met mine, the expression in them was dark and absolutely indecipherable. It was like Adrian's words had pulled a trigger from within him, and he was completely different now. Shoulders squared, posture stiff, jaw clenched – it was amazing what body movements could convey and suddenly, I was almost scared of him.

He strode over to the door and flipped the latch shut. Then he propped several pieces of furniture against the door.

When he was done, he looked at me and I swallowed. I knew exactly what he was thinking without him having to say it. "Fire escape?"

He nodded. Picking up the box, I followed him to the fire escape. He took the box from me and held the window open. I hurried down the stairs, with Jed following close behind.

But the ground floor was a danger zone all on its own, and the moment we stepped off the last of the stairs, Jed manoeuvred me towards the nearest dark alcove. He did it in an almost odd manner, not quite touching me, simply turning so his back was to me and backing me into the corner, before setting the box down on the ground. His hands were braced on either side of the wall in a way that spoke volumes – whoever wanted to get to me would have to go through him first. His eyes were sharp as he scanned our surroundings, and when I peeked over his shoulder, I realised what it was that he'd seen.

Bianca strode past with a guy, but she kept one hand tucked in her jacket. When she lifted that hand, I didn't miss the revolver strapped to her waist.

Instinctively, my hand darted out to latch tightly onto the fabric of Jed's jacket. He stilled at the movement, then turned to face me, with movements so stealthy and quiet that I didn't hear a thing. Keeping one arm braced against the wall and his gaze locked on mine, he reached up to press a finger to his lips.

I realised then that we were closer than I'd imagined. His stance caged me in, but made me feel safe. I held my breath, not wanting this moment to end.

Jed seemed to realise it only seconds after I did. His eyes flickered down to my lips, briefly, and it was enough to spike up the temperature between us as the green in his irises slid back, only to be replaced by a darker shade that was pure intensity. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I registered that Bianca and her henchman had left and we were safe now. But that hardly mattered now. The air was charged and my heart raced – not just because of the dangerous situation we were in, but because of how close he was to me. So close that I could see the freckles dotting his cheeks, feel the whisper of his breath on my lips when he exhaled and hear the faint ruffling of his jacket when he shifted even closer to me.

I couldn't for the life of me comprehend what it was. Plain physical attraction was not supposed to make you feel so...gravitated. Like you had been lost in space for a long, long time and there he was, a magnetic pull that anchored you down, dragged you back in, and –

But the moment was lost when Jed suddenly blinked. And when he opened his eyes again, the black in his irises seemed to fade until he was staring at me with that familiar green shade I was so acquainted with. He seemed to register the distance we were in, and he quickly took a step back, angling his head to see if it was safe out there.

It was. I smiled faintly when he looked back at me, trying to calm the stuttering of my heart and the way just being near him threw me completely off balance. "All clear?"

He nodded.

"What about the others?" I asked, as we headed to his car. He shook his head and I bit my lip anxiously. "Do you think they'll need help?"

He shook his head again, and this time, I could've sworn I saw a faint flicker of amusement flash in his eyes. I sighed, threw one last glance over my shoulder in hopes that I could see them and was disappointed when I couldn't.

Crossing my fingers and hoping for the best, I got into the car. Within minutes, we left my home behind. I couldn't shake the sinking feeling that I'd never see it again.

I sniffled, brushing the back of my hand across my eyes and feeling the tears stain my skin. "Don't mind me," I told Jed when he looked over at me. I smiled wryly and shook my head. "I'm just – I don't even know why I'm crying. That place had a leaky faucet and the door was creaky and the neighbours upstairs were really loud – like, I don't even want to know what shade of grey they were playing up there," I laughed dryly, and sniffled again. Jed quickly reached for the box of tissues on the dashboard and handed it to me. "Thanks. I think it's just the abstract concept of a home – the place sucked, but I worked hard to get it and now it's all just gone, you know?"

He didn't say anything, of course, but when I looked over, I noticed that his hands were gripped tightly on the steering wheel. He looked furious, his eyes blazing as he stared out at the road ahead, and that didn't even begin to cover it.

"Don't be mad," I said lightly, smiling at him when he glanced over at me again. "It's not worth it. Anyway, now that I'm all cried out, I guess there's nothing left to do but move forward. Maybe once this whole thing's over and I'm safe, I can find a new home someplace else."

It was almost noticeable how the temperature in the car dipped way down. Not in the most literal sense, but the atmosphere between us suddenly seemed frigid, and when I studied him, I realised that maybe I hadn't had the best choice of words. The expression on Jed's face was impassive as usual, but now his fingers were clenched so tightly around the steering wheel that his knuckles were almost white.

"Something I said?" I tried delicately at last, but there was no response from him. No nod or shake of the head, and I didn't know how to decipher him anymore. "Cheer up," I said, lighter this time, a tiny smile playing on my lips. I desperately wanted to loosen the grip he had on the steering wheel, but I kept my hands firmly folded on my lap. "Handsome guy like you shouldn't be looking so fierce all the time or you're going to scare us girls away."

That did it. His gaze flickered to mine immediately and he looked almost apprehensive, his grip faltering on the steering wheel.

"Just kidding," I shook my head and laughed, my smile widening as the metaphorical storm clouds blanketing his face seem to clear, and his eyes were bright once again.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

It was amazing what a good night's sleep could do to you. And if I felt scared and lost about the future just the previous afternoon, I was more than ready now. The world never stopped spinning for anyone, and it was either play keep up or be left behind.

So I headed downstairs early that morning, my fingers itching to pick up a knife or a chopping board and just cook. Cooking wasn't just therapeutic, the older I got, the more passionate about it I became. I adored making messes in the kitchen, and Jed had one hell of a kitchen which he didn't seem to use at all.

