Where I Found You

Chapter 21 - It's Jack.

Chapter 21 - It's Jack.

Alyssa's trembling from the cold once we get inside the house. Immediately the smell of roasting chicken reaches both our nostrils which means that our dad is making something instead of getting a takeaway or delivery like he usually does. Jess comes running down the hallway screaming , Dan close behind her wearing a vampire mask that he got for Halloween. She runs up to me and hides behind my legs, as Dan stops and pulls the mask off with a grin.

"Hiya," he greets Alyssa and I.

I turn around to look at Jess who is staring up at Alyssa with her mouth half open, her eyes wide. Alyssa begins to talk to Dan as I lean down and straighten my little sister's shirt out.

"What's dad making?" I question.

Jess grins and sways from side to side. "Sunday roast."

I grin and then take her hand because I like this feeling part of a somewhat-normal family, before standing up and beginning to walk into the kitchen after nudging Alyssa gently.

"Is Alyssa your girlfriend yet?" Jess whispers rater loudly, and I'm sure Alyssa can hear because she's following us and Dan starts chuckling. I spot my dad at the cooker and Stella sat at the table talking to him as we walk into the kitchen. Both of them immediately look our way so I decide it better to not answer Jess.

"Hey," I call as Jess runs over to the couch and Dan goes to sit beside Stella at the table. I glance at Alyssa to see that she's smiling as she looks down at her hands, and I wonder what she's thinking about.

"Jack," my dad nods. Then he sees Alyssa and smiles one of his polite smiles, coming over to us. "Oh, hello. You're from number seven, right?"

I watch as Alyssa nods, a piece of hair falling over her forehead which she doesn't move. "Yeah. I'm Alyssa. It's nice to meet you ... Mr Hart."

My dad does something then which I would never have predicted, he moves forward to hug Alyssa with a broad grin. "Call me Michael. It's nice to meet you, as well. Do you want to stay for dinner?"

"Oh.. Well that'd be great, but-"

"Right, well it'll be ready in a minute. So hang on a sec." My dad walks back over to the oven and I've never seen him like this before. I don't actually know what's going on. Alyssa looks slightly overwhelmed at the hug but she's slowly recovering, so I pluck her sleeve and motion my head out into the hall.

She follows me as I move, and then I continue on into the sitting room. "Are you okay with staying?" I turn to her once we get inside, and she sort of steps back against the wall, her cheeks rosy and flushed.

She smiles shyly. "I want to. I just- I'm just gonna text my mum to tell her."

I watch as she takes out her phone and begins to text quickly, and I stare at the curl of her hair that's hanging over her forehead. Something inside me forces me to lift my hand and slowly move it to the side, pushing it back behind her delicate ear where it belongs. I can feel my heart knocking against my chest, my ribcage, whatever it is, as I feel her green eyes flicker up from the screen of her phone to watch my face. I focus on the crystal of her earring as she slowly lowers her phone and I take my hand away. I don't even know what possessed me to touch her like that.

"Thanks," I say at last, and feel like slapping myself. "I mean ... It's nice to have another person round."

Alyssa just watches me for a few seconds before smiling and nodding. "Well it's nice to go to someone else's house."

It's such lame conversation that I want to just pull her close and kiss her face off or something. I don't know why but everyday and every minute she just keeps getting sexier.