Page 31 of Don't Fall

Chapter Eight

Tessa

“Where’s your date?”

I sit up straighter to see over side of the hammock. I don’t get how he always knows I’m out here, even in the dark. If I’m a loud breather, I really wish someone would tell me.

“Where’s yours?”

“I assume in her own apartment. At least that’s where I saw her last.” He straightens up from leaning in the doorway and moves out into the moonlight. He looks like he just got a shower. His hair is still wet and he’s no longer dressed in the same clothes. Actually, he’s barely dressed at all in those sweatpants he’s got hanging way too low on his hips. Not that I’m looking.

“Did you notice she has hardwood floors? Only unit in the building. Someday I’m going to figure out how she sweet-talked them into the upgrade.”

He shrugs. “Only thing I noticed was the dried vomit on her welcome mat. I didn’t go inside.”

I laugh involuntarily. Not because of the very vibrant image I now have of Scott puking all over her front door two months ago when he was so hammered he went to the wrong apartment, but because I’m giddy with the news that Jules wasn’t able to seal the deal with him. A first for her. But I don’t want him to know that, so I go with the vomit.

“Drea’s boyfriend got lost a few weeks back coming home from his brother’s bachelor party. Jules was pissed. He was still spewing beer flavored vomit when she unknowingly opened the door.” I scoot back into the hammock, relaxing into the fold, nearly hiding away again. “He was supposed to get her a new doormat ages ago.”

“Things they should put on the warning label of every bottle of booze.” He shakes his head slightly disgusted, but smirking all the same. “That explains why I’m out here alone, but you still haven’t told me what your excuse is.”

I turn my head out toward the night. He doesn’t need the advantage eye contact would garner him. He already seems to have a knack for reading me.

“I don’t have sleepovers on school nights.” I twist back halfway and wink. It’s very unlike me and I wonder if it shows.

“How very responsible of you.” He chuckles quietly. “Where’s Drea? I notice she’s not stumbling around outside tonight.”

I tilt my head toward the balcony across from ours. “She’s Scott’s problem as of an hour ago..”

“You know, you two are an odd pair.”

“Why? Because one of us has a fondness for booze and the other doesn’t?” That would make me an odd pair standing next to just about anyone I know.

He laughs. “I like how you say things, Tessa. You take simple sentences and you make them more interesting.”

I can’t tell if he’s making fun of me or not. I pretend he’s not and take his statement very seriously. “People stick with what they know, right? I’m not particularly familiar with simple. Complicated is more my speed. And if it’s going to be complicated, it sure as hell better be entertaining.”

There’s something deliberate in the way he watches me from where he’s standing, as if he’s searching my face for something very specific. “You surprise me. A lot. Most people can’t do that.” I guess that means he wasn’t making fun of me.

“I only surprise you because you insist on making assumptions about me. Maybe you’re not as quick to jump to conclusions with other people.” I don’t know why he would be different with me, other than I don’t like feeling as though I’m the one that’s so unusual here, so I’d rather it had to do with something he’s doing instead.

“No, I am. Assessing people is kinda my thing, remember?” His piercing eyes feel as though they’re forcing their way inside me, beneath the well-developed armor I hide behind so comfortably.

“What can I say?” I shrug. “I’m one of kind.” Then I laugh. Things are getting too intense for comfort out here.

Only, he doesn’t follow my lead. His serious expression seems set in stone, his stare unwavering. “I’m starting to understand that.”

“Why do I feel like I’m getting a psyche evaluation every time you look at me?” I crack, hoping the weight of his gaze will break so I can breathe again. Because who could take in oxygen when those baby blues are piercing your very carefully shielded soul?

He smirks, and turns his head to the side slightly, thank God. “Because you’re paranoid.”

“Valid reason.” I nod, chuckling quietly.

“Hey, you still up for a cup of coffee?”

I’m not sure I heard him right. “Now?” I mean, I know we had plans to do this very thing earlier in the day, but after the whole Jules thing, I’d assumed those were out.

“Yeah. You’re up. I’m up. Why not? Plus, you kind of owe me one.”

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