Page 150 of Death is Familiar

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Still coming to terms with how awful I was, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to notice Todd’s near constant shifting of his shoulders. The half-baked attempt to lift his arms, before lowering them again.

He was wrestling with something. My best guess was that he had a question, about something sensitive, and he wanted to handle it with tact.

I, on the other hand, was tired of constantly feeling like there was another shoe about to drop, so I said, “Alright, out with it.”

Direct eye contact. Nose exhale.

Oh, it was serious serious then.

“I’ll only ask you this once, and only because the timing is right,” my hands fisted the sheets, “is Almeida One the father?”

“What?” I almost laughed, but I sensed he was digging for something deeper. “No.”

“Okay, I see.” From the expression on his face, I couldn’t tell if this was better or worse.

“I already told you, all he did was⁠—”

“—cuddle and occasionally stick his tongue down your throat. Yeah, I remember.”

An almost verbatim rendition of what I shared with him months ago, I nodded. “Then, why?”

“Because.”

“Todd.”

He shook his head. “My mind is painting a very dangerous picture, Delilah, one I’m not sure I’m ready for.”

“What do you⁠—"

Crash! Glass shattering behind me, Todd vaulted to his feet as I spun around with fists clenched, only to find a familiar face who looked like he’d seen a ghost.

My stomach dropped.

Hands extended, keeping the shape of whatever he once held, the man froze. His eyes were missing their mischief. His dress shirt, but no tie, lacked its usual crisp edge. And though he still had his constant five o’clock shadow, it was darker, more pronounced, like he missed a shave or two.

Unfortunately, this meant I couldn’t hide any longer, because standing before a puddle of fresh cut dahlias and broken glass was Jack.

Oh no. Oh god. What the hell was he doing here?

“Delilah.”

“Jack.” Nerves licked my insides as I hiked my knees up, hiding my new shape beneath a tent of blankets.

He side-stepped the broken glass, gaze fixed. “What the hell is going on?”

I stared daggers at Todd, considering how I was going to punish him for his betrayal, but he was busy signing, “What are you doing here, Jack?”

“What am I doing here?” Jack seemed caught between two places. “You said family emergency.”

Todd nodded. He’d meant it. Which suggested he hadn’t given me up, hadn’t betrayed my confidence and gone to Jack.

But then how did Jack find us?

“I thought that with everything you could use a friend, but this was not the sort of emergency I was expecting. Now, what the hell is going on?”

“You’re asking the wrong questions, Jack.”