Scared Yet? by Jaye Ford Page B

news?’
    â€˜Like she was worried about you.’
    Liv opened the fridge.
    â€˜Haven’t been shopping in a while, huh?’
    Jason was frowning over her shoulder at the contents. Or lack thereof. A bowl of leftovers from the weekend with Cameron, a splash of milk in the bottom of a carton, a slab of cheese and a couple of tomatoes. Okay, there was a little more than that – a few condiments, a tub of margarine, half a bottle of wine – but nothing meal-worthy. There’d been plenty a week ago when Cameron arrived but she hadn’t bothered to stock up for herself once he’d gone. Still couldn’t get her head around shopping for one.
    â€˜Something like that.’ She lifted out a jug of water and as she poured, Jason did a three-sixty around the lounge room and kitchen. It didn’t take much to guess what he was thinking. The fridge was bare, she hadn’t unpacked – she wasn’t looking after herself. Maybe she wasn’t but she didn’t need to hear it. She slid the note in its bag across the kitchen bench. ‘I found that on my windscreen this afternoon.’
    He smoothed the plastic over the words, a line forming between his brows. ‘Was it in a shopping bag?’
    â€˜No.’ Liv repeated the conversation she’d had withRachel Quest, her instructions for the fingerprinting, the reasonable level of concern.
    â€˜If it was random, would he come back and leave a note?’ Liv asked.
    â€˜He might. If he was upset at not finishing what he started, I suppose. Although there’d be no reason to think your car would still be there this afternoon.’
    â€˜So if it wasn’t random, maybe he came back looking for it. Or for me.’
    â€˜Maybe. I don’t know. Do you want to come with me and stay another night?’
    â€˜I, um . . .’ She wasn’t sure. Was it safer here or there? And how long could she keep sleeping on their sofa bed?
    He looked at his watch. ‘The girls will be finished in ten minutes.’
    That decided it. ‘No, I’ll be fine. I need to ring Cameron before the news starts and I haven’t changed or anything.’
    â€˜I can come back for you. Kelly’s got a ton of curry in the slow cooker.’
    Was he trying to feed her, too? ‘No, really, I’ll be fine. I’ll lock the doors and avoid taking risks, whatever that means. Besides, you guys must be so sick of me turning up.’
    â€˜Not likely. Our lives are so uneventful, we’d probably die of boredom if you didn’t keep arriving on our doorstep with another drama.’
    â€˜Drama isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.’
    â€˜Neither is monotony.’
    She frowned at his back as he took another look around, not sure if he was trying to make her feel better or talking about himself.
    â€˜Do you want me to take some of your boxes away? We’ve got a kerbside pick-up next week.’
    â€˜They’re still full.’
    He pointed to the front door as he crossed the room. ‘These ones?’ He grabbed the top box. It didn’t budge. ‘Oh, right.’ Just to make sure, he knocked a toe against a smaller one standing on its own. ‘Being single doesn’t mean you have to do it all on your own, you know?’
    She walked to where he stood, arms crossed over her chest. ‘I’m still figuring out where to put everything.’
    â€˜Kell and I could give you a hand. We could do it in a day. Then you can get the boxes out of here.’
    â€˜Actually, Jase, I don’t give a shit about the boxes. They can stay where they are for the next year for all I care.’ She pressed her lips together to force back the sudden, unwelcome surge of emotion.
    His eyes stayed on hers for so long she thought he must have seen her unshed tears and was deciding what to say. Then his gaze dropped to her cheek, her taped hand, her jeans, her bare feet. When he