My shoulders relax.Jack.
My heart doesn’t get the “we don’t have to worry anymore” memo and continues to beat wildly in my chest.
Footsteps gather closer. I glance down at my tank top, hoodie, and faded, apathetic leggings—another reason our open-door policy is the worst.
I stare over my shoulder as Jack enters the room, running his hand through his hair and catching his breath.
My carton of fried rice burns in the palm of my hand. My Memere wouldn’t just encourage me to offer him some—she would demand it. “Grab a spoon and dish from the kitchen if you want some rice.”
Darn it—why do I have to be such a wonderful hostess? With my hyper-focusing, I forgot to have lunch, and now I’m super hungry. Memere would have gotten up to get him the cutlery herself, so I guess I’ll never be as hospitable as her, but she was setting an impossible standard to begin with.
Jack waves me off. “My mom force-fed me more than enough. I needed to get out. Where’s Gus?”
Right. Of course, he’s here to see Gus. Why would he be here to see me? I settle back into the couch now that I know I won’t be murdered, and resume eating my unhelpful fried rice without bothering to pause the movie.
“Aulie?”
I peek back up at Jack. His hands are on his hips, pulling his already snug athletic shirt even tighter, and highlighting his hard, firm chest. Slowly, one of his thick dark brows arches. At this juncture, responding to him would be wise if I don’t want to give myself away.
“I’m sorry. Did you need something?” I ask, trying my best to hide the pang of hurt that he’s here to see my brother and not me.
“I asked you where Gus is?”
“Oh. Right. He’s upstairs with Emy.” I bring my attention back to the screen in an act of self-preservation. “Is Gio out again?” I clear my throat as the question comes out squeakier than I hoped.
“Yup. Unless there’s another creepy ass goat that gets loose.”
“No, Chawton Falls has just the one. I bet you’d find a few if you went to a bigger town like Wolfeboro.”
“Good thing I avoid Wolfeboro like the plague then.”
“It’s lovely when you get past the crowds this time of the year.” I glance up at Jack, and my lips twitch. Regarding his disdain for crowded spaces, he might as well be Mr. Darcy. “Did you run here?” I fight the temptation to focus on the sweat beading down his corded forearms.
He scratches his head, his figure still looming over the couch. He’s likely planning a dignified escape now that he knows Gus is busy. “Yeah. Made good time thanks to that goat, too. Unlike some people.”
Okay, rude. I was making excellent time yesterday until I almost died. And I contend that my death crawl was relatively speedy for an adult. I might even consider entering a crawling competition.
“Show off.”
“Are you feeling any better?” he asks, coming over to an empty space on the couch and sitting down near my outstretched feet.
Is he staying, then? I hope he doesn’t expect me to deviate from my plan of watchingP&P.I’ve already missed Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s conversation about Bingley with our small talk.
“Aulie?”
“Huh?” I finally pause the movie.
“I asked if you were feeling okay.” Soft eyes search mine, and I squirm under the attention.
“Oh, yeah. Fine,” I lie through another stab in my pelvic region and shift on the couch. “How are you doing?”
“Great,” he says in an unconvincing tone. His fingers drum against the arm of the couch for a few seconds before he pops back up and meanders into the kitchen. He returns with a beer. “What is this crap?” He gestures to the TV.
“Crap? Seriously? The cinematography of this movie alone is magical. Just look at the use of light in this scene.”
He rolls his eyes, popping the bottle cap off with his keychain opener and taking a swig of his beer. “My apologies. I should have asked—what is this masterpiece of cinematography gracing your television set?”
“Yes, much better. It’sPride and Prejudice.You know—the book we’re covering next weekend? I suggested you watch this.”
