Page 50 of Jesse
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Do you think I don’t know how you sleep? Nothing wakes you. That’s why I had to come here to get this taken care of.”
I couldn’t help the chuckle that bubbled up, quickly disguising it as a cough when Jesse shot me a questioning look.
"What?" he asked.
I shrugged. "Tried to wake you up earlier. You didn’t even budge. It was like trying to wake a rock."
Ethan grinned, nodding in agreement. "Exactly my point."
Jesse rolled his eyes but grabbed the papers and glanced over them, pulling out his phone to compare the dates. "Let me check the calendar. Just need to make sure it lines up."
Jesse flipped through the papers and checked his calendar on his phone. After a moment, he paused, noticing Ethan’s name on a few shifts.
“I don’t mind coming in a few times next week to help out,” Ethan said. “I know this festival’s important to you.”
"Thanks," Jesse mumbled.
Ethan handed over a pen for Jesse to finalize the updates, then glanced at me. "Beck, you should come by the restaurant sometime. Free meal. Anytime you want."
"Oh, I don’t want to be a bother," I said, shaking my head.
"Don’t you want to see how the winners cook? Maybe pick up a few pointers for the finals?” Jesse cut in, a teasing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
I paused, letting the idea sink in as I looked between them.
Ethan’s eyes lit up, grinning. "Perfect! Just let us know when you’re coming by, and we’ll stay open late for you."
He glanced at Jesse with a hopeful smile. "Hey, maybe you could come in early and cover a shift while Beck’s there."
Jesse shot him a sharp look. "Absolutely not," he said, narrowing his eyes. "And aren’t you inviting us for a free meal?"
"Only Beck," Ethan teased, already heading for the door with a laugh. "Text me when you’re coming by." He gave Jesse a mock salute on his way out, leaving Jesse muttering under his breath.
As the door clicked shut behind Ethan, Jesse wasted no time turning back to me.
“You were going to tell me something earlier,” he said, his gaze steady and expectant.
I froze, the weight of his attention making my chest feel a little tighter.
“It’s nothing,” I started, waving it off with a small laugh. “Not a big deal.”
Jesse’s brow furrowed. “Beck.” The way he said my name, low and firm, left no room for escape.
I scratched the back of my neck, stalling. “It’s just... earlier, when I went out,” I began slowly, “I thought I felt like someone was watching me.”
His eyes narrowed as a flicker of concern crossed his face. “What do you mean, watching you?”
I held up my hands, forcing a smile I didn’t quite feel. “I don’t know, Jesse. It’s probably just my imagination. It’s been a long week, and with everything going on, my head’s probably just playing tricks on me.”
“Beck…”
“It’s nothing,” I cut in, a little too quickly. “Seriously. Just a couple of times, I thought I noticed someone, but when I looked again, no one was there. And yeah, maybe I saw the same guy in two different places, but it’s not like that’s impossible in a small town.”
The crease between Jesse’s brows deepened, and his lips pressed into a thin line. “You’re sure?”
“Positive,” I lied.
The truth was, I wasn’t sure. Not really. But I couldn’t afford to make a big deal out of this. Jackson’s warning echoed in my mind:If things get dangerous, you’re done.
