Page 66 of Drowning in Darkness

Her gaze drops to the black garment before returning to me. “Your hoodie?”

“Yes.” I’m not thinking about the stack of brand new ones I should be offering her.

“I feel like we’re progressing through abductee relationship milestones at an alarming rate.”

“We’re preventing hypothermia.”

“I liked my version better.”

Her fingers trail across the soft fabric for a moment before she lifts her hands in the air and tilts her head. Her smile promises a whole world of trouble I shouldn’t have any interest in partaking in.

The fabric swallows her. The sleeves disappear over her fingers, and the hem hangs halfway to her knees.

She pushes her hands through the cuffs and looks down at herself. “I appear to have been adopted by a particularly cosy bear.”

“It fits me.”

“I gathered.” She lifts the hood over her head and grins. “Do I look intimidating?”

She looks like a cute emo wannabe princess. “No.”

“I could growl.”

“I don’t think that would help.” She lets out the least threatening growl I’ve ever heard. “I stand corrected.”

“Was that sarcasm?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

I shake my head and pick up my keys from the bowl beside the door and turn on my heel to take her out the rear entrance. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“You wanted to explore.”

Her entire face brightens. “The official kidnapped orientation tour?”

“If that’s what you’re calling it.”

“It sounds much more exciting than ‘walk around the gardens.’”

“It isn’t a garden.”

She falls into step beside me. “Are there gift bags? Complimentary slippers? A welcome brochure?”

“No.”

“Disappointing.”

“I’ll take note for next time.”

“Oh good. Kidnapper feedback forms. I was hoping this organization valued customer satisfaction.”

I unlock the back door and hold it open. She stops beside me instead of walking through. “You’re smiling.”

“I am not.”