Page 31 of Salvation

“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that!” Darren protests, laughing.

“Sure, Darren,” Tom chimes in, sipping his drink. “Just like you didn’t mean it last time, right?”

The girls share a laugh. “Darren’s all talk,” Harper assures me, rolling her eyes. “He’s harmless.”

“All talk, huh?” Darren feigns insult, placing a hand over his heart. “That hurts, Harper.”

“Aw, get over it,” Riley murmurs, giving him a nonchalant wave. “You’ll survive.”

“Survive? Me?” Darren feigns a dramatic gasp. “I’m wounded. Cut me some slack.”

“Cut you some slack?” Riley retorts, a rare smile creeping onto her face. “Not in this lifetime.”

“Riley, you’re as cold as ice!” Darren exclaims, clutching his chest. “Is anyone else feeling this chill?”

“Only around you,” Jack interjects, laughing. “Only around you.”

The laughs and jokes continue, making me feel at ease and welcome. Jack moves closer to me.

I smile at him. He’s handsome in a frat boy kind of way, with short blonde hair and clean-shaven. I guess he’s been quite flirty lately on our journey to town, but harmlessly so. He’s the man I should be attracted to, considering my experience with my typical type. Bad boys are exactly that. Bad news.

“How are you finding the party?” Jack asks, his voice low.

I shrug. “It’s fun. You guys are great.”

“Of course we are.” Jack smiles, leaning in closer, his blue eyes twinkling. “Do you want to know what I think of you, Madison?”

I swallow hard, the flirty tone of his voice not escaping me. “Sure,” I breathe.

“Mysterious, beautiful, and a bit of an enigma.” He grins, showing off perfectly straight, white teeth that match his all-American good looks. “Definitely intriguing.”

I laugh, shaking my head at his blatant attempt to flatter me and trying to deflect. “Well, I can assure you, I’m not all that mysterious. An enigma is definitely over the top.” I take a sip from my drink.

Jack studies me, his gaze lingering too long to be just friendly. “Maybe, but I’m willing to uncover the truth. How about you let me take you to dinner sometime?” His proposition hangs in the air, but all I can think about is the man I’ve been trying to forget. Dante.

I take a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest. “Maybe,” I say, smiling.

Jack seems surprised. I don’t immediately agree, but he nods with a small smile. I can tell he’s not used to being turned down. Not that I did turn him down exactly. I can’t date right now, not when all I can think about is the priest I’ve been crossing the line with. “How’s work?”

I swallow hard. “It’s great. I love working at the bookstore. How’s work at the newspaper?”

“It’s good. I’m the editor-in-chief and the boss, which is fun.”

Wow. I didn’t expect Jack to have a position like that, even if this is only a small town. “That’s impressive at your age.”

He smiles. “Well, my grandpa was editor-in-chief before me, but he was getting too old.”

I nod. Small-town politics. Jack was guaranteed the job because his grandpa got it for him, not because he got the position on skill or merit. “I see. It must be fun, though, being a journalist.”

He looks thoughtful for a moment. “It’s fun but can be boring in a town like this. Not a lot to write about.”

I nod in response, glancing over my shoulder as I sense someone is watching me. No one stands out. So, I must be paranoid. Eric is good at tracking me down, but I’d be shocked if he’d found me that fast. It normally takes him a month or two to find me. I hope it’ll take him longer this time as this town is smaller than any I’ve picked.

“Are you okay?” Jack asks.

I return my attention to him. “Yes, sorry. I was distracted.”

Eva links arms with me. “Come on, Madison. You’ve got to do some shots with me.”

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