Page 10 of Dead Pretty

I barely even know myself.

Sighing, I push off the door. Lock it back up. Resist the strong urge to do a check of my apartment again.

I sit back down on my sofa, pick my book up, and make a conscious effort to be a normal person while also ignoring the loneliness surrounding me, which somehow seems so much more prevalent than usual.

“Hello again.”

I jump at the sound of the deep voice behind me, the book in my hand falling to the floor.

Spinning around, I see Jack standing there.

My heart takes off for a few reasons.

Adrenaline, fear … the hot guy standing in front of me.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Giving me a sheepish smile, he bends down, picking up the book I just dropped.

“It’s fine.” I shake my head. “Don’t worry.” My heart doesn’t agree, as it currently tries to bat its way out of its cage.

Jack holds the book out for me to take. I make sure to avoid touching him in the exchange.

“I just came over because I wanted to thank you again for looking after Eleven last night.”

“It was no problem at all.” I clutch the book to my chest.

Then, there’s this moment of silence—you know the kind.

The kind where someone needs to speak, or it will just get weird.

People hate awkwardness. It makes them uncomfortable, and they need to get as far away from it as humanly possible.

And usually, I would just continue on with the silence, allowing it to become uncomfortable, knowing the other person would make their excuses and walk away, leaving me alone. Because that’s what I want.

But this time … I don’t.

I’m the one to speak. “So, how is Eleven?”

He smiles. It’s wide and happy, and it gives me a pleasant feeling in my belly. I choose not to delve into the why.

“Well, she’s not happy with regular old cat food now. She turned her nose up at it this morning. I think she’s gotten a taste for tuna.”

“Oops. Sorry.” I screw up my face, apologetic.

He laughs. It’s rich and warm. Like melted chocolate in my mouth.

“No need to be sorry. You did me a favor. Not many people would have looked out for her like you did.”

I shrug, looking down at my feet. “Sure, they would.”

“No, they wouldn’t.” It’s the insistent tone of his voice that brings my eyes back up to his.

There is something incredibly hypnotic about his eyes. I find it hard to look away from them—and him.

The quiet between Jack and me is here again, but now, it’s filled with something else … something that I shouldn’t be feeling around any man.

But I still can’t seem to look away.

Thankfully, Jack breaks the spell he put me under.