Safe and Sound(31)

Jack suddenly jerked on her hand and she fell against him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled Lola into the shadows behind a garage. They stayed that way, locked in each other’s arms, their breath coming out in little bursts of frosty air.

A car roared down a nearby street, tires squealing as it took a turn. It sounded farther and farther away until it could be heard no longer. She was safe. For the moment. But when she got home…Lola refused to think about it.

She looked up, discomfited to find Jack’s eyes on her. The look on his face took her breath away. It was furious and intense; protective.

“Who was that?”

“My mom’s husband.”

“What was he doing there? Does he always pick you up from work?”

“Never.” Lola’s body convulsed; fear of the unknown maddening to her senses. She couldn’t think about what his appearance at her workplace meant.

Jack stared down at her, features closed. He suddenly dropped his arms from her and backed away. “I heard you had to get stitches in your lip.”

“Chin.” Lola angled her face and pointed at the strip of medical tape on her chin.

“Good thing Sebastian was there to rescue you.”

Lola heard the scorn in his tone and didn’t understand it. “What do you have against Sebastian?”

Jack lifted his arms out, palms up. “Nothing. Nothing at all. I’m glad you have someone so great to turn to.” His voice was at odds with the words leaving his lips. Someone unlike me, he seemed to not say.

Lola blinked eyes that burned. She looked at the grass black with night. She didn’t have someone to turn to. Lola’s gaze collided with Jack’s. At least, she never used to.

She wanted to tell him he made her feel special, she wanted to tell him he made her forget; that he was the only one she could turn to. Lola didn’t know how to put into words how grateful she was for Jack. She didn’t know how to tell him he was a good thing in a sea of bad things.

Some foreign emotion started in the pit of her stomach; like a million butterflies flapping their wings, rose up to slam into her chest, and Lola acted instinctively.

Lola fisted Jack’s shirt in her hands and yanked him to her. He stared down at her with one eyebrow lifted, daring her, challenging her. Lola tugged him the rest of the way to her, until their lips met. Jack’s full lips were warm and melded to hers perfectly, like their lips had been formed just for each other’s to enjoy.

The emotions racing through her were tumultuous, frightening, dizzying. Jack’s fingers threaded through her hair, he whirled her around, and pressed her up against the garage, his hard body fitted to her softer one. It was hard to breathe. Lola had never felt so alive.

That’s what she felt with Jack; alive.

A low growl sounded from his throat and Lola shivered in response. Jack’s hands went up and down her spine, back to her hair. The kiss deepened. Lola’s skin flushed, her heart raced. She wanted more. Lola broke off, afraid of that knowledge.

Jack stared down at her, eyes dark. His chest heaved and the hands that clasped her arms trembled. “You okay?” he said in a gravelly voice.

Lola stood on legs that shook, feeling overwhelmed. She gave a brief nod.

He ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep breath. Jack reached for her hand and they began to walk.

They headed in the direction of the woods. Houses became spaced more and more apart the farther they ventured. A dog barked. The moon shone high in the sky, practically lighting the whole sky up like a big glow stick.

As the quiet deepened, Lola got more and more uncomfortable.

She couldn’t believe she’d kissed him. Lola wasn’t particularly impulsive.

Lola had only kissed one other boy in her whole life and that had been Sebastian and it didn’t count because she’d been eleven and he twelve. It had been strictly for experimental purposes. Neither had liked it. Lola had liked kissing Jack. A lot. Her stomach fluttered.

The wind picked up, blowing Lola’s hair around her head. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. An owl hooted and Lola jumped.

Jack laughed softly. “Nervous?”

You have no idea. “No. I’m fine.”

“Do you think he meant to hurt you?”

Lola nodded, swallowing.

Out of her corner of her eye she saw Jack’s jaw clench. He looked away and Lola watched his chest rise and fall. He exhaled deeply.

“You don’t have to go back.”

Lola’s eyes burned. “Yes. I do. I was going to leave. I was going to take all of my savings and I was going to leave this town, Jack. Today.” She took a shuddering breath. “He took my money. All of it. Now I’m stuck.”