Jed was in his usual place when I stepped into the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a mug in one hand and a phone in the other, dressed in his typical morning-attire – a different pair of sweatpants, black hoodie zipped open, no shirt beneath. It made me flustered a little, but then I figured that if he wanted to walk around in his house looking like some sort of model out of a fashion catalogue, then who was I to complain?

Right?

Pushing that thought aside, I headed past him, making a beeline for the refrigerator. "Hey," I greeted over my shoulder and smiled brightly. "Had breakfast yet?"

He looked almost startled by my question, but then shook his head.

"How do you feel about French toast?"

He hesitated, then nodded once. I began taking eggs out of the fridge, turning around when I was done, only to pause in surprise when I saw that he was setting down a laptop on the kitchen table, along with a cell phone. He pushed it across the table towards me and my eyes widened.

"For me?" I quickly set the eggs down near the sink and placed a hand on the laptop to stop him. "You really shouldn't."

He kept his hand on the laptop, like he was trying to press me into accepting it.

After a few seconds, I eased up. "Okay, fine, but if you insist on giving these to me then I insist on paying you back. I mean it," I added firmly, when his eyes began to narrow. "I can't pay you back immediately, but I will once I get a job. Waitressing, probably," I mused, with a shrug, "there's not much I can do except for waitressing and cooking."

Smiling, I pulled out the nearest chair and settled down in it, leaning over to get a better look at the laptop. Jed remained standing there, hovering but not quite, his arms braced on the back of another chair as he watched me trace my fingers across the pristine surface, before flipping it open.

"This is amazing," I remarked quietly, running a finger across the keyboard and hearing the keys shift under the pressure. "I've never had a new one before. Mostly used ones," I explained, meeting Jed's gaze and realising that he was already looking at me, his eyes bright and curious like he was fascinated by my words. "I had more important things to pay like my rent and electricity bills and such. Buying a new laptop or a new phone was hardly at the top of my to-do list. So thank you a million times over." My smile widened and I shut the laptop, passing a quick hand over the smooth surface before slipping the phone into the pocket of my shorts. "Now sit. Because I'm making breakfast."

The meal passed in a pleasant manner. I was intrigued to find that the silence between us felt more intimate than uncomfortable, and it reminded me of something I'd meant to ask him.

"So this is random," I started sometime later, when we were clearing the plates from the table. "But do you have directions to the nearest library?" He stared at me and I shrugged. "I just like to read. And my books kind of got destroyed when Bianca and her goons raided my old apartment."

He set the plates down, then jerked his head in a gesture for me to follow him. After several turns, we headed down a hallway. He stopped in front of a room with large brass doors, and pushed them open.

What greeted me was a sight that I hadn't expected in a million years. The room was dusty and dark, but it was full of shelves stocked full with books. I stepped in first and Jed followed closely behind, sidling past me to hit the switch for the ceiling lights. Instantly, the room was enveloped in a warm glow and my eyes rapidly adjusted to the other smaller details in the room – the long couch against the wall, full-length windows that were covered with heavy drapes and several reading lamps positioned around the room.

"Wow," I breathed, taking several slow steps across the room until I was by the windows. I pulled the curtains open, tucking the drapes in the corner and spun round so that I could get a better glimpse of the room. Jed's eyes were guarded as he braced himself for my reaction and I smiled. "Alice," I stated, pointing first to myself, then gesturing around. "Wonderland. I love this room already."

The consternation on Jed's face cleared and he nodded, before stepping out of the room, letting the heavy door swing shut behind him. I inhaled and glanced around, another smile flitting across my face when I caught book titles I already knew, titles I didn't, and titles I'd always wanted to read.

It didn't take long for me to locate a stack of books I wanted, dropping them on the floor and curling up on the couch. Very easy to immerse myself in words and pages which drew me in and sent my mind spinning with new information, until I'd all but forgotten what time it was.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

The house was dark when I finally emerged from the library.

Keeping a book clutched to my chest, I wandered down the corridors until I reached the main hallway. The faint light illuminating the hallway made me realise that Jed was close and my suspicions were proven right mere seconds later, when I passed the kitchen and found him standing against the sink and chugging a glass of water.

The moonlight streaking through the drawn curtains cast vague hues on his dark form. It drew my attention to his high cheekbones, the way his Adam's apple bobbed rapidly as he swallowed, and the ridges of muscles as he braced one arm on the sink. He looked perfectly at one with the shadows and, for a moment, I was breathless.

"Hey," I smiled when he noticed me and quickly set the glass down. He backed up against the sink until he'd hit the counter, his gaze fixed on me. "Going somewhere?"

His forehead creased in confusion, eyes darting towards the doorway of the kitchen in search of the nearest escape route. The nod he gave me was so quick and minute I barely caught it.

Realising that I was blocking the doorway, I stepped aside. "Sorry." I held my breath as he sidled past me. It wasn't until he was almost out the back door that I stopped him. "Wait."

He stilled. I sidestepped him to pull the door shut, but not before noticing the full moon that lit the sky outside.

With my back pressed against the door so there'd be no room for escape, I turned to face him and took a deep breath. "I know."

His eyes darted to mine.

"I've had suspicions for awhile now, but I needed to read up to make sure. And I finally figured it out, see?" I took a step forward and lifted the book to show it to him. But he flinched, quickly taking another step back. My eyes widened as I realised he'd mistaken my actions as an attempt to cause him some sort of physical harm. "No, I'm not going to hurt you. And I'm not afraid of you either." He visibly relaxed and I smiled, easing up and clutching the book to my chest once again. "But I'd like to see it for myself. Can you show me?"

He stared at me; eyes cautious and hesitation clear on his face, but I simply gave him an encouraging nod.

"Shift."