“It’s okay. Do you have your keys?”
I shook my head. “No keys. Didn’t drive.”
He snorted. “I meant your keys to the house. I’ll help you inside.”
“Oh. Garage code.” I held my arms up, the seat belt tightening. “Help me up. I’ll plug it in.”
Jack’s hand brushed against my stomach as he unbuckled the seat belt, the sensation sending heat between my legs. The heat spread when he picked me up again, and I pressed in close.
“Neil here?” he asked, frowning at the driveway where only his truck sat.
“Not sure,” I admitted, lifting the plastic cover to the garage panel. My hand came up to hover. “Don’t look.”
I waited for him to look away before punching in the code, the whir of the garage loud in the quiet night around us.
“Sorry. I trust you, but it’s Neil’s house.” It didn’t feel right for me to give the code to anyone without asking Neil about it first.
“Neil’s house?” Jack asked with a frown.
I shrugged. “His grandparents left it to him. It was around the time the Millers—” I swallowed, wishing I didn’t get so weepy when I drank. “They left me their house, but it had a mortgage, and this one was paid off, and, well…” I swallowed. “Neil said he could only picture me as a kid there. He preferred a new house, one of his own.”
“But this one belonged to his grandparents,” Jack said, his jaw hard.
I wasn’t sure why he repeated that. My eyes drifted past his shoulder into the garage, where only my car sat. Neil’s spot was empty. “He’s not home,” I mumbled, my sight blurring.
“I thought you guys weren’t supposed to spend the night anywhere.” Jack glared at the empty side of the garage.
“He’s stayed out a few times,” I admitted in a whisper, as if he wouldn’t be able to hear the words if I said them softly enough. A tear slipped down my cheek. I wiped it away, pulling in a shuddering breath. “Sorry. It’s because I’m drunk.”
Jack’s arms tightened around me. “I’m going to carry you inside, okay?”
I nodded, laying my head on his shoulder.
It felt strange for Jack to see inside the house I shared with Neil. Not like he didn’t belong there. More like the house didn’t even feel like mine.
When he started heading toward the white-cushioned couch, I lifted my head. “Can you take me to the bedroom? I’m really tired.” I pointed toward the other side of the living room.
Jack squeezed his eyes shut, his chest rising as he took a deep breath. “Sure,” he agreed, his voice raspy. He cleared his throat, moving to the other side of the house.
He froze after I switched on the light, staring at the bed. It had a massive red wood frame with a gorgeous sheen, and I’d picked out soft black sheets and a pillowy gray-and-black comforter. “I like the bed,” he said, his voice deep.
“Really? Neil didn’t like it.” It’d been a huge argument, and he’d refused to chip in any money for it. “I bought it anyway,” I confessed. My hand reached toward the footboard, which had a space under the metal bar that ran across. It made me think of the wrist and ankle restraints I’d once bought. “See this? I always imagined—”
“Stop talking, Hailey. Please.” Jack sounded choked, like he was upset he had to tell me to be quiet. He set me down on the bed.
“I’m sorry,” I said, my cheeks heating.
“No, don’t be. It’s—” He broke off, his pupils wide as he stared down at me. He reached for my feet, slipping off my sneakers.
I wiggled my toes. “Socks, too.”
He smiled, some of the tension leaving his face as he stripped them off, and I fell back to the bed. He tucked the socks insidethe shoes and placed them neatly against the wall. “I’ll be right back.”
My eyes shut as I listened to his footsteps recede. I felt a lot less dizzy lying still. I decided not to bother brushing my teeth or putting on pj’s.
“Hailey,” Jack’s voice called softly.
My eyes slitted open, watching him draw closer.
