Whispers that Scream

Chapter Seventeen

Jane

Jane was lying on her couch with her laptop on her stomach and a bag of Doritos on her chest. She had to constantly peer around the bag to see the screen, but it felt like an acceptable hassle to her. She lifted the laptop every so often to let some cool air get to its vents and stop it from burning her stomach. She had a surge of energy that she didn't know what to do with after sending Sarah the text. That nervous excitement had carried over the last few days, and she decided to use that motivation to do something productive. Sarah hadn't responded yet, but Jane was content that she had at least sent it.

The reason for the laptop was that she was searching for possible job paths to look into. She had graduated from Tulane with a degree in Architecture but had never used it. After about five minutes of researching, Jane discovered it was going to be tough going, applying at 28 years old with no work experience.

She had been researching architect and interior design job opportunities, and it was a nightmare. How was she supposed to land a job when every entry-level job required years of experience? Now, she understood what all those kids fresh out of college were bitching about. After researching different opportunities, she decided to focus on interior design instead of architecture. She was hoping that her degree in architecture would help her stand out, but who knew?

She was about to close the laptop and give up for the night when she heard Adam's truck pulling into his driveway. Eager to see him for some reason, she walked onto her porch and waited for him to start walking up his steps.

She called out to him as soon as he reached the porch. "Hey! You want to hang out for a bit, or are you hitting the hay?"

He stopped at the sound of her voice before answering in such a soft voice she could barely make it out. "I can talk for a bit."

Jane bit her lip and battled with herself. "You want to come over to my place?"

Adam's head jerked up to make eye contact with her, knowing what this meant. "I'll be right over," he said with no hesitation.

Jane waited for Adam on the porch nervously, hands shaking slightly. It seemed to take him minutes before she finally heard him climbing up her steps ever so slowly. He finally reached the porch and stood there, waiting for her to make the next move.

She smirked at him. Adam letting her take control of their interactions did something for her that she didn't really understand yet. Jane walked over to her door and stepped inside, partially blocking the opening from him. She looked back at him and examined his face. He stood there patiently waiting and struggling to maintain eye contact in this important moment.

Struggling to show his support for me. Like breaking a vacuumed seal, she suddenly stepped aside releasing a gust of air from her apartment. "Come on in and don't mind the mess."

Adam gave a slight smile and maintained eye contact with her as he stepped across the threshold before finally looking around her living room. 

"You can take the recliner if you want. I mostly lay on the couch," Jane offered. He nodded and took a seat, while she walked over to her familiar spot on the couch.

"Where are you coming from this late at night? I don't think I've ever seen you out this late before?"

He was shifting on the recliner, trying to get comfortable. "I was at my brother's. Once a month, either he or my sister will host a sibling dinner. They live in New Orleans, so it takes me about an hour to get out there." He started to examine her living room, taking everything in when he noticed her laptop on the table. "Were you busy with something on your laptop before I came?"