Safe and Sound(33)

Jack nudged his sister and she scowled at him. “Get up.”

Isabelle set the blanket aside and slowly got to her feet, glaring defiantly at her brother the whole time. She had a blue pajama top on and matching bottoms. “Happy?”

“Maybe I should go,” Lola said and edged toward the door.

“No.” Jack narrowed his eyes at his sister. “Isabelle has been anxious to meet you. She must just be tired and crabby, right, Is?”

Isabelle crossed her arms and pouted. “Well, I was excited to meet you. Until you ditched my brother for Sebastian Jones.”

Lola reared back. “Excuse me?”

“What are you talking about, Is?” Jack demanded.

With great attitude, Isabelle informed them, “I saw you guys today. I saw Lola ride off with Sebastian Jones and I saw you, Jack. I saw you after they left.”

“Shut up, Isabelle,” Jack warned, eyes trained on her face.

Lola stared at Jack as she asked, “Saw what?”

Isabelle shot her a look of animosity and faced her brother. “Don’t tell me to shut up. You were sad. You know I hate it when you’re sad. She doesn’t deserve you, not if she’s going to make you sad.” Her lower lip trembled and tears formed in her eyes.

She didn’t know what to think of that. It made her upset to know she’d hurt Jack’s feelings, unintentional as it had been, but it also made her happy or something to know he had feelings for her that could be hurt.

Jack glanced at Lola. Then he directed his gaze on Isabelle. “I wasn’t sad. I don’t get sad. You imagined it. Drop it.”

“Liar!”

His hands fisted at his sides and Jack’s face went blank as he stared his sister down.

“I just want you to be happy. You’re never happy,” Isabelle cried. She covered her mouth as a sob left her and thundered up the stairs. A bedroom door slammed.

The silence after that was maddening.

Jack avoided her eyes as he said, “She exaggerates. I wasn’t sad.” He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and faced the television. “I had no reason to be. He was just taking you to the doctor, right? And it’s not like we’re anything. I mean—“

Lola rushed to him and pulled Jack around to face her. Their eyes met for one brief, charge-filled moment. They moved at the same time, lips slamming against lips, arms around one another, hands touching everywhere. Lola inhaled his scent, her body reacting.

Jack leaned her back and Lola lost her balance and fell onto the coffee table. Jack went with her, grunting as his knee hit the wood. Lola laughed and Jack kissed her laughter away.

He straddled her against the coffee table; holding her up against him, and looked at her with something like wonder on his face. “I remember the first time I saw you, really saw you.”

She smiled. “Detention?”

Jack’s eyes clouded over and he pushed away from her. He sat down on the carpet. “No. Not detention. It was over the summer, Lola, last summer.” Jack frowned at her. He seemed to search her expression for something and was disappointed by what he found. “How can you not remember? How can you not remember me?”

Lola felt sick. She sat with her back against the coffee table and looked at the television. There were holes in her brain, in her memory. Had she suppressed things too terrible to think of? And what did that mean about Jack? Was he part of the bad memories?

Even as Lola thought it, she knew it wasn’t that. It was Bob. What had he done or said so horrific Lola had blocked it from her mind? And what did it have to do with Sebastian and Jack?

“I have to go.” She struggled to her feet, hot and clammy at the same time. Lola needed fresh air.

Jack stood. He didn’t say anything and he face was expressionless. Lola was learning when he felt something intensely, that was when he revealed nothing of his emotions. When he appeared not to care at all was when he cared the most.

“What is this?” he asked in a low voice. He wouldn’t look at her, his body held stiffly away from her.

“What is what?” she asked, voice shaking.

Jack’s eyes pierced her then. His eyes said so much. “Nothing. Nevermind.”

Lola hesitated, wanting to say so much, but unsure how to begin. She had no idea what she would even say. “Jack…it’s not—“

“It’s not me, it’s you. Yep. Got it.” His eyes met hers. “Except I’m pretty sure it is me.” Jack’s lips twisted sardonically. “Too messed up for you, huh?”

She stood there, disbelief freezing her in place. Lola gave a shaky laugh. “You’re kidding, right?” Lola went to him; put her hands on his forearms. “You’re the only one who understands, Jack, the only one.