Page 19 of Keep Me Safe

“Works for me! Just let me know when, and I’ll make sure I have the days off.”

Grinning like an idiot, I look through the shelves of therecently fired pottery, looking for the dish I’ve been working on. Finding it, I bring it over to the table and get out all the different colors of glaze.

I spend a few more hours there, working on several projects. I can’t believe I will be able to teach classes here. Before I leave, I meet with Darla to plan our first workshop.

The sun is about to set when I return to my car and head back to the house. It’s a weird feeling not going back to my apartment. I find myself wondering if Noah is home now or if he had to go into the station. Where was he this morning?

Pulling into the driveway, I see that his truck isn’t there, but Jared’s car is. When I open the front door, he is sitting on the couch on his phone, the TV on in the background. Hearing the door close, he looks up at me and smiles.

“Hey Kira, where have you been all day?”

“The studio,” I reply. “Have you had dinner yet?”

“No, I only got back home like thirty minutes ago,” he explains.

“I’ll go see what there is to cook,” I tell him.

I eventually decide on a simple one-pot pasta. I don’t feel like making anything too complicated and am in the mood for carbs. Scooping some out onto two plates, I carry them into the other room, handing one to Jared.

“This looks so good,” he says. We both devour our pasta while we get sucked into the drama of the show he was watching. Once we’re both finished, I grab a blanket off the back of the couch and get comfy.

“Can I have some?” Jared asks, gesturing to the fuzzy throw covering my lap.

“I guess,” I say playfully, lifting the covers to let him in.

He scooches in closer to me, pulling me into him. We cuddle up like that for a while, watching the show’s main character solve crime after crime.

“Kira,” Jared mutters, pausing the show.

“Yeah?” I ask.

“Are you and Jake…” he trails off.

My heart stops.

“Why?” is all I can get out.

Hurt flashes in his eyes at my response. He thinks there’s something going on between Jake and me. The thought turns my stomach.

“Well, Ava broke up with him, saying she saw you two together. When I talked to Jake about it, he said you were all over him the night of the party.” His words feel like an accusation.

Of course, that asshole lied. My heart rate spikes as I remember what he tried. I ground myself and try to take deep breaths, but it doesn’t help.I can feel his hands on me, holding me down onto the mattress. No, I—

“Kira, are you okay?” Jared grabs my arm.

I snap back into the present, a tear falling down my face. I quickly wipe it away.

“I’m fine,” I say, breathless.

“You are obviously not fine. What is going on?”

What if he doesn’t believe me? Jake is one of his good friends. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jared just took his word for it—if he didn’t believe me.

I feel the words pressing against my chest, threatening to spill out, but when they finally do, they sound rushed, too fast.“He’slying,” I say, the weight of it making my throat tighten.“What he said isn’t what happened. I was in the bathroom, washing my hands, and then he came in and locked the door. He tried to make a move on me, and I freaked out. He wasn’t forceful, not like that, but I did not want him to touch me. I promise you that.”

Relief washes over him as his body relaxes.

Then he speaks, his voice low and tight with frustration.“That fucker. He didn’t want to get in trouble with his girl, so he threw you under the bus. I’m going to have a word with him next time I see him.”

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