AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jack only nods, turning and disappearing down the steps. I furrow my brows, trying to figure out the sudden change in Jack. I walk around the room just as I hear a car door slam.
“Hey, Jack!” Irene’s voice calls out.
I go to the back corner and grab the broom, wanting to get started.
Irene comes in and whistles. “Nice digs, kid!”
“Don’t act like you didn’t have anything to do with this,” I sass.
She grins and shrugs. “I did what needed to be done. You’re out of that motel and into something more permanent and much safer. Nothing wrong with that.”
Her expression dares me to bite back again, but I relent and instead, we both get started on cleaning. It’s not filthy, dusty mostly, and the air is stale from where it hasn’t moved around and been aired out.
It takes us roughly two hours to get everything wiped down, and the air quality has already improved. There isn’t a washer or dryer, and I worry about what I’ll do about that part.
Irene told me about a laundry mat in town, but it’s too far to walk from here, especially with laundry in tow. She offered to take the bedding to her house tonight for a wash, and since I didn’t really have another option, I agreed. There must be years of dust on those sheets.
Feeling relatively good about the state of the apartment, we lock up, and Irene heads to her car ahead of me. I realize Jack never gave me a key, and I don’t want to disturb him again by going over. I haul the bedding down the steps and put it into Irene’s car just as Jack comes out of the house.
“Leaving already?” he asks.
“Yeah, it was in good shape, just a bit dusty. Irene is taking the bedding home to wash for me. If that’s okay?” I round to the front of Irene’s car.
“I should have thought to go ahead and do that. I’m sorry. Also, I was thinking about the washer/dryer situation. You can use mine. The laundry mat is too far from here.”
He’s about ten feet in front of me with his arms crossed and standing in a wide stance. He looks intimidating right now, but not to me. I’ve never felt uneasy around him. There’s something comforting about his presence.
I smile nervously. “I may be able to use Charlie’s or Irene’s, too. I don’t want to impose any more than I already have.”
He waves a dismissive hand. “It’s not a problem. There’s no reason to haul your stuff somewhere else when I have a perfectly good set right here.”
He makes a good point, and it’s hard to argue without making it seem like I just don’t want to be around him. I nod my agreement.
“Do you mind if I grab the key? I don’t want to bother you when I bring some of my stuff over,” I say.
“Oh, yeah, sure.” He walks over and hands me the key.
Our fingers touch, and goosebumps spread across my skin, moving up my arm from the tingle his warmth sent through me. I yank my arm back, alarmed at the feeling.What the heck was that?
I could be overthinking, but Jack seems startled as well.
“Umm, thanks. I’m going to get going. Irene is taking me back to the motel. Have a good night, Jack.” My smile a little off as I climb into Irene’s car.
As soon as the door is closed, Irene looks over at me, one of her brows lifted with obvious amusement. “Geez. The chemistry coming off the two of you is downright panty melting.”
My eyes bug out of my head at the completely casual way she spat that out. Like she just told me what she’d had for lunch today.
“What in the world are you talking about? He’s been weird ever since he picked me up today.”
She snorts. “That’s because he thinks you’re pretty. Come on. Don’t be naive.” She gives a sigh, the amusement still in her expression. “But that’s all I’m saying on that. You need to concentrate on yourself. Putting your past behind you will take time, but I think you’ll be just fine.” She pats my shoulder as she looks behind us to back out of the driveway.
The rest of the drive is quiet. I try to digest her words, and she sits in silence while she lets me. I barely even register when Irene pulls into the motel parking lot.
“See you tomorrow. Get some sleep,” Irene says.
I nod. “Okay. You, too. Thanks for your help today. Please let me know if there are any projects around the house I can do for you. I want to pay you back somehow for everything you’ve done for me.”
“Nonsense. I don’t want you worrying about that. Now get on out of here. I’ve got a foot rub waiting for me,” she says with a wink.
