Page 26 of Jessica's Hero
“It’s okay.” I drag my eyes to his. “It’s just… there are people in Sleepy Hollow who don’t like me. They’d rather I leave. So some of them—I don’t know who—think sending threatening messages will convince me.”
“It’s not okay,” he retorts. “At all.”
Although I don’t want to, I feel trapped into an explanation. “Back in high school, I messed up. And there are a lot of people who remember. Who were happier when I didn’t live here.”
“I don’t give a shit what happened in high school, Jess.” Kane leans closer to me. Close enough to catch a whiff of his woodsy scent, a blend of pine and citrus and something else that’s uniquely him. Close enough to see the little scar just below his hairline and the tiny freckle on his right cheekbone. Close enough to want to fling myself into his arms and let his strength carry me for a change, instead of dealing with everything on my own.
“High school was a long time ago,” he continues in a gentler tone. “We were kids back then. Anyone who’s still hanging on to that old crap needs to move on. They shouldn’t be rude to you in town. And theydefinitelyshouldn’t be sending you threatening texts.”
“I tried getting a new number,” I admit. “A couple of years ago. But it’s such a small town… it’s impossible to keep anything a secret.”
“Maybe so.” His thumbs rub across my palms again, the small movement soothing to my unsettled nerves. “But I’m not okay with you getting texts like this. I’m going to run the number they came from. It might be a burner phone; most cowards who act like this use one,but I want to know for sure. And if you get more of these messages, I want you to let me know. Okay?”
It’s jarring, having someone step in like this—not just offering to help, but demanding it.
I can’t remember the last time I opened up enough for anyone toknowI needed help.
I can’t remember the last time I thought I deserved it.
“Is that okay?” Kane repeats. “If you really don’t want me to help, I won’t. But… Shit, Jess. I care about you. And I want to make sure you’re safe.”
Oh.
Did I think my heart already melted? Now it’s official.
“I’ll tell you if I get any more,” I tell him. “But.” I grab my phone and drop it back into my purse. “I don’t want to talk about it any more right now. I just want to enjoy breakfast with you. Would that be okay?”
He gives me a long look. Long enough to wonder if he’s not going to let it go.
Then he does something completely unexpected.
His arms come around me, pulling me into his embrace. His chin rests on my head, and his breath feathers across my hair. One hand rubs up and down my back in slow, soothing strokes. Something—his lips?—press to the top of my head.
We sit like that for a long time before he finally pulls away. With understanding in his eyes, he says, “Okay. Breakfast. And I want to hear all about this quest you went on last night. Then we’ll make plans for our date this weekend. How’s that sound?”
My mood, which was hovering somewhere just above the floor, fizzes up again. With a smile, I give Kane another quick hug. “That sounds perfect.”
CHAPTER 6
KANE
I almost looked into Jess’s background yesterday.
Not because I think she did anything terrible—I know Nora and the rest of the Blade and Arrow team would have checked Jess out well before inviting her to any of their events—but because I want to know who could be behind those threatening texts.
I want to know if the same person could be linked to the break-in at Jess’s house and the weird things she reported going on before it.
Jess says the messages are harmless. But I disagree. First, they upset her. And second, they could be a precursor to something more dangerous. If someone in Sleepy Hollow really does have it out for Jess, what’s to stop them from escalating to a physical threat next time?
When I mentioned it to Oliver, he agreed with my assessment. “I could ask Shea,” he offered. “She’s friends with Ari and Thea, and they went to high school with Jess.Not that I want to get caught up in old drama, but if you think Jess might be in danger…”
“I know,” I told him. “I’d really prefer to hear it from Jess. It just feels wrong to go behind her back. I don’t want to mess things up with her already.”
“You’re seeing her again tonight, right?” he asked. “Maybe you can bring it up then. Just sort of test the waters, see how receptive she is to telling you. If it’s something she’s sensitive about, which it sounds like it is, it might take her some time to open up.”
Given that Oliver’s happily married and clearly knows more about navigating a relationship than I do, I’m definitely open to taking his advice. Because I meant what I said to him—Ireallydon’t want to mess things up with Jess. And while I’m pushy about a lot of things, forcing her to talk about something that upsets her isn’t something I want to do.
I almost brought it up over the weekend while we were at Wine and Cheese for wine flights and appetizers for our third official date. But Jess looked so happy, and I was enjoying myself so much, I couldn’t bring myself to do anything that might ruin it. We were squeezed together in a loveseat I would have considered too small for two people had the other person been anyone but Jess. Whenever we weren’t eating, her hand kept slipping back into mine, and every time she moved I’d catch a whiff of her perfume, which smelled like she just left the kitchen after baking cookies all day.
