Dead Pretty - Samantha Towle Page 0,23

seem to be doing around Jack is apologizing. “I really appreciate you helping me out. But I’m tired and cranky. I’ve had a long day, and I just need to get some sleep.”

“Okay,” he says in a low voice. “Do you need me to help dispose of the rat before I go?” he asks.

He’s still being kind to me after I just bit his head off. Not to mention the fact that I punched the guy in the face earlier.

God, I’m a terrible person.

Sighing at myself, I lift my eyes to look at him. I shake my head. “But I appreciate the offer all the same. And thanks again for the bulb.”

I start to move toward the front door. Jack grabs his ladder and follows me.

He stops in the hallway and turns back to me. He gives me an uneasy smile. “See you later, Audrey.”

I should just let him go. Let my bad behavior put him off me.

But I say his name before I can even stop myself.

I let out a breath. I know that apologizing to him—again—is only going to keep us being friends, but I do it all the same because I’m an idiot. And a slave to my hormones.

“I know I hit you earlier”—I wince because it sounds so awful to say—“but in my defense, it was self-defense.” I shrug. “And I also just bit your head off for no good reason, but … I’m not a bad person. Really. I’m just … out of practice … with people.”

Stop talking, Audrey. Stop now.

He puts the stepladder on the floor, keeping hold of it in his hand. “Should I even ask why you’re out of practice with people?”

I shake my head, and he chuckles, which makes me smile.

“I’ll bring that bulb by tomorrow,” I tell him, my hand on the door. “And don’t tell me not to bother,” I add when he parts his lips to speak.

“Wasn’t going to.” He gives me a grin that makes my stomach flip like a pancake. “You bringing that bulb by tomorrow just means that I’ll get to see you again.”

Then, that grin widens into a knee-buckling, eye-dazzling smile, and my stomach drags my ovaries into happy backflips with it.

“See ya,” he murmurs, that grin still in his voice. Then, he walks off toward his apartment, leaving me standing there like the fool I am.

I let out a breath and then shut my apartment door behind me, locking it up.

I head into my kitchen and grab rubber gloves, a trash bag, and some paper towels, so I can get this rat out of here, and after that, I’m gonna check every nook and cranny of my apartment, making sure nothing or no one else is lurking here.

And when that’s all done, I’ll Google large rats and look up how easy it is for them to get inside a second-floor apartment and also how likely it is for one to break its neck without falling or any outside help.

Although I already have a feeling that I know the answer to both of those questions.

It’s just after lunch. I went into town to pick up a lightbulb for Jack. I’m heading home now to give it to him. I have a feeling of nervous energy inside of me at the thought of seeing him. I hope he’s home and not out somewhere, writing. Well, if he is out, I’ll just wait and give it to him later.

I can feel the disappointment running through me at the mere thought.

I don’t want to wait to see him.

And that in itself is dangerous to me.

I’m starting to get attached to him, and I can’t.

So, I won’t drop by his apartment straightaway. I’ll wait and give it to him later. Maybe even tomorrow.

Oh, who am I kidding? I’ll—

My thoughts are stopped in their tracks at the sight of a crowd of people and police cars outside my apartment building.

Jack.

My legs pick up speed, quickly bringing me closer. Well, as quick as one can go in the snow. The plastic bag in my gloved hand bangs against my thigh as I move.

What if something’s happened to him?

Don’t panic. It could be anything. And a lot of people live in my building. It might not be Jack.

As I near, I see it’s not my building. It’s the apartment building next to mine.

Thank God.

My heart rate evens out now that I know it’s not Jack. That he’s okay.

But I can’t even start to assess my reaction to this. Thinking it was