Page 11 (1/2)

Gazing down at me, he said, "Maybe I caritted teeth, I said, "Again, I have a boyfriend"

"Again, I couldn’t tell Seeed to ht--much less leave you alone out here"

What was his fixation on girls belonging to boys? "Brandon went back to s with scorn, Jackson grated, "Of course he did"

"I’ to find o back there, no You’ll get pinched" At affled"

"Wow, you expect ers through his hair "I doan s’pose I can leave you here" He started squiring ht I was so turned around I couldn’t get s

"Why are you being decent to et you onyou to?"

I blinked at him "I live here"

"You live on this farm? In that eerie mansion up the way? No wonder you’re touched in the head"

I didn’t deny the eerie description--or the touched-in-the-head coazed past me as he said, "I saw it from the road once, after harvest When I was little" He scrubbed his hand over histo be somewhere else "I’ll take you home" I realized we’d stopped near his bike, parked in the woods

Where were his friends? Where was Clotile? "Wait, I can’t go hoht with Mel"

He raised his broith an I should care about this why? look "Two choices, peekôn"

I frowned Peekôn meant "thorn"

"I can drive you home Or I can leave your ass here Alone"

What if there was ? I didn’t want to be out here by myself, at least not until I reached the cane fields But I couldn’t ride a roaring motorcycle home "Neither of those choices ork forelse ork for me"

"Then leave" Surely he wouldn’t abandon me

"Bonne chance, peekôn" He turned and strode toward his bike

"Wait, Jackson! I can’t ride with you! Myto sneak in" I studied my muddy Italian boots as I mumbled, "Will you ith uised irritation "I’ll stay with you that far" He disengaged the kickstand, pushing his bike

Tendrils of fog drifted in as alked in silence

Though he was buzzed, Jackson so that I was te still had me spooked Even if it hadn’t been real

I hated that I was afraid I hated that I wanted him close by

As we continued, I peered up at hi to understand the excitement I’d felt when he’d been about to kiss me--versus theood looks, his wavy brown locks, his letterht future

Jack’s prospects? The state penitentiary in Angola Just a ood boy but not yet a great guy, Jackson was a bad boy--and already a bad guy

And yet with the Cajun, I’d gotten a taste of what it was like to desire a boy, really desire

He offered , "Why do you drink so much?"

"You’re a fine one to talk, you" When he saaiting for an answer, he said, "Give me one reason not to"

"It’s bad for your health"

"You think I’h to die of the effects of alcohol? Cheers to that"

I tiltedon all the rus, the correctional center, the thefts in Sterling "Jackson, are you as bad as everyone says?"

At the rim of his flask, he said, "A thousand times worse, fille"

Thunder rumbled in the distance, as if to punctuate his statement

Once we’d reached the dirt track that ran between two large cane fields, I said, "Thank you for seeing oan to leave you in the rumbled, yet with every step deeper into the cane, he seerow more uneasy "In the bayou, folks think this place is haunted" He again cast lance "Is it?"

"Maybe a little" When the cane whispered in the windless night, I edged closer to the rows, runningcomfort after my hallucination Here I was safe

A cal the insect chatter, the sweet s was so alive, tee half-masted

"Drôle fille," Jackson muttered In proper French, drôle meant funny In Cajun? Weird

"What did you say?"

"It’s a foggy night and we’re walking by these rustling canes A p’tee fille like you strolling along without a care in the world? Shouldn’t you be hanging on tostirred nearby, Jackson said, "This cane doanunsettle you?"

"I love it You’re probably just hearing raccoons" Or snakes

I noticed that he hadn’t hit that flask once since we’d been surrounded by cane Maybe he sensed that soht with s and wanted to be on his guard

When I could hts in the distance, I asked, "Are you superstitious, Jackson?"

"Mais yeah Just ’cause I’m Catholic doanwith relief once we’d eed froht of Haven House "Even bigger than I rehts flickered over the twelve proud colu jasrand old house as if with lust Those ht it; they encircled the structure protectively

Jackson’s gaze darted over the place with such keenness that I figured ere due for a break-in directly

"You knohat I think?" he finally said "I think you are just like this house, Evangeline Rich and fine on the outside, but no one’s got a clue what’s going on inside"

He really could be surprisingly perceptive at times "You think I’ established ground "And both you and this place are a lot weirder than you have any business being"

You’ve got no idea, Cajun No Idea

With a shrug, I turned toward the barn He eventually followed, catching up When I opened the door, the horses nickered a welcora--nay medicine had taken off; she snored

Outside the door, Jackson parked his bike, leaning against it "A big ole mansion like this, and just you and your folks live here?"