Page 91 of His to Burn

“Hmm?”

He was nice enough to let me sleep a few extra hours, but didn’t look any worse for the wear. Still, I noticed something was on his mind.

But first things first.

“This is literally the worst coffee I’ve ever drank. Like even worse than the coffee in the vending machines up at county.”

He laughed. “Beggars can’t be choosers, Counselor.”

“Of course not. I just wonder how you managed to make it so terrible. Honestly, it’s a skill.”

He shrugged. “I aim to please.”

“And please you do.”

Jack lifted his eyes to meet mine. “Is that so?”

I chuckled. “Now who’s fishing for compliments?”

“Never said I wasn’t.”

I laughed. “You gotta try harder than that, Jackson.”

“I should have known you wouldn’t make it easy.”

“Never do.”

But I wanted to.

Would have, if I had the ability to ignore the little voice in the back of my head.

“God, I just want to finish this terrible coffee so I’ll have the energy to fuck you till the sun goes down,” I murmured.

“But?”

I licked my lips, smiling as his gaze followed my tongue. “But we need to talk about whatever is on your mind.”

Jack sighed, the levity of the last few moments lost. “We have to leave.”

I let out a long breath. “I know.”

I knew I sounded anything but enthused, but Jack was right.

Staying here long term wasn’t viable.

That run-in was proof of that, and there was no way I could pretend that was a one-off. We were in the middle of a city of five millionpeople. Eventually, some of them would find their way here.

“So where, exactly, are we going?" I asked, trying to ignore the presumption in the word “we.”

“Where’s your family?” he asked, completely unaware of what a grenade that question was.

I looked at Jack, trying to carefully choose my words. “My parents are out of the picture. But I have an uncle—well, he’s not a blood uncle, but it’s…complicated…”

I trailed off, but Jack smiled.

“Blood doesn’t make family,” he said like it was the simplest statement in the world.

I smiled, thankful for the reprieve. “He lives on the Tennessee–Arkansas border,” I said—though that may as well have been the moon.