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I shake my head and try to hide my smile. Looking around the table, I know this is the perfect time to warn Jackson about our sleeping arrangement. Everyone is distracted and busy, settling themselves at the table and carrying on the conversations they’ve been having.
I reach for his arm on the table to get his attention, and his head whips back in my direction. He drops his stare to my hand on him, his eyes flicking up to meet mine. That look is enough to make me snatch my hand back.
I clasp my fingers in my lap. “Before you came here, I told Rae she could sleep with Matt.”
He holds my gaze but says nothing.
“So . . . maybe sleep on the couch?”
He cocks an eyebrow. “And why would I do that?”
I swallow, suddenly wishing I wouldn’t have brought this up with so many people around. Keeping my voice low, I say, “So we don’t have to share the room.”
His eyes roam over my face, a slow lift of his lips forming. “Actually, Red, I don’t mind sharing a room with you at all.”
I blink. “You can’t be serious,” I say in a harsh whisper.
Jackson takes a sip of water, but even that can’t hide his amusement. “Oh, I’ve never been more serious about anything.”
Janet is the last to settle into her seat at the head of the table with her second glass of wine, bringing our conversation to a halt. Her smile is easy as she says, “Please, dig in!”
I dare to look at Jackson one more time, but he’s already moved on to having a conversation with Matt’s dad across the table.
Why the hell would Jackson want to share a room with me? Is he trying to make me uncomfortable on purpose? That has to be it . . . right? There’s no way he would actually want to willingly subject himself to such a thing. My heart races at the thought of being alone with him for hours. He’s affected me more than usual lately. Sharing a room with him is probably the last thing I need.
I force myself to strike up a conversation with Matt’s grandma to get my mind off things. She seems to have warmed up to me, even smiling a few times as I tell her about my hopes of getting a summer internship at one of the local papers. I thought it would feel weird to spend Thanksgiving with people I don’t know, but Matt’s parents have this way of making me feel like I’ve known them forever. Janet has Rae and me laughing as she spills the dirt on Matt and Jackson growing up. Apparently, they were both convinced they could give themselves superpowers if they tried hard enough. Matt worked at mastering invisibility for a solid month, and Jackson was convinced he had super speed.
Drew has already invited us back for Christmas, which we had to politely decline. Although, I did tell him I’d rather spend it here than go home to Indiana and face the cold, which he seemed to appreciate. As much as I’m looking forward to spending Christmas back home with Rae, spending the holidays in Florida wouldn’t be bad.
By the end of the evening, I’ve eaten more food than I have on any Thanksgiving, stolen a few of Janet’s recipes, and laughed to the point of tears at least four times.
Even Jackson is having fun.
It’s bizarre seeing him in his element like this. These people are obviously just as much his family as they are Matt’s. He takes jabs at Emmet with Grandma Lois, jokes with Matt’s dad, and goes out of his way to help Matt’s mom with whatever she may need.
I wonder why he didn’t stay with his parents today. I think he and Matt grew up living close to each other, so his parents’ house can’t be too far. He was off when he first got here, but the more time he spends with Matt’s family, the more he settles into a version of himself that seems happy. Jackson’s happiness might not be as open and outward as Matt’s, but he doesn’t look like he’s dwelling on not seeing his family.
His blue-gray eyes catch me staring, and he furrows his brow.
Luckily, just as my cheeks flush enough to make me look guilty, Grandma Lois stands from the table. “It’s getting late. Emmet, we’d better get going.”
Emmet frowns before leaning across the table toward me. “I’ve got to get the old lady home, but I want to give you my number.”
“Who are you calling old?” Grandma Lois snaps somewhere in the distance, but I can’t tear my eyes away from her grandson.
“Oh.” I blink. “Um, okay.”
With the smile he gives me, you’d think I had responded by jumping for joy. Awkwardly handing him my phone, I let him type in his number. I’m not sure what’s happening right now, but I hope it’s over soon.
When he gives me my phone back, he winks.
He literally winks.
Rae does a poor job of stifling her laugh as Emmet heads toward the door. I look back at Jackson, but he’s already gotten up to help clear the table.
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