like he was carrying out three bags of balloons or something. He offered to carry them up to my apartment, but I thought it would be better for Milo if he didn’t see him. Jack’s effect on people tended to wear off the longer they went without contact. Before I went into the building, he reminded me that he was picking me up tomorrow at six, and whether I liked it or not, I was spending the evening with his family.
Chapter 7
Jane had always been much more clothes obsessed than I could ever hope to be, but suddenly, there were not enough clothes in my closet. It actually wasn’t the amount of clothes so much as the fact that they were all terrible. I’d even done laundry, so everything I owned was clean and neatly folded or hanging up, but none of it was good enough. I must’ve changed my outfit like fifty times before my phone rang.
“I know, I know,” I answered the phone breathlessly.
“I just wanted to make sure you didn’t chicken out,” Jack replied.
Fortunately, he sounded more bemused than he did angry. “I’m outside waiting.”
“I’ll be out in a minute.” I flipped my phone shut and rushed over to the mirror to inspect myself. Milo, who had been my wardrobe supervisor, sat on my bed amidst discarded outfits.
“Jack?” Milo asked, trying to sound casual.
“Uh huh,” I mumbled absently and tried to flatten out my skirt. It was actually a dark blue tunic dress that fell just above my knees. I’d gone with opaque tights underneath and a pair of skimmers. I wasn’t sure if I’d gone casual enough or too casual or what, but either way, I felt stupid and I wanted to change again. “This is horrible!”
“You look great,” Milo admonished me. I’m sure he’d grown tired of listening to me whine and change for the past three hours, but I really wanted to make a good impression. I couldn’t handle another incident like Peter. “And Jack is waiting. You don’t really have a choice anymore.”
“Promise?” I asked plaintively, looking over at him.
“Yes. They’ll love you. And even if they don’t, I will. Now go!” Milo stood up and started shooing me out of my room.
“Okay, okay.” Since I didn’t have any pockets, I had to grab my little black purse, which made me feel even lamer. I groaned, but Milo just kept pushing until I was out the front door. I ran out to Jack’s car before I could change my mind. He had taken the Jeep again, and I was glad for a slower ride.
“You look great,” Jack grinned when I hopped in the Jeep.
“Whatever,” I grumbled and flipped down the visor so I could investigate myself in the mirror. My eyeliner was thicker than I ordinarily wore it, but it made me look more dramatic and mature so I liked it.
“Fine, you look terrible,” Jack laughed and sped off down the road.
“Can you slow down?” My nerves made my stomach flip out, and I knew I could feign carsickness since it would almost be the truth. I just didn’t like the idea of us getting there in like ten seconds.
“You’re really that nervous?” Jack was growing concerned, and he slowed down a little but still kept the speed over the limit.
“No,” I lied. I flipped back up the visor and sunk in the seat. Truthfully, I was so nervous, I could vomit. I was completely dreading meeting Ezra, and seeing Peter again, while simultaneously being really excited to see him. I hated my body for its ability to have contradictory emotions.
“It’s really not that bad. Ezra will like you.”
“Will you stop trying to convince me that everyone likes me?” I snapped.
“You’re making me paranoid.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Jack muttered. He looked over at me, sitting next to him being petrified, and he sighed. “You know, Peter really didn’t mean anything.”
“I don’t wanna talk about Peter,” I replied through gritted teeth, but that wasn’t it exactly. I couldn’t talk about him. Just thinking about him made my heart race out of control and there didn’t seem to be enough oxygen in the Jeep.
“Okay.” He knew that was I inclined to silence, so he turned up the stereo.
Today it was the Smashing Pumpkins, singing about a bullet with butterfly wings.
Even though he had slowed down considerably, the drive to his house still went by much too fast. By the time we had pulled into the garage, my heart was beating so fast that I was sure I was going to have a heart attack. I thought about telling Jack this, but by the grim look on his face, he already knew.
“You’ve got to calm down, Alice.” He touched my hand to reassure me, and amazingly, it worked.
“Is that another one of your superpowers?” I asked when my heart stopped feeling like it would explode
“What?” Jack kept his tone sober, but I could see the corners of his mouth creeping up at my use of the word “superpowers.”
“Calming me down or making me feel whatever it is you feel,” I explained.
I had expected him to avoid the question or shrug me off, but instead he got serious and his forehead creased in contemplation.
“You feel what I feel?” He cocked his head to the side a little bit, looking at me curiously.
“Yeah, kinda…” There was a good chance that I was blowing everything out of proportion. He was charismatic and excitable, so his emotions had a way of dominating situations. That didn’t mean that I actually felt what he felt. “Not literally, I’m sure. It’s just like when you want me to calm down, I usually do. Or when you were nervous about the dog, I felt you tense up so I got freaked. But it’s probably nothing more than what normal people feel.”
“Hmm.” Jack didn’t look convinced, but he pulled his hand back from mine and opened the door to the Jeep. “You must be feeling pretty calm and happy right about now then, so let’s go inside before it wears off.”
“That’s actually a good idea,” I agreed and got out of the Jeep.
“You mean it does actually wear off?” He hurried around to meet me, and it felt weird for me to be on the other side of the question-and-answer game we always played. I wrapped my arms around myself (I was still nervous) and shrugged. “No, seriously. I don’t understand how this works.”
“I don’t know either. I just assumed you’d know what I was talking about.”
We had reached the door into the house, but he paused, staring off into space.
“Unless…”
“Unless what?” I pressed.
“Nothing.” Jack shook his head, shaking off whatever thought he had.
“Jack!” I protested, and he smirked at me.
“I’ll tell you later.” He’d never said that me before, and it surprised me.
“Really?” I asked hopefully.
“No. Come on.” Before I could argue more, he opened the door and walked into the house. “Hi, honey, we’re home!”
“Peter, hold Matilda!” Mae shouted from another room, and I cringed, knowing that Peter was just a room away. Then Mae raced into the entryway, her arms already open to hug me. “Alice!” She threw her arms around me, holding me tightly to her. “I’m so glad you’re here!”
“Me too,” I told her, and I was surprised to find I actually meant it.
“You know, I’m here too,” Jack pointed out when she released me. He had only meant it as a joke, but she turned and hugged him anyway. “Thanks.”
“You know we’re always glad you’re here,” Mae smiled at him.
“I know you’re glad that I’m here,” Jack corrected her, and a new fear gripped me. Maybe both Peter and Ezra didn’t like him, meaning that I wouldn’t even stand a chance.
Suddenly Matilda came bursting into the room, but Jack intercepted her, and she jumped happily into his arms. This is a hundred pound dog, and he caught her in his arms with ease. I knew that eventually I’d have to stop being so amazed by Jack.
“Peter!” Mae shouted towards the other room, where Peter still remained hidden.
“She got away from me!” Peter insisted, his silken voice shooting through my body. If he had even half the
