Page 68 of The Sound Of Silence

“Yep, you are,” I say with a nod, my drink still raised to my mouth.

“Hmm, okay.” She pouts. “Not the friendly response I was after.”

“It’s late,” I grumble, figuring it’s a good enough excuse. “And did you get drunk with your parents?” I add accusingly.

“No.” She giggles and I huff out a laugh. That’s a definite yes.

“Right. Then it’s nice to see you sohappy.” I don’t mean to sound sarcastic, because I do like when she’s happy, but now’s not the time. Not that Pippa notices my tone.

“Why, thank you,” she says with a random curtsy. “I think it’s nice too.”

“Don’t you think it’s risky though? Getting drunk? You might accidentally spill about our relationship.”

I know this because I’ve experienced her drunk loose lips in the past.

“You’re probably right,” she says with a sigh. “We could easily drop the act now, you know.”

Fuck no.“Nope.”

“Nope?”

She heard me.“We’ve been through this already.” And now more than ever, I need her to keep up the charade.

“Ugh. Okay. Well, word on the street is that the bridge will be open by the weekend anyway.”

“The weekend!Fuck!”Didn’t someone say tomorrow?Just when I thought this nightmare couldn’t get any worse.

Pippa’s lips curl up into an overdramatic smile as she walks toward me before pinching my cheeks. “Aww, Jesse. You make it sound like it’s been torture for you. You love spending time with me.”

She’s playing, I know she is, but her touch makes my skin crawl, something her sister would have noticed. Willow barely knows me and yetsheknowsmeand—goddammit—I need to push that shit out of my mind. She’s not the girl for me. She’s notanythingfor me.

Pippa holds my gaze, waiting for a response, so I force a smirk. “You know you’re the only one I’d do this for.”

“I do and I’m grateful. Only a few more days.”

Again… fuck.

Without another word, Pippa sashays toward her bedroom, and I’m finally alone again.

My entire body sags to the countertop, my face landing in my hands.

What the hell am I doing?

I need to stay low and keep to myself until the damn bridge clears and we can go home. We canallgo home. Including Tate and Alex. It’s just a few more days.I need to be better.

I try to sleep when the house goes quiet again, but I’m fresh out of luck. I’m contemplating getting up for a shower when the floor creaks, and Willow walks past in her tight workout gear, heading out for another ridiculously early run.

My gaze flits toward the gap in the curtains, and when I see it’s still pitch black outside, an uncomfortable feeling runs through me. It shouldn’t bother me at all. I’m not her keeper. She’s been surviving fine on her own for many years before I came along.

She’ll be fine.

So why am I throwing on my sweats and a tee to go after her? And why can’t I stop even now that I’ve registered what I’m doing?Stay the fuck away.

When my feet hit the pavement, I switch over to autopilot and run. I don’t even know if I’m heading in the same direction Willow went, and yet, I feel instantly calmer. As though just being out here in the elements will keep her from harm. Plus, it’s a small town. How many run routes can she take?

I’ve barely even warmed up when I reach one edge of town, and I’m just about to head back in the other direction when I notice a familiar silhouette ahead of me, barely illuminated by a nearby streetlight. It’s not much, but it’s enough to see the outline of her perfect body. The body I can’t get out of my mind. The way I felt when my fingers pressed against her skin, or moved through her heat. The way she reacted to my every touch. Her moans, her breathless whispers. The look of recognition on her face.Fuck!

That look.

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