Page 60 of Love & Other Disasters

“I am. You didn’t have to stay.”

“I wanted to,” he said, eyes still searching her.

“You could have turned the air up, and not sit here in the cold.”

“I’m from Illinois. We’re used to the cold.”

“Yeah, I hear every so often in the winter you people just freeze solid and thaw a few days later to go about your business like nothing happened.”

J.P. shook his head laughing. “Not quite that dramatic, but we are hearty people.”

“It’s not like you’re from the actual frozen tundra. Besides, you lived in Georgia, too.”

“No, I roasted to death in Georgia. That place cooked my ass well-done.”

“Oh it’s well-done all right,” she quipped, smiling.

J.P. grinned. “I like the spunky mixed with a little bit of dirty, Miss.”

The blush heated her cheeks, and she turned away.

“You have nothing left to be shy about,” he said and returned to typing.

“Right,” she laughed. “I still have plenty of reasons. I’m quite a shy person.”

“Not from where I sit,” he looked up from the screen and smiled. “I like the you I get to see. And who can claim shy after going to jail?”

“One who gets mixed up in her sister’s crap is who,” she snapped.

“I was teasing,” he said, voice gentle. “And I figured.”

“Sorry,” Violet said, “still a bit on edge, I guess. I can’t believe I was so stupid last night to just go along with her. Said she needed to pick up her stuff. She and Geoff supposedly broke up. Next thing I know we’re sneaking into a cult compound, and he didn’t even remember they’d broken up. But he was still doing it with someone else.”

“What?”

“Yeah, crazy. We ran into him in the hall buck naked, and he asked if we’d like to join them.” She glanced over, and J.P.’s eyes darkened. “We didn’t accept. Well, technically, Jill kicked him in the nuts.”

J.P. growled and returned to typing on the laptop with more force than necessary.

“Don’t take it out on the poor computer,” she said. “He’s a gross jerk, but trust me, no threat to you.”

“The police picked you guys up just for being there?”

“That was weird. I thought we were in trouble for breaking into the house, but they didn’t even care about that. Somehow they had photos of us climbing out of the window.”

“Ask yourself why, Violet.”

“Don’t you snap at me. You weren’t the one handcuffed to a bench half the night.”

“You’re right,” he said, closing the laptop and placing it on the coffee table. “I’m sorry. Come over here.” J.P. motioned to the couch next to him. It looked inviting.

“Don’t you have work to do?”

J.P. shrugged. “I’ve accomplished more today than I thought I would.” He patted the spot next to him.

Violet took the blanket and curled up against his solid body. It was a warm and comfortable spot; his arm curled tight around her. What were they doing together? This was crazy. Despite herself, she liked this guy.

“No point in going all Neanderthal because of Geoff.”

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