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Jake Williams
CEO
JW Media
*heart emoji.
I laugh out loud.
He’s human, after all.
Chapter Twelve
Curling my toes into the carpet, I pace back and forth, staring at blank walls. It looks like a hospital in here. The walls are too clinical, and the carpet is doing little to absorb the echo.
“What to do. What to do,” I mutter to myself, twirling my hair around in a bun before letting it fall over my shoulders again. “They already have a gaming room. A study room? No, that’s a stupid idea. They’ll hate me. A computer room? Now you know you’re old, Claire.”
They say talking to yourself is fine, but answering yourself is when you need to worry. I don’t know whotheyare, but I’m too far gone now. I’ve been having conversations with myself in this room for over a week.
It’s the only empty room in the shelter. I want to put it to use for the teenagers. I just don’t know what to put in here. They have a games room of sorts. They call it thehangout room. But they’re either too busy with their heads in their phones or talking to people on the gaming console, while completely ignoring each other.
They’ve been moaning because they can’t leave the shelter, and I can’t blame them. They don’t get to go to school parties like other kids or meet friends after school. Their life is this shelter. They’ll all leave someday, and new kids will take their place, but I want something to give them a start. Some motivation.
“There are only so many walks they can go on to burn their energy,” I continue, searching the walls for answers. “Something creative. Think, Claire. Think.” I hit the heel of my palm against my head.
I halt mid-step, feeling eyes on me. I don’t even have to look up to know who they belong to.
“She’s talking to herself again,” he murmurs, but it’s not to me.
“Does she do it often?” It’s Nora this time. She’s joining us for dinner this evening.
They know I can hear them.
“I’ve found her mid-conversation with her shadow almost every Friday I’ve been here.”
I scoff, looking up only briefly before continuing my pacing. They’re disrupting my train of thought.
“I only do it on Fridays because it’s hard to find intelligent conversation when you arrive, Williams.”
A deep chuckle echoes against the bare walls, and no matter how hard I try to fight it, I smile. Over the two months I’ve been here, he’s missed one dinner, and his damn laugh always pulls at my lips. He still reminds me how wrong I was about him, and I have yet to admit it.
Out loud, at least.
“What are you doing, dear?”
I wave my hand. “Nora, I love you, but just hush for a minute.”
“She’s bossy when she’s talking to herself.”
“She’s a pain in the ass,” Jake adds.
“Hey.” I stop, crossing my arms over my chest, meeting his stare head-on.
Dipping his chin, he takes a step forward, and immediately the room feels smaller. “I knew I’d get your attention.” He glances at my bare feet as I rock back and forth on my heels. “What are you doing?”
I throw my hands out, exasperated. There are too many thoughts swirling around in my head.
“It’s an empty room.” My shoulders slouch, defeated.
