backward and fall to her certain death, Grace did as Jake asked. When she let go with her left hand, her whole body felt heavy, but Jake had her in a tight grip and he let go enough for her to slide down his body, and then her feet were on the grass, and she was not dead.
Instead, she was out of breath and face-to-face and chest-to-chest with a very sweaty Jake. Some of the sweat might also have been hers. They were so close it almost didn’t matter.
“You okay?” he said, pushing a strand of hair off her face.
She nodded. She wasn’t capable of speech.
His eyes were brown, but they had flecks of yellow in them. She hadn’t noticed that before.
“You sure? You look kind of pale.”
“I don’t like heights,” she croaked. Where had her voice gone?
“You did really well, Grace.”
“I did?”
“Yes. You were very brave.” She knew he was just saying that to make her feel better. She had been an idiot and a chicken. He probably said that to all of the women he pulled off roofs.
But his words felt almost as good as his arms, so she just let all of Jake surround her and leaned her cheek on his chest. His heart was still beating fast. Well, he had just pulled her off a roof.
“Of course, we’re still locked out.”
“Crap,” she said into his chest. She reluctantly pulled away and took the few steps to the front door. Just for kicks, she tried the handle.
The door swung open.
Grace swung toward Jake.
“I swear it was locked!” He took a step back and threw his hands up. “It wouldn’t open!”
Grace didn’t care. She was suddenly very, very tired. She was tired of her strange house doing weird things when Jake was around. She was tired of her heart doing strange things, too. When he’d been holding her out in the yard, it felt good. He felt strong and sure and safe. That was three seconds ago. Now the old Jake was back. Jerk Jake was unpleasant, but she was, somehow, more comfortable with him.
“Grace—”
“I’m glad this is funny to you, Jake. Let’s see how many crappy situations we can get the Professor in before she blows a gasket! Well, that’s it, Jake. You win. You’re better than me at everything. I won’t call you again.”
She started to slam the door, but his foot was in the way. “Grace—” he started again, and there was real hurt in his eyes. But she had seen those hurt-looking eyes before. Those eyes were liars.
“You win, Jake,” and she shoved him back and slammed the door in his face.
The house was beginning to think it had lost its knack. But after one hundred years of happy couples, that could not possibly be the case. They were so close. Standing in the yard in each other’s arms, Grace and Jake gave off electricity in waves. So the house thought they had worked hard enough, that now was the time for them to really get together.
Wrong again.
The house let go of its tight hold on the upstairs window. What was the point?
Chapter 11
G race hadn’t been sleeping well. She wanted to chalk it up to first-week-of-school stress, but that wasn’t it. She’d had three days of classes, and they’d gone fine. Her Intro to British Literature class was full of eager freshman, and Grace felt enthusiastic after her office hours with each of her seminar students. Pembroke was a tough school, and the kids were taking their studies seriously. She knew that wouldn’t last, not for all of them, but she felt optimistic all the same.
Henry had stopped by her office twice already, talking to her about her house. She finally relented and invited him to stop over on Sunday. She hoped “stop over” meant just come in and hang out and drink whatever she had in the fridge, because she really didn’t feel like cooking for him. And Henry had an eager look about him—she didn’t want to lead him on. God, even in her own head that sounded egotistical. But she hoped he was only interested in her for her house.
She shouldn’t mind Henry stopping over. He was nice, if a
Instead, she was out of breath and face-to-face and chest-to-chest with a very sweaty Jake. Some of the sweat might also have been hers. They were so close it almost didn’t matter.
“You okay?” he said, pushing a strand of hair off her face.
She nodded. She wasn’t capable of speech.
His eyes were brown, but they had flecks of yellow in them. She hadn’t noticed that before.
“You sure? You look kind of pale.”
“I don’t like heights,” she croaked. Where had her voice gone?
“You did really well, Grace.”
“I did?”
“Yes. You were very brave.” She knew he was just saying that to make her feel better. She had been an idiot and a chicken. He probably said that to all of the women he pulled off roofs.
But his words felt almost as good as his arms, so she just let all of Jake surround her and leaned her cheek on his chest. His heart was still beating fast. Well, he had just pulled her off a roof.
“Of course, we’re still locked out.”
“Crap,” she said into his chest. She reluctantly pulled away and took the few steps to the front door. Just for kicks, she tried the handle.
The door swung open.
Grace swung toward Jake.
“I swear it was locked!” He took a step back and threw his hands up. “It wouldn’t open!”
Grace didn’t care. She was suddenly very, very tired. She was tired of her strange house doing weird things when Jake was around. She was tired of her heart doing strange things, too. When he’d been holding her out in the yard, it felt good. He felt strong and sure and safe. That was three seconds ago. Now the old Jake was back. Jerk Jake was unpleasant, but she was, somehow, more comfortable with him.
“Grace—”
“I’m glad this is funny to you, Jake. Let’s see how many crappy situations we can get the Professor in before she blows a gasket! Well, that’s it, Jake. You win. You’re better than me at everything. I won’t call you again.”
She started to slam the door, but his foot was in the way. “Grace—” he started again, and there was real hurt in his eyes. But she had seen those hurt-looking eyes before. Those eyes were liars.
“You win, Jake,” and she shoved him back and slammed the door in his face.
The house was beginning to think it had lost its knack. But after one hundred years of happy couples, that could not possibly be the case. They were so close. Standing in the yard in each other’s arms, Grace and Jake gave off electricity in waves. So the house thought they had worked hard enough, that now was the time for them to really get together.
Wrong again.
The house let go of its tight hold on the upstairs window. What was the point?
Chapter 11
G race hadn’t been sleeping well. She wanted to chalk it up to first-week-of-school stress, but that wasn’t it. She’d had three days of classes, and they’d gone fine. Her Intro to British Literature class was full of eager freshman, and Grace felt enthusiastic after her office hours with each of her seminar students. Pembroke was a tough school, and the kids were taking their studies seriously. She knew that wouldn’t last, not for all of them, but she felt optimistic all the same.
Henry had stopped by her office twice already, talking to her about her house. She finally relented and invited him to stop over on Sunday. She hoped “stop over” meant just come in and hang out and drink whatever she had in the fridge, because she really didn’t feel like cooking for him. And Henry had an eager look about him—she didn’t want to lead him on. God, even in her own head that sounded egotistical. But she hoped he was only interested in her for her house.
She shouldn’t mind Henry stopping over. He was nice, if a
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