Page 64 of Till Death Do Us Part

“Soon to be husband,” he said, shaking Kerry’s hand.

“Oh.” Kerry paused. She was probably piecing together the situation. What John had said to her, that he was going to marry me, and what Jack had just said. “I didn’t realize.”

“It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but soon.” Then he introduced his friends.

I didn’t even bother with their names because I was getting sick of Jack showing up and telling everyone we were engaged. I refused to look at him as Kerry, me, and Elsa scrunched closer together to make room for his friends.

Jack took a seat across from me, the flames dancing over his face, when he realized neither Kerry nor Elsa was going to give up their seats.

“Sorry,” Elsa said, not sounding sorry at all. “I’m frozen to this spot.”

“Same here,” Kerry said.

He only nodded, but his gaze stayed fixed on me. He was hell-bent on getting me to meet his eyes. I refused. It seemed symbolic for some reason. Like this situation represented my entire situation. His friends seemed nice enough, though. Conversation was pleasant and flowed.

Then all of them, Jack included, agreed to play the curling game. Hayden was looking for new meat to freeze.

A sigh of relief came out in a cloud of smoke when it was the three of us again.

“Well…” Kerry elongated the word, like she was looking for more to say.

“That about sums it up.” Elsa stood. “My bladder is lowly—slowly—free-zz-zing over. I have to go.”

“I’ll go with,” Kerry said. “I have to defrost.”

“What ’bout you, Roma?” Elsa bobbed up and down, either trying to keep warm or trying to hold it in.

“I’ll be right behind you,” I said. I was going to send a text to Felice. I wasn’t sure what I was going to say, but I had to say something about Jack showing up.

I dug around in my purse and pulled out the cell he’d given me. It was separate from my personal in case Isabella ever decided to go snooping. Felice said it wasn’t about hiding, but about not giving her what she wanted. I was about to follow behind Kerry and Elsa, still thinking of something to text him on the way, but Jack caught me.

“On your way to the bathroom?”

“No,” I said, because it sounded like he intended to walk me. No quiet halls for me and him. “Just needing to stretch my legs. Make sure they’re not frozen.” I stuck the phone back in my purse.

He rubbed my arms, but I took a step back and set my hands over the flames.

“You seem uncomfortable around me,” he said.

“Some.”

“Because of what happened at the museum?”

I nodded and wanted to change the direction of the conversation before it headed into territory I didn’t want to cross. Like how he’d made me uncomfortable when he went to kiss me. “How’s your head?”

He lifted his beanie, his hair going in all different directions, and touched the spot. “I still get a little dizzy, but nothing major. You sure you didn’t see who did it?”

“No.” I’d only add more if he pressed. I didn’t want to take a chance of getting caught in a lie.

“My memories are a little fuzzy, but I could’ve sworn we were talking and then I woke up…” He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter now. You didn’t check on me.”

“I didn’t in person, but I asked my sister.”

He winced, like I’d hurt his feelings. “Your sister told me I made you uncomfortable at the museum. I didn’t mean to.”

“Which sister?” Talia might have threatened to twist him like a pretzel.

“Isabella.”

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