Page 46 of Dead Pretty

I feel compelled to fill it.

“Are you going out?” I ask him.

“What? Oh, yeah.” He glances back at the door behind him. “I’m just … going for a walk.”

In the snow? Although I guess it’s all we have weather-wise around here, so if he wants to take a walk, he doesn’t have much of a choice.

I look down at his clothes.

He’s in his usual garb of jeans, T-shirt, leather jacket, and motorcycle boots.

“You might want to reconsider putting on at least a hat or scarf. It’s piss cold out here if you haven’t noticed.”

I expect him to chuckle or, in the very least, smile, but he doesn’t.

Then again, a girl has just been found dead. Laughter of any kind would be really inappropriate.

“The cold doesn’t bother me.”

I should have guessed that about him. It’s not like I ever see him wearing anything other than what he has on.

“Okay. Well, have a nice walk.” I don’t want to end my time with him, but I feel like I should.

The air between us seems different. Uncomfortable almost. Nothing like it was last night.

If I didn’t know better, I would think that I did something wrong.

But I did do something wrong last night. Punched him—which was by accident, kind of—and was an ass to him. I apologized, which he accepted at the time, but maybe he’s changed his mind.

“Jack … is everything okay?”

He gives me a confused look, brows pulling together. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“You just seem … never mind. Enjoy your walk.”

I move past him, walking toward the door to take me into our apartment building.

“Stay safe,” Jack says to me.

His words and low tone make me pause and turn back. But Jack is already striding away, heading in the direction I just came from.

I let myself inside the building, heading up to my apartment.

It’s not until later, when I’m sitting on my sofa with my latest book and a cup of coffee, that I realize it.

It’s a small thing. But it’s been there, niggling on the fringes of my consciousness.

Jack didn’t smile when he first saw me.

I know it sounds stupid. But Jack always smiles at me.

Always. I noticed because I liked it.

And today, he didn’t.

The day a woman is found murdered.

Also, now that I think about it … he didn’t seem shocked or surprised when I told him about the murder.