I run through everything he missed, but I’m not sure either of us is actually paying attention to the conversation. I’m not, at least. Because when he slips his fingers through mine, something neither of us acknowledges, the only thing I can think about is how I don’t want him to leave.
“Sebastian misses you, you know,” I say when Jack glances at the door, even though Sebastian spent most of the evening at Jack’s side and is presently curled up on the barstool beside me.
Jack eyes the cat. “Does he?”
I shouldn’t be doing this. It’s late. “You should come visit him in the flat. If you want, that is,” I say.
Jack looks at the door, then back at me, then at Sebastian. “He’s probably wondering why I never come up there anymore.”
I have no idea if he really believes that, but I’ll run with it. “Oh, definitely.”
“Well, then, I have no choice, do I?”
We grab our coats and Sebastian follows us when we step outside. Nervous energy courses through me as I watch Jack lock up the pub, and then when I unlock the door beside the pub that leads up to the flat.
“I love your place,” Jack says when he follows me inside the flat. “Very tasteful.”
“The previous tenant had a great eye,” I say, shooting him a grin as I push off my boots. I scan the flat and cringe. It’s a mess in here. My new MIDI controller and laptop are on the coffee table. A pair of socks is beside the couch. My hair brush and a package of hair elastics are on one of the bookcases for some reason. My foottambourine and a half-empty glass of water are on the side table next to the couch. Actually, now that I scan the flat, I realize I’ve got half-empty glasses of water everywhere. Jack has been up here a few times, and it’s never perfectly tidy, but it’s not usually this bad. Jeez, I must be desperate. There’s no way I’d bring him up here when the place is like this otherwise.
“Sorry about... all of this,” I say, gesturing to the room at large. At the look of confusion on Jack’s face, I add, “The mess.” Great, now I’ve brought attention to it when I didn’t need to.
Jack shrugs. “It looks lived in,” he says.
I grab the stack of books I have on the couch and return them to the bookcases, then pick up Sebastian, giving him a look that I hope he understands meansplay it cool, and carry him over to Jack.
Jack takes the cat in his arms and scratches him between the ears. “Hey, Princess Ugly,” he says. “Have you been taking good care of Raine?”
“I thoughtIwas the one taking care ofhim.”
Jack glances at me before returning his attention to Sebastian. “Should we keep letting her think that?”
I roll my eyes and settle onto the couch, tucking my legs beneath me. Jack walks over, Sebastian still in his arms, and sits at the opposite end. “I think Raine’s lying about you missing me, Bash, but that’s all right.”
“He really does miss you!” I say. “Look at him! He’s beside himself that you’ve come home.”
But Sebastian is the worst sidekick I’ve ever had, and leaps from Jack’s arms to curl up beside me.
Jack looks at me with raised eyebrows.
“You’d make an awful actor,” I tell Sebastian.
Jack drapes an arm over the side of the couch. “You don’t have to make up reasons to hang out with me. You could always just ask.”
I busy myself petting Sebastian. “Fine. Would you like to hang out, Jack Dunne?”
He pulls his phone from his pocket. “Let me see if I can fit you in.”
“Oh, shut up.” I grab a couch pillow from beside me and throw it at Jack, but he catches it. Sebastian lifts his head to see what all the commotion is, then closes his eyes as if we’re the most underwhelming humans he’s ever met.
Jack spins the pillow between his hands and grins at me. “Sure, I’ll hang out with you. What are we doing?”
I grab the other couch pillow and hug it to my chest. “What doyouwant to do?”
He hums to himself for a moment. “We could build a cat tent out of a T-shirt.”
I snort. “Been there, done that, ruined the T-shirt.”
“Or look for all your missing socks.”