Never

Chapter 3

Jace puts his car into park and turns the key in the ignition. “You’re coming up?” He asks, giving me a little less choice in his tone than I’m comfortable with.

I glance around the parking lot again, noting the big red truck parked next to us while silently weighing my options. I have no idea where we are and I don’t know which way is safer, which is a better idea. 

“We won’t be in there long, I’m just grabbing something from my buddies place. He’s not even home, he’s still at the party.” He ensures me. 

I grab my phone and climb out of Jace’s car. I’m nervous for some reason and when a cat crosses the concrete in front of me, I jump backward.

“Jumpy are we?” Jace gives me a dark smile and that feeling of anxiety when your palms are sweating, your neck feels prickly, like a thousand tiny little needles are so close to your skin that you can’t help but shiver, that’s me at this moment.

I don’t answer him, instead I follow him in silence, counting the steps on the metal staircase as we climb them. When we reach a wooden door a few flights up, Jace turns the knob without knocking on the door first.

It doesn’t open easily, the door sticks and the sound of wood splintering fills the empty space. When he gets it open, he looks back at me and waves his hand for me to follow him. I hesitate before going into the apartment. Seconds later when I enter, the table is covered in pizza boxes and beer cans and it takes al of my self-restraint not to clean up this mess while Jace does whatever he came here for.

I look at him, the stranger who I accepted a ride home from a party I shouldn’t have been at in the first place. He’s searching the drawers in the small kitchen and he keeps looking up as if he’s on the lookout for something. Or someone.

“He knows your coming here, right? Your friend?” I ask him. I get the feeling the “friend” wouldn’t appreciate Jace digging through his drawers like that when he isn’t home.

I hope that I’m wrong, I just don’t think I am. 

Jace laughs, shakes his head and pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“I’m cool. He won’t know anyway.” 

I glance around the room again, my blood rushing and my brain screaming at my feet to move, now. 

“Ahh, got it.” He holds up a keychain, dangling the metal ring in the air with a smile. 

“You’re stealing from your friend?” I ask, judgment clear in my voice.

He snickers, closing his hand around the keychain as he walks toward the door. “it’s not that serious, Tess.” 

“Tessa.” I quickly correct him. I don’t like him. At all. I don’t like the way I feel around him. 

I don’t speak to him as I follow him to his car, his phone is ringing the entire time.  He ignores it and turns the radio up too loud. 

“What are you doing tomorrow night?” He shouts over the obnoxious rock music blaring through the speakers. 

“Studying!” I yell back. 

“Let’s grab dinner before that!” He turns the dial down and waits for my answer. Is he serious? He seems nice but he just stole from his friends house and brought me along. 

“I have a boyfriend.” I remind him. I reach down and grab my phone from my purse. The screen is still cracked but I will worry about that tomorrow afternoon. 

“So? Most girls start college with a boyfriend.” He chuckles and puts a cigarette between his lips. 

“I’m not interested in what other girls do during college. I have a boyfriend.” I stand my ground. “Can you take me back now?”