Page 30 of Jack

Ava cocked her head. “You’re freaking out.”

I jerked my head back. “What? No, no, I’m…I just…I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea, and I have some things to do today, so…” I finished lamely.

So convincing. So believable.

“Jesus, Jack, calm down, before you have a heart attack. I wouldn’t dare assume having sex meant anything to you. I know better,” she asserted harshly.

One part of me felt relief that she was leaving, that she didn’t have any expectations, but there was a small part of me that ached at the thought of her departure. The part that had enjoyed having her by my side all night, smelling her sweet scent, feeling her soft skin.

Fuck, she had to go.

“I’ll walk you out,” I offered, trying to sound generous. In truth, I was responding to the panic climbing up my throat at the uncharacteristic feelings she continued to unleash in me.

Her shoulders slumped at my enthusiasm to get her out of my house. I hated that, too, and again this made me that much more urgent to get her out.

She grabbed her purse, and I walked her up the path back to the front of the house where her car was parked. She walked faster and faster in front of me, so that I was practically jogging to keep up with her by the time we got to her car, a late model Honda CRV.

She turned to unlock her car while I stood there trying to think of what I could say to her that would create some distance without looking like a dick. Nothing came to mind. While I was thinking, I noticed that her back driver-side tire was completely flat and there was something sticking out of it.

“What the fuck? Ava, hold on,” I said as I leaned down and took a closer look.

“Oh, god, I have a flat? What is that?”

“It’s a screwdriver. Someone jabbed it through your tire,” I said as I pulled the screwdriver out of her deflated tire.

Ava looked at me with bewilderment. “What? Why?”

“I don’t know. Who do you think did it?” As eager as I had been to see her leave, I didn’t like the idea of someone targeting her like this.

She shook her head. “Uh, I don’t know. Could be just some random kids messing around?”

“Didn’t you say your ex used to do shit like this?”

I could tell she had been thinking it, but hadn’t wanted to go there. She didn’t want to believe that he’d found her. That it was starting again.

Ava took a deep breath. “I guess, but in all honestly, he was usually a little more direct. Like, yelling in my face and screaming accusations. Besides, don’t you have a few unhappy exes in your past, as well?” she asked pointedly.

I was taken aback by her comment. I’d been so focused on her past, it hadn’t occurred to me that this might be someone like Shelby. In fact, this is exactly like something Shelby would do.

“Fuck, yes, you’re right. It could definitely be just as likely someone I know.”

“Or it could be someone neither of us knows. Seriously, it could just be kids, or something harmless like that.”

I nodded my head, and although all my instincts were telling me something was going on, I decided to buy into her theory.

“Okay, let’s just consider this a random act of violence against your tires.”

Ava smiled in relief, as if my believing her theory made it fact. Seeing her smile reminded me that I hadn’t seen it since she’d first woken this morning, when I stomped all over her good mood like an unfeeling asshole.

“Let’s go get you another tire, and maybe grab breakfast or something,” I said as I walked Ava over to my car, unable to believe that I had just suggested getting breakfast to the girl I had been hustling out my door twenty minutes ago.

What the fuck?

Ava shot me a justifiably perplexed look as she stood at the passenger side door and stared at me over the top of the car, then shrugged her shoulders and got inside.

So much for getting my head straight.

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