Falling by Jolene Perry

shoulder to Jason’s door and make a split second decision. I slide in my thumb drive in his computer and save the parent file to whatever document he has on screen. I make it back to my seat just as he walks out of his apartment.
    Wow. That was close. I take a few deep breaths as I try to stop the shaking in my hands from almost being caught.
    I keep staring at my computer and slide the drive into the USB port. The file is called Jason’s Writing .  Jason is a writer, or more likely, wants to be a writer. Hmm. I’m wondering if I should open it and read, or if I want to or if I care aside from being nosy when I hear a group drive up and stop.  The timing is right for Craig. I try not to leap to attention, but Jason glances at me as I stand, and then frowns.
    I feel another pang of guilt but brush it aside as Craig comes in the door, looking snowy, flushed and really, really sexy.
    My midweek is pretty nice.
     
    Friday morning, Craig’s gone, and there’s nothing left to do to prepare for the weekend. I’m wandering back down the stairs when I hear Jason’s voice.
    “Justine. It’s Jason.” I immediately sit down on the steps. I want to hear how he is with his little sister. With my brief interactions with Jason, I’m guessing he’s a lot like Keith—over-protective and bossy.
    “Well, you called me a lot the first week you were there, and now I haven’t heard from you in a while so I was worried.” He pauses. “Are any of these new friends boys?” He chuckles a little. “Ohhh. I don’t want to hear about boys…. I don’t care if I asked. When I ask I want the answer to be a definite ‘no’…” I smile now. He’s protective, but in a good way. It’s cute. My brother used to set me up with his friends. It never ended well. “Stay away from him.” I can hear a smile in his voice. “I don’t care how nice he seems, all sixteen-year-old boys are after the same thing… What do you mean how do I know? I was one.” He laughs. “I’m not that old.”
    I suddenly feel bad for intruding and head quietly back to the room I spend way too much time in.

Because Apparently Sometimes We Need to be Taken Down a Notch – Even if We’re Already Pretty Low
     
    “Hey, Dad.” I try to put a smile on my face. I walk and stand looking out the window near the corner table. It’s becoming my spot. It has the best view, and the farthest table from the kitchen, where Jason spends a lot of time.
    “Something’s up, Dana.” He doesn’t sound mad or disapproving or anything yet.
    “Why do you say that?” I try to put on my best ‘nothing’s happening’ voice. But I’m still a little shaky from the call from the police station this morning. They arrested Workman again, so I don’t have to worry about him showing up at my house anymore. It’s something, but doesn’t feel like enough.
    “Because you took a leave of absence from work.” Crap, he called my work.
    “My ribs,” I say.
    “Still?”
    I can’t lie to my dad, at least not completely. “I’m helping out a friend while I heal up.”
    “Helping out a friend.” His tone is going down.
    “It’s just for a little while, Dad. My ribs hurt. It’s hard for me to do all the sitting and planning that I do at the hotel.” Instead I’m washing sheets, scrubbing bathrooms and waiting tables . “I’m at a Lodge near Mt. McKinley for a bit.” I don’t know how my voice sounds. I know I want it to sound like I’m great, relaxed, and things are fine. And then I realize that maybe I could go home. Maybe. But when would I see Craig? He’s here on his days off, and I don’t want to think about where he goes home to after work.
    “That sounds an awful lot like goofing off.”
    “Trust me, Dad. It’s not.” I think about how much work I do out here .
    “Dana, you could be doing so much right now. You were way up near the top of your class.” There’s a shuffle of papers, and I know our conversation is about over because he’s at