“Well, that was fun,” Milo sighed as he leaned back in the seat.

“I am so sorry.” Jack started the car and wouldn’t look at me. “I should’ve known better.”

“It’s okay,” I reassured him. “Everybody’s okay. And it was a really interesting night. I learned a couple things, and that’s something.”

“There’s easier ways to learn,” Jack said.

“I had a blast!” Milo interjected. “I mean, until the whole Alice-almost-getting-slaughtered thing. That wasn’t fun. But the running away kind of was. I felt like Matt Damon.”

“What does Matt Damon run away from?” I looked in the backseat at him, but he gave me cockeyed grin.

“I don’t know. I just felt like him,” Milo shrugged.

It was such a 180 from how he used to be. Everything I did used to make him nervous and scared, but I had almost been murdered, and he made jokes on the ride home. He was still sweet and geeky, but he’d lost his insecurities and paranoia.

“At least you wore your pajamas here,” Jack said as we got closer to his house.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because you’re spending the night at my house tonight.” He swallowed hard and looked at me out the corner of his eyes. “I just want you there tonight. Okay?”

“Okay,” I nodded.

Fate

“Oh, slumber party,” Milo said, but Jack didn’t even crack a smile.

The night had really gotten to him. On top of what had already happened, he wasn’t thrilled about explaining it to Mae. Even I was dreading it, and I hadn’t really done anything wrong. Neither had Jack per se, but neither of them saw it that way.

After Mae lectured Jack about his careless behavior, she’d wept over what could’ve befallen me and held me close to her while listening to Etta James. Jack hid and Milo tried to lighten the mood.

Eventually, everyone just showered and went to bed. I don’t know how they all faired at sleeping, but I did terrible. Maybe it was the adrenaline of the night, or all the new questions I had swirling in my head.

After seeing all the gorgeous vampires at the club, I knew that Jack had to have hooked up with at least one or two of them for sex or blood.

As Mae had pointed out before we left, vampires and men only think about thing one thing, and while she’d implied that vampires only want blood, Jack couldn’t completely turn off the man part of himself.

It shouldn’t matter to me, since we’re not together, and even if we were, that was a long time ago. Or if it wasn’t, it was still before he met me, and I can’t really blame him for not being psychic.

But I was a virgin in almost every way (except for once when Peter had bitten me, and Jordan had made it to second base the other night). It intimidated me to be with someone so much more experienced than me.

Plus, Jack had tasted my blood at the club, and that left this lingering maddening desire. Finally, I gave up and went downstairs.

Milo slept in his room next door so I was careful to tiptoe out. Milo’s hearing had greatly improved, and he found it distracting to sleep, so he had a white noise machine in his room anyway.

Even though it was after seven in the morning, every shade in the house was drawn so no natural light could sneak in. Everything was submerged in pitch black, except for Jack’s room, which they had outfitted with a night light for me.

I maneuvered the stairs without making a sound, but I stubbed my toe three times. I couldn’t make it farther without help, so I flicked on the kitchen light at the bottom of the steps, and I went into the living room.

The dim light didn’t faze Jack, who lay curled up on the couch underneath a dark comforter. Matilda slept on the floor next to him, and she lifted her head when I came into the room and thumped her tail.

“Jack?” I whispered. “Jack?”

“What?” Jack mumbled, moving his head against the pillow. He became aware that he talked to someone, and he opened his eyes and looked at me. “Alice? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” I sat down at the end of the couch, next to his feet. “I just couldn’t sleep.”

“Yeah?” Jack moved so he faced me more. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know.” I leaned back on the couch, pulling my knees up to my chest.

“Is it about what happened tonight?” Jack asked, and I didn’t immediately answer. “Alice, you’ve got nothing to be scared of. They would never hurt you, not outside of that club, and we’re never going back there.”

“No, it’s not that,” I shook my head. “I’m not scared. I mean, not about that. I know you and Milo would never let anything happen, and they seemed like losers anyway.”

“They were,” Jack agreed, but he sounded serious. “What are you scared of then?”

“I don’t know,” I sighed and tried to sort out what I wanted to say. “Maybe scared isn’t the right word. I just…. Did you know them? Did you know any of the vampires down there?”

“No, I don’t think so. I’ve seen some around, but I’m not acquainted with any of them. I’m not really into that scene.” He propped himself up more, and even in the darkness, I could see the worry and confusion on his face. “What are you trying to find out?”

“I don’t know. All the vampires down there were just so… attractive. Olivia’s like a goddess, and even Violet with her silly makeup couldn’t mask that she was very pretty.”

“Oh, come on.” He rolled his eyes as he connected the dots. “They barely gave me the time of day. Besides, you were the hot sensation down there.”

“That’s different.” I brushed past it. “And I wasn’t complaining about them hitting on you. I was wondering… if you…” I squirmed, finding it difficult just to say it.

“What?” Jack asked. “I think Violet was right. I might’ve seen her around before, but everything she was saying was just to get you going. We’d never done anything.”

“I know.” I shivered a little, so maybe my girl boxers weren’t such a good idea.

“Take some of the covers.” He pushed some at me with his feet, and I scooted closer to him so I could snuggle underneath his blankets. When I felt his leg brush against my thigh, I decided I’d moved close enough.