Page 79 (1/1)

Jack once again started the day with an apartain declined It had taken forever for me to fall asleep, and I wasn’t up to it I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to move out, but by now, I knew that I didn’t have a choice

Peter hadwith hi Jack had actually been alive for over forty years, it was about ti on his own

I hadn’t been awake for that long when Jack returned I decided to take a shower, but I noticed the state of our bathrooht as a nice treat for her return, I’d get all our towels down and actually clean the bathroorabbed the Co dried toothpaste and shaving crea up the stairs

"Alice!" Jack shouted "I’ve got great news!"

I came out of the bathrooloves to keepall e My pajamas had water and soap splattered on the?" Jack gave ht was une back in the bathroom, since I doubted I needed it to converse with Jack "What’s your great news?"

"I got us a place!" Jack bea up and down I shtened

"Already?" I asked, and soed to keep the unease out of my voice

"Yeah! I know you haven’t seen it, but it’s perfect! It’s absolutely perfect! You’ll love it!" He’d already fallen in love with the place "I had to put money down because it’s so hard to find a place that et scooped up crazy fast But I set up a time for you to see it tomorrow, and if you don’t like it, the deal’s off I won’t make you move anywhere you don’t want to, but this place was just so perfect"

"No, I’reat If you love it, I knoill too" That was completely true, so I didn’t understand why I didn’t feel that way His happiness was taking nawed at me

"They allow Matilda, and it’s really hard to find a place that allows big dogs, and there’s a dog park real close by It’s three bedrooms, one for us, one for Milo, and one for… I don’t know Cause why not?" Jack shrugged "And it has this fantastic balcony!"

"Do we even use the balcony now?" I asked All three of the upstairs bedrooms had balconies, but I’m pretty sure that I had never been on one, and the only person I’d ever seen use them was Peter After we kissed That reminded me that I had to move out "I’m sure we’ll use itup soreat" Jack had calmed down some, and he looked at me sincerely "We’ll be able to have a life of our own, you know?"

"Yeah, totally" I nodded

"I stopped and got so soht back"

"Okay I think that I’unk off of me," I said Jack barely hearddown the stairs

Once he was gone and took his emotions with him, my anxiety had a chance to kick in I tore off the stupid rubber gloves and went into the closet to get a change of clothes I needed a moment to catch my breath It all felt so sudden, and I couldn’t explain what terrifiedout, not that far away, and Milo and Ezra and everyone would still be a part of our lives Jack h I was too embarrassed to ask the exact dollar amount, but I’ to fear really

Except being alone As much as I wanted to be with him, it scared the hell out ofups about possibly irl insecurities I had never been with anyone before, and Jack had And if so, ere on our own Milo wouldn’t kno to handle anything, and Ezra couldn’t get there in tiarments, it finally dawned on me Without a doubt, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Jack, and I definitely wanted to have sex with him It would happen so on our own So why not now?

Ezra was downstairs in the den, and Milo was next door If soet help And really, I was sick of waiting I was sick of interruptions I loved him, and it was time

- 31 -

I purposely held my clothes close to me when I came out of the closet so Jack wouldn’t notice, but he probably wouldn’t have noticed if I aving the in front of me He put some mix CD in the stereo that he claiot hiued with hiet hi, but I was on ato Robert Palraphic novels into a cardboard box