“A little.”
With a smile, Jessa says, “Then come sleep at my house, where the only sharp objects I have are kitchen knives.”
Laney’s eyes go wide for a moment, and then she lets out a soft chuckle.
“Maybe it’s too early to reference death possibilities,” I say to Jessa. I let my gaze drift to Laney, and she’s studying me with an intensity I haven’t seen from her all night.
“Sorry about that,” Jessa says, as she backs out of the restaurant parking lot and eases onto the main road.
Laney lets out a long breath and says, “It’s okay. Staying with you would be great. Thank you.”
I don’t know why part of my chest loosens a bit as she agrees to that. At least she won’t die in the middle of the night.
CHAPTER 4
LANEY
Is it a sign I need to move because I slept so much better at Jessa’s than I have since moving in with Chandie?
It could also be how tired I was tired after everything that happened yesterday.
I walk out to the kitchen in a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt Jessa let me borrow. The kitchen is clean, and Jessa is standing in front of the stove making eggs. This is like night and day different from my current living situation.
“Hey! How was your night?” Jessa asks. She pulls out two plates and spoons some scrambled eggs onto each.
“It was great. Thank you again.”
“You’re not allergic to eggs or milk, right?” Jessa asks, looking up at me with a worried expression.
I shake my head and take a seat on a barstool next to the L-shaped cabinet. “No allergies here.”
“I have some scrambled eggs and toast. I buttered the bread, but I have some jam you can put on it too, if you prefer. Or, I think there’s an almost-bad avocado we can try.”
Laughing, I say, “I’m good with jam. Thank you, Jessa. You didn’t have to do all this.” The spread is already more than I eat on a typical weekday.
She shrugs and takes a seat on the stool next to me. “It’s the least I can do. I’ve been trying to avoid the store for a few days, but I’m at the point where I need to go shopping again. Otherwise, I would’ve thought about pancakes or something. It’s been a while since I’ve had a roommate, and even if you don’t decide to stay here, just know you can crash here whenever you need to.” She frowns as she looks at the meal she’s placed before me.
“Eggs and toast are just right for breakfast.” I take the fork from her and smile. “Can I ask why you’re so willing to give up your peace for me to move in here?”
Jessa takes two cups and walks over to fill them at the refrigerator water dispenser. “Because no one should have to live in a nightmare situation because they think that’s the only option they have. And Ithink we could be good friends. Eat, and then we’ll go by your apartment so you can change. I can drive you to the office if you need.”
I smile and nod. “That sounds perfect. Thank you.”
I take a few bites of the eggs and look over at her. I slept better than I have in a couple of weeks, and this is closer to the city than my current apartment. It’s hard to even think of any cons about this place, whereas living with Chandie feels like a constant air horn instead of a simple red flag.
Although I didn’t sign an actual contract, I told Chandie I’d stay there for at least six months. But maybe if I pay for another month, even when I’m moved out, she’d be able to find someone else to share with.
“Can I let you know what I decide in a few days?”
Jessa looks up at me and grins. “Absolutely. My biggest rule here is to keep dead things to food.” We both laugh, and I’m grateful we can joke about it several hours later. I was surprised Burton saw how uneasy I was about any mention of death and weapons last night. Not that I’d see him often, but observant is in my brain file of him now.
I glance at the ring on her left hand and say, “When is the wedding?”
Jessa wiggles her fingers for a few secondsbefore saying, “We were thinking next February. That gives us enough time to plan the wedding, and it’ll be in the offseason for Clark, so that helps. We’d take our honeymoon during the hockey All-Star break.”
I laugh. “The life of a sports power couple. Will he move in here?” I ask, swirling my finger around as if to motion to the house.
“We haven’t gotten that far yet. I’m renting this place, and Clark owns his house. But with all the roommates, he doesn’t want to kick them out. So we’ll have to figure something out.”
