Page 50 of He Sees You When You’re Sleeping

I make my way to the door, feeling Jack’s eyes on me as I go. Just as I reach for the handle, his voice stops me.

“Chloe, wait.”

I turn, my heart suddenly racing. Jack takes a step toward me, his expression intense.

Come on, buddy. Throw me against the wall. Take me by the hair and plunge your tongue into my mouth. Do it! Do it!

Nothing.

“About that date of ours. True Crime and Chinese food. I work for the next forty-eight hours, but maybe when I’m off shift?”

My heart sinks a little. Hearing him ask it like that is the same way Sloane would ask me to hang out.

Yup, friend zone.

“Oh,” I say, trying to mask my disappointment. “Um, text me and we’ll figure it out. But I really should be going.”

Jack nods, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. “Sure, no problem. I’ll text you.”

I hurry out of Jack’s apartment, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. As I step into the elevator, I lean against the wall, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. The scent of Jack’s shirt lingers around me, a constant reminder of the confusing encounter I just had.

The elevator dings, and I step out onto the street, the chilly winter air shocking my system. I start walking briskly toward the office, trying to sort through my thoughts. On one hand, Jack was sweet and helpful, offering me his shirt and coffee when I was in a bind. But on the other hand, there was that moment—or rather, the lack of a moment—when we were so close, and nothing happened.

I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off. The dog explanation, the lack of chemistry... it all feels strange. I didn’t even know he lived in Manhattan. He was only housesitting there?

As I round the corner toward Moth to the Flame, ready to get my jewelry, head home, crawl in bed to erase this day completely, my phone buzzes in my pocket. It’s a notification from Dark Secrets. I turned them on last night just in case. Just in case—

“Last night was fun. Maybe we can do it again sometime?—WinterWatcher.”

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