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Blinks again.
Realization slams into his face like a shovel.
Jerking back in shock, he releases my shirt and stumbles a step back. The bat slips from his hand and clatters to the floor.
“Kayla,” he blurts out, his wide eyes still staring at me as if he can’t believe that I’m actually here.
I cough air back into my lungs and then smoothen down my shirt. “Yeah, I really should’ve seen that coming after the air horn episode. Surprising you when you’re sleeping really is a terrible idea.”
Jace is still gaping at me. “You’re here.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Very observant of you.”
“You’re here,” he just repeats, sounding absolutely dumbfounded. “How…? Why…?”
Ignoring his questions, I nod towards the empty whiskey bottle on the table. “Did you drink all of that last night?”
He glances at the bottle before meeting my gaze again, still looking bewildered. “Uhm, yeah. I think so.”
“Where is your shirt?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Is that blood?”
His gaze drops down to his bare chest and the blood splattered there. Then he meets my gaze and shrugs. “It’s not mine.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s cute how you think that’s supposed to be comforting.”
At long last, a hint of light returns to his eyes. The sight of it makes my heart jerk. A grin ghosts across his lips for a second, and he rakes his hand through his messy hair.
Keeping the stern look on my face, I stride over to the sink and grab a glass from the cabinet next to it. After filling it with water, I walk back to Jace and shove it into his hand. He blinks at me, confused.
“Drink that,” I order. “Then go and take a shower.”
His eyebrows shoot up.
I raise mine too as I demand, “Did I stutter?”
Now, he’s properly grinning. The sight lifts the weight that had been pressing down on my chest.
Raising the glass to his lips, he drinks it all in a few long gulps.
“Good,” I say as I take the empty glass from him. Then I stab a hand towards the doorway. “Now, go shower.”
His eyes glitter as he chuckles. Then a sly smile pulls at his lips and he rakes a deliberate glance over my body. “Have I told you how fucking hot you are when you’re bossy?”
My spine tingles and I can barely manage to suppress a grin of my own. But I keep my hand pointed towards the door and simply say, “Shower.”
With that smile still on his lips, he raises two fingers to his brow in a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
I laugh softly as he strolls out the door.
While he showers somewhere upstairs, I walk around the living room and kitchen, idly studying it. When I’m done with that, I move on to the room across the hall. It’s the study that is neater and cleaner than the rest of the rooms downstairs. I drift along the shelves, looking at the titles on the spines.
“Find anything interesting?” Jace suddenly asks from behind me.
“Not really,” I answer as I begin to turn around. “But I haven’t…” I trail off as my gaze lands on Jace.
