Page 49 of His Secret Gift

Dirk.I didn’t think anyone in real life had that name.

“It’s nothing.” She rips it out of my hands and shoves it into a drawer.

Obviously, it isn’t “nothing.”She wouldn’t have taken the time and care to bring it with her on board if it was.

I note to get to the bottom of that. But for now, she seems more intent on writing my little note to Jack.

She pulls out a notebook and gel pen.

Now this feels just like middle school.

“What are you going to write?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. What do you think?”

“’Dear Jack, Can we make out with other people in Morocco?’ Then, draw one box under ‘yes’ and one under ‘no.’”

I make a funny face at her. “I think not.”

“Suit yourself. It’s short, sweet, and effective.”

True. “But it also seems needy… like I want to hook up with random people while we’re there.”

“Well, don’t you?”

“No.” That’s not the kind of person I am—especially if Jack wants me. “What if I just say, ‘I was just wondering what your thoughts were about us. Please write back. Heart, Kayla.’ What do you think?”

She pretends to fall asleep, snore, and then wake up again. “Boring.”

“Okay, you come up with something better than that!” I insist.

She then takes the paper from me and bounces the pen against her chin. “Hmmm. This is kind of hard.”

I know.

“What if you just put something like, ‘Jack, just wondering where we stand. ~K.’”

“Just K? How will he know it’s me.”

Her eyes widen. “That’s actually the genius of it! If he does, it’ll prove that you’re at the forefront of his mind.”

I guess.It seems like a risky game, but then again, my whole entire entanglement with him has been just that.

When I’m alone later in my own room, I write and rewrite those words over and over again before finally settling on a version I was happy with.

After that, I sneak near his door in the wee hours of the night, and I slide it under the small gap between it and the floor.

“Holy shit,” I whisper to myself when it’s done.

Part of me wants to reach and get it back, but when I hear muffled sounds coming near me, I book it.

Chapter 16

Laying Down the Law – Jack

Once again, Kayla’s magic sleep juice, albeit one of the nastiest things I’ve ever put in my mouth, worked like a charm, and I slept like a baby last night.

And when I wake up, I find someone rummaging around my room.

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