Page 16 of Shrouded in the Dark

I sighed. Felicity probably told Axel, who mentioned it to him. I couldn’t even really get annoyed because I know she probably told him so that Axel didn’t do anything to trigger it.

“It is what it is.” I shrugged. “The partially blind girl who also has social anxiety. It’d make a good story, wouldn’t it?” I laughed softly so he knew I wasn’t upset.

Jasper placed his hand on my shoulder and I tensed automatically. He sensed it and removed his hand. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything. I started to think about why I'd tensed. I liked Jasper. I was hoping we were going to be friends. He’d touched me before and I hadn’t flinched or tensed. I wondered why I’d done it this time. I shook my head at myself. Possibly because we’d just been talking about my mental issue. There would be time to think about it later.

“Are you guys planning on heading out after Cody is done swimming?”

Jasper came around the couch and sat next to me. “Probably. We don’t want to bug you so much on the first day, you won’t hang out with us again.” His tone was teasing again.

I smiled looking off to the pond where Axel had dunked his feet in. “It’s been fun. Honestly, I just plan on working on my art and sleeping in. It’s nice to know that you guys are close and want to hang out. Felicity won’t be here until the last week of break.”

I watched his eyes narrow before he grinned. “Well, now that I know you’re here too, I think we’ll have to work out times to hang out! Why don’t you come have lunch with us tomorrow? That way we can show off our house to you.”

“You sure that would be ok with the others?”

Jasper nodded. “Yup. It was Seth’s idea.” His voice went louder as he said this in a sing-song voice. He was messing with Seth for some reason.

“Sure. That would be fun.” I stifled a yawn. I think the day was finally catching up to me.

“And that would be our cue to let you get some alone time.” Jasper stood and I followed suit, carrying my supplies.

I looked over to the pond to see Cody and Axel lumbering over to the deck. As they got closer, I got a better look at wet Cody. My eyes took him all in before I turned abruptly as they climbed up the steps.

“Get dressed, you idiot.” Next to me, Jasper threw Cody’s clothes at him.

“Oh, man. That was refreshing. You guys need to go next time.” Cody’s voice was right behind me, followed with the sound of clothes rustling.

Seth stepped over to me. I looked up into his eyes, taking his offered hand. The lines around his eyes crinkled just a bit as he spoke softly.

“It was fun. I hope we’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good night. Call Jasper if you need anything at any time of the day or night. We’re probably a lot closer than the sheriff’s department.” He emphasized his words when he said to call. That was pretty sweet of him.

“Sure! I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Looking forward to it.”

Seth nodded as he walked through the back door to get to the front. Cody came up to me and before I knew how to react, he’d swept me up into a hard hug for several seconds before following Seth.

“Bye, Becca! See you!” He waved as he disappeared.

Axel was next. He stopped next to me and offered a smile. This guy was a heartbreaker with it.

“Thanks, Becca. I’ll text Felicity when we get back.” He winked at me as he followed the other two out. I felt my heart skip once at the wink. No wonder Felicity was head over heels for this guy.

Jasper grabbed my supplies from my hands. “After you, milady.” He bowed extravagantly as I burst out laughing.

The three guys had already left out the front door. Jasper was right behind me as he closed the back door. I watched as he flipped the security lock on it. He eyed the wall of windows before he turned to me warily.

“I know the windows are great for the view but they don’t seem very…” He paused like he was trying to think of a word. “...practical. They don’t seem practical if someone were to try to break in. Aren’t you worried about that when you guys aren’t here?”

I grinned at him. “Usually it’s not. But Gary, my stepdad, takes the security of the family seriously, so this glass is bullet resistant. It’s ranked at B7, which means that it can resist armor piercing projectiles. Plus,” I pointed to a thin slit in the ceiling, “when it’s bedtime, all the windows in the house are covered by security roller shutters for additional security.”

Jasper whistled low. “Damn. That’s pretty impressive.”

I nodded. “Yup. I even have the same type of glass in my room on the ceiling.”

“Your ceiling?”

“Yeah, it’d be even better if I could see the stars,” I hid the lost feeling I got every time I thought about seeing stars, “but during the day? I love watching the sky.”

“Sounds like you have a cushy room.” Jasper’s light tone made me smile again.