Page 117 of Dead Girls Don’t Forget

“I know.” He did it anyway.

I settled into the passenger seat and looked back at Jackson. He hadn't moved. He was staring toward the house. I followed his gaze.

Artemis sat on the front windowsill, his tail wrapped around his paws, watching us through the glass.

Jackson’s jaw worked once. “He is watching me.”

“He is watching me leave.”

“He is watching me take you.”

“You are losing your mind.”

“He started it.”

Artemis blinked slowly. Just once.

Jackson narrowed his eyes at the window like the kitten had thrown down a glove.

“Get in the car,” I sighed.

He closed my door, walked around, and slid into the driver’s seat. He checked the window one last time before putting the SUV in gear.

The rest of the night went about as well as I should have expected. We eventually finished the project, got distracted more than once, and fell asleep tangled together.

Sunday morning practice was brutal. Coach Miller was in one of his moods, which meant nobody was allowed joy or functional legs. Sweat clung to the back of my neck, and my legs felt like concrete by the time it was over.

After a quick stop in the locker room, I walked beside Jackson toward his SUV. My phone buzzed inside my sports bag. Before I could find it, it buzzed again. I pulled it free just as the second notification lit the screen.

Blake: you free today—

I barely registered the text before I felt Jackson’s attention sharpen.

Uh-oh.

“Why is he texting you?” His voice was low.

“I don’t know.”

He opened the passenger door, but the easy mood from earlier had vanished. Tension edged his expression. Focused. Irritated. Territorial enough that my cat lifted her head with interest.

I climbed in. “I haven’t even talked to him.”

“But he’s texting you.”

“I noticed.”

Jackson shut the door, circled the SUV, and got in. The engine rumbled to life. His gaze flicked to my phone where it rested on my thigh.

“You used to hook up with him.”

There it was.

I leaned my head back against the seat. “Jackson.”

“What?”

“I have not spoken to Blake in weeks.”