Page 157 of Dead Girls Don’t Forget

He exhaled slowly. “If it happens, it happens. I’d prefer not to bring a baby into this world with Thomas still breathing down our necks, but if you are pregnant, I would love the baby all the same.”

I kissed the underside of his jaw. “Me too.”

We lay there tangled together a while longer before he spoke again. “We should go back to your place tonight. Get you some real clothes for school tomorrow. Jason brought me spares on Sunday, but you’ve been living in that bathrobe and nothing else.”

Somehow Jackson had even found time to order a bathrobe and food.

I groaned. “Fine. But I’m stealing your sweatpants.”

He smirked. “They look better on you anyway.”

Ten minutes later, we drove to my old house in comfortable silence, my hand tucked in his the whole way. I was wearing his oversized sweatpants, rolled several times at the waist, and my Britney top from Saturday night. I looked ridiculous, but I didn’t care.

“I texted your coach on Monday,” Jackson said after a while.

I frowned. “What did you say?”

“I told him you had a stomach bug. Then I told Reid I was dealing with something similar, just different symptoms so it wouldn’t look too convenient.”

“And they just accepted it?”

“We’re their top runners,” he said simply. “They’re not going to push too hard when we both miss a few days.”

Fair point.

Talia and Mira were both home when we walked in. Artemis wound around my legs the second I stepped through the door.

“Artemis has been a little terror without you,” Talia said with a grin. “He’s been sleeping in your bed every night and knocking shit off the counters like it’s his full-time job.”

“Thanks for taking care of him.”

I scooped him up, pressing my face into his soft fur.

“Sorry, Mommy was gone,” I murmured in the ridiculous baby voice I only used for him. “But the last few days were not a sight for kittens.”

Jackson’s wolf grumbled through the bond. I felt the sharp spike of jealousy as I baby-talked the cat.

I ignored him.

“Soon,” I whispered to Artemis, scratching under his chin, “when everything is ready, you’re coming with us to the new apartment.”

We grabbed some clothes and a few necessities, promised the girls we’d be back for Artemis soon, and headed back to our apartment.

The next day came faster than I expected. After morning practice, where Coach watched me a little longer than usual, but didn’t comment, the hallway outside Environmental Science buzzed with noise.

Rick grinned the second he saw Jackson. “Well, well. Look who finally crawled out of the cave.”

Jason snorted. “I already gave him shit at morning practice. Lucky bastard disappeared for three days. I’m taking notes for when I find my mate.”

“Can’t wait to meet mine so I can knot her for three days straight,” Rick said.

Two girls walking past wrinkled their noses. “Disgusting.”

“Jealous,” Jason called after them.

I rolled my eyes. Jackson just smirked and pulled me closer.

The boys kept talking, but my attention snagged on Lia. She was leaning against the wall, watching us. When our eyes met, she smiled.