Page 24 of His Pretty Little Lies
“Whatever.” Kinsley rolls her eyes, but I know she enjoyed my response. I didn’t know she’d be jealous over me. There really isn’t anything to be.
My family might not play by everyone else's rules, but we have our own we live by. My mom would be disappointed if she found out I was fucking random girls. That disappointment would hit harder than any anger. But it doesn’t matter; I haven’t been interested in anyone until Kinsley came along. Once I saw her, that’s when I knew exactly what my father had been talking about when it came to his feelings for my mom. ‘When you know, you know’ was always the best way my dad could explain it to us.
I don’t see it the way Damon does. He thinks it’s a curse. I don’t. I see how loyal my parents are to each other. That bond is unbreakable and fucking rare.
"You'll see for yourself. You’ll be lucky if I let you out of my sight," I tell her, taking another step back to give her room so I don't pounce on her again. Not when I need to clear a few things up; the next might be a fight. But as I said, I choose my battles, and this one I'm not fucking around about.
“What are you talking about? You can’t have eyes on me all the time, Jax.” That’s cute that she thinks that. I’ll keep it that way for now.
“I want you to stay here tonight.”
“Like stay the night?” Her expression is hard to read for once. I think she’s going through a range of thoughts and isn’t sure how she should feel about it.
“Yes.” There's no reason to beat around the bush at this point. It’s getting late already.
“I can’t stay the night. What are you talking about?”
“Why can’t you spend the night?” I hate it, but I know her parents won’t notice. Plus, she’s eighteen now. She can do as she pleases.
“Because that’s not?—”
“Proper?” Is that the word she’s searching for?
“I suppose.” Her lips turn down. Fuck, she’s likely piecing together that her parents wouldn’t notice. “I don’t know.” Kinsley’s eyes stay downcast. I can’t stay away from her now. I move toward her, lifting her chin with my finger.
“I don’t know if whoever was there tonight in the warehouse saw you. The uniform stands out, and it’s safest here.” It’s part of the reason I want her here, but the other part is darker, pulling me under.
I’m understanding why it was a good thing to have kept my distance from her before, because now that I’m close, I’ll neverback away, no matter what I have to do to keep my hold on her. It’s fucked up, but I don’t care.
“I don’t have any clothes to sleep in or any of my stuff.” It’s a good sign that she didn’t say no. It means she’s considering it.
“I can give you something to wear, or I’m sure my mom, sister, or cousin has something for you if you prefer something other than my stuff.”
“You have an answer for everything.”
I flash her my dimple to soften her some more. “When it comes to keeping you safe, I am going to have an answer for everything.”
“You really think this person might come after me? Us?”
“They probably couldn’t place me because they only got a glimpse, but you, they’ll know,” I tell her. I’d changed after practice into jeans and a shirt. I could be anyone off the street.
“Stupid uniform,” she mutters, but it’s not only the uniform. Does she really not know how much she stands out? It’s not only her height but also her hair.
“Stay here tonight. I’ll throw your uniform into the washer so it’s clean for tomorrow.”
“Okay.” I puff out a small breath. “But I do need to check in with Mary.” Fuck yes. That was easier than I thought it would be, but maybe she is freaked out by what happened. I myself keep playing it over in my head, trying to search for more information, but I know for now it’s a waiting game.
“Let me grab you clothes.” I step back, heading into my closet. I grab one of my football shirts that has my name across the back and a pair of boxers. She might have to roll them at the top a few times, but it will do for now.
When I step back out of the closet, Kinsley is digging through her bag. Her head lifts when she hears me.
“Can I?” She nods toward the bathroom.
“You don’t need to ask.” I hand her the clothes. “You have free rein here.” I want to see her moving around my space, making it hers too. Showcasing that she is mine. I hope she starts to leave stuff all around.
“I’m going to change so you can toss these in the washer.” She pauses, a small smirk forming. “Do you know how to wash clothes?”
“Bunny, I know how to cook and clean. I’ll iron them if you want.” Yeah, there was no way my mom was going to let us get away with not knowing how to cook, even if we do have a chef who comes a few times a week and does meal prep. Mom’s talents aren’t in the kitchen, but she made sure we learned at least the basics.
