I laughed, my fingers resting on the glass of one frame, where he was smiling widely. “I think he looks good with both.”
“You do, do you?”
I glanced at Sean to find him studying me and let my hand drop. When I crossed toward the couch, I realized I still had my shoes on. “Oh, should I have taken off my shoes by the door?”
Sean shifted his boots up to rest on the coffee table. “He’s tidy, but he’s not as strict as all that. Relax.”
I sank onto the couch, pulling out my phone. “Can you tell me the name of his band? I want to pull them up.”
“Don’t you dare,” Jack responded from the doorway, pushing the door shut behind him. “I wasn’t that good. Mediocre at best.”
I flushed at being caught trying to research his past. “Sorry.”
“No, I get it.” Jack ran his hand through his hair. “I can text the band name to you later, when I don’t have to see the disappointment on your face.”
There was no way I would be disappointed, and I opened my mouth to admit as much, but he continued talking.
“At least, I can text you if I have your number. After you left last week, I realized I didn’t have it.”
“Smooth,” Sean said with a grin. “I want it too, honey, if you’re okay with that.”
“Oh, sure.” I watched them both pull out their phones to program it in.
“What’s your last name, Hailey?” Jack asked, his phone in hand.
“Miller,” I answered. I was proud of the name. My foster parents hadn’t been able to adopt me because my biological parents never consented. They didn’t want me, or at least not enough to get clean, but they hadn’t wanted anyone else to have me. I hated the times when they got clean enough temporarily to drag me back with them because it wouldn’t last. I missed the Millers each time it happened, and neither of my biological parents let me visit them. Eventually, I’d end up back with the Millers, though, and those were the good times.
When I was a legal adult, I changed my last name to theirs. After college, their health had been poor, so I’d spent a year taking care of them before entering the workforce. That had been a difficult year, but I wouldn’t have traded it for anything.
Neil hadn’t been happy. He’d wanted me to move in with him right away. Once they were gone, I did. That was nearly ten years ago now.
Jack settled onto the couch next to me. “It killed me that I couldn’t check in with you after what happened last week. Have you been okay?”
My nerves raced. I had been hoping I wouldn’t be asked that question. “Yeah, I’m fine. I told you—”
“Not even the cops thought it was just a kiss,” Sean interrupted, frowning at me. “That’s why I got off so lightly.” He rubbed his beard. “But I get it; you don’t want to dwell on it. I’m just sorry it happened on my watch.”
“No, don’t apologize.” My head hung as my hands clenched in my lap. “The more I thought about it, the more I realized I caused it to happen.”
Sean’s feet hit the floor. “You didn’t—”
“Hold up,” Jack said. “Let her talk. What do you mean, Hailey?”
“It was the conversation we had about what I was looking for that did it. I played it back in my head all week. I’d given him the wrong impression.” My gaze returned to my legs.
“How so?” Jack asked.
“Well, he was trying to understand the ‘hall pass’ dynamics and asked if it was because I was interested in stuff that my boyfriend wasn’t. You know, sex stuff.” I sighed, wiping my palms on my jeans. “I didn’t deny it. I realize now that he was thinking of kinkier stuff than I was, and he got the wrong idea.”
Sean made a sound in his throat. “Even if you’re right, any man would have realized you were uncomfortable in that hallway and stopped, even if you’d okayed the kiss itself to start.”
I hadn’t, but I didn’t want to make them angry all over again.
“I’m not saying he shouldn’t have done what he did. I’m just owning my part, too.” I sighed, settling back into the corner of the couch. “I really suck at this.”
Jack turned his body toward me. “I got the impression you didn’t have a lot of dating experience. Is that wrong?”
“No, you’re not wrong.” I squirmed a little at admitting it. “I’ve only dated guys I met through friends and hung out with before this. The whole stranger in a bar thing is totally new.”
