5: JACK

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JACK POV

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JACK POV

"I'll join you," I say to Rose an hour later as she grabs her leather jacket to leave.

Matt and Lexi are in deep conversation, his hand rested casually on the bar, his body leant forward - angled towards her. I don't know what the hell he's playing at. He's supposed to be setting up her happy ending, not coming onto the poor girl.

When I speak though he looks up suddenly, a gleam in his eye. Rose raises an eyebrow at me.

"Oh, you will, will you?"

I ignore Matt's eyes on me. Lexi has turned to look at us both too, the corner of her lip tugging up.

"Yup," I grin – trying to ignore the sudden attention, keeping my eyes fixed only on Rose's. "Come on, you can't leave me alone with these two..."

She sighs, there's a hint of disappointment behind her brown irises. She wasn't really heading back, she was going to go to the old house again. I know it. She always does.

There's a trace of humour behind her eyes, though, too.

It offers me a swell of happiness – which I quickly push away.

She's just a job, a contract.

A curse.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

I cock my head to the side.

"Come on, have a heart, Rose! I'm heading back now anyway. We live in the same building – I may as well come with."

She narrows her eyes.

"How do you know which building I live in?" I open my mouth to reply but she cuts me off. "Oh yeah, because you followed me out of it last night..."

"I didn't follow you..." I begin, but then see the smile playing about her lips.

She's just winding me up. I grin.

Typical Rose.

She gestures with her head towards the door.

"Come on then," she says. "If you must." She focuses on Lexi then slides her gaze over to Matt and back again. She points at her in a dramatic, teacherly gesture, "You...be good!"

Lexi looks up at her with faux innocence under her dark bangs, then gives an unsubtle wink.

"Hey, you know me!" says her friend.

"That's exactly why I said it...!"

Matt slides his gaze over to Rose – his blue eyes twinkling in the dim bar lights. He lolls back, his left bicep bulging out from his white top where his arm rests against the bar top.

"Don't worry, I'll look after your friend," he says.

Rose rolls her eyes and Lexi looks positively gleeful. I give him a hard look.

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