“Why do you sound so surprised?” And why does said surprise sting?

“I’m definitely not, it’s just, it’s not just the flowers, this photo is great. The lighting, the background, the aesthetic. You nailed it.” He hands me back my phone, our fingers brushing up against one another, sending a little jolt through me.

“Oh. Thanks.” I put my phone away, my hands fluttering uselessly between my pockets and the strap of my purse because they suddenly yearn for nothing more than another brush of Jack’s skin. Another brush of Jack’s validation. Finally, I just leave them hanging awkwardly at my sides. “You sound like you know what you’re talking about. Like you have an artistic eye.”

He doesn’t answer my non-question, letting a less-awkward-than-usual silence fall between us. As we climb the front steps of the house, he breaks it. “So I have to go out of town tomorrow. Just for one night, I’ll be back Sunday early afternoon.” He pushes open the door, motioning for me to walk in first.

“Oh. That’s cool. Where are you headed?” It actually doesn’t feel cool at all. More like the opposite, but it seems like something a nice roommate would say.

“Just a thing I have to take care of.”

“I really wish you’d stop oversharing, Cracker Jack. Seriously. I can’t handle any more of your secrets. They just come flowing out of you, and I’m not sure I can listen to you talk about yourself for one more second.” I kick off my shoes right inside the door and leave them there, which I know bugs the shit out of him.

“Hilarious as always.” He picks up my shoes and places them on the stairs, as if that will convince me to carry them to my room. “We on for pizza and Housewives Sunday night though?”

“You know it.” I head into the kitchen and pour myself a glass of water before heading upstairs. “I’m taking a shower because I smell like beer and sweaty men.”

“Gross.”

I lean over the stairs. “Thanks for coming out tonight.”

He pauses at the top of the basement steps. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“Good night, Jack.”

“Good night, Sadie.”

I’m grateful for my scheduled bar shift on Saturday because I need a distraction. Despite the fact that Jack spends most of his time in the basement, it feels weird being in the house without him. I don’t like it. And I really don’t like how much I don’t like it. Something shifted last night, nothing seismic or earth-shattering, but just enough to make me feel unsettled.