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Next morning, I found her curled up on the couch, sleeping.
Stupid girl. She was going to get a stiff neck.
She must have sensed my presence in the room because she began to stir. “Jack?” I heard her asking, groggily.
“Good morning.”
“Morning?” She let out a loud yawn. “What time is it?”
I checked my wristwatch. “It’s half past seven.”
“Aw, shit. I fell asleep here.” She pushed herself up on her elbows, before letting out a pained, “Ow, motherf—”
“Sleeping here wasn’t a smart idea.” I couldn’t help but point out.
“Yeah, I can see that now.” She rolled her eyes at me as she tried to relieve the discomfort in her neck. “I was high. Give me a break.”
I hummed and walked over to the kitchen, giving her privacy to get herself back in order. A couple of minutes later, I heard her coming up behind me.
“Hey, so I wanted to ask. Did I maybe say something weird yesterday?”
My hands briefly halted in their movement. “No, you didn’t.”
The girl let out a faint, sleepy hum. “That’s good, then.”
I resumed setting up the breakfast, feeling her eyes tracking me around the kitchen in silence.
“You know, I’ve always wanted to ask… why is it that you’re the only one who cooks around here?”
“Because everything that King makes is inedible, and while Ace isn’t as horrible at it as King is, there’s always a possibility that he’ll burn down the kitchen.”
“So it’s food poisoning versus arson. Got it,“ she said, an airy chuckle emanating from her. She walked up to stand next to me and looked down at what I was doing.
“Can I help you with something?” she asked.
“No, it’s fine.”
There really was nothing she could help me with, but then something akin to disappointment flashed in her eyes.
“But you can keep me company if you’d like,” I conceded, and I saw her brightening up again. She started to chatter about a new TV show that she had begun to watch, and I let her voice wash over me as I cocked.
Maybe having her around wouldn’t be as horrible as I’d thought, after all.
Eight
Dahlia
Despite how huge the house was, I repeatedly found myself drawn to the library. It was undoubtedly the most comforting spot in this entire place. It was a complete coincidence that it also provided an unobstructed view of the yard, specifically of the towering metal gates outside.
In almost no time at all, I created a simple schedule outlining the guard’s rotation times. Every morning at 6 am, and every evening at 6 pm, they’d change shifts. As part of their routine, they’d first make a round around the courtyard before taking up their position at the gates.
All of this information resided in a far corner of my mind, waiting to be used.
The other reason I enjoyed spending most of my time in the library was the solitude it offered as the guys rarely came down here. It had become a sort of sanctuary for me. That was why it took me by surprise to see King lingering by the door today, looking like he was unsure if he was allowed to enter or not.
“Hi?” I said, and that seemed to make him snap out of it.
