courage

and placed him securely on

sitting on a man's shoulders, and from up there, he looked around with an

below, Eliza couldn't