CHAPTER 19 #2
Diego’s blinks grew slower, each one lingering a little longer than the last until his eyes finally stayed closed, his long lashes resting against his cheeks.
Wylie stayed on the phone, watching Diego’s stern brow smooth out and his pink lips slowly part, the soft sounds of his regular breathing that meant he was asleep.
It was a special kind of torture to love someone through a screen, close enough to watch him dream, too far away to touch him. But despite the miles between them, it still felt like coming home, and Wylie knew he'd choose this sweet ache in his chest every single time.
Not only was Diego calling him on the regular but Nancy and Hannah had stepped up their game too, providing regular updates and Facetimes with Kayla.
Wylie suspected that the three of them had gotten together and discussed a mental health plan for him, but he wasn’t mad about it.
In fact, he was touched. That was the kind of commitment and care he needed from his friends and family, because he would do the same for them.
School was a grind, as ever, but Wylie was no longer in the depths of despair or worried that he might fail all his classes.
He’d turned a corner with the torts professor too, thanks to his last paper, which had two words scribbled across the top, “astute analysis.” Wylie looked up the word “astute” just to confirm that it was complimentary and not some back-handed criticism.
The top sheet of the paper was now posted to his refrigerator door for whenever he needed a pick-me-up.
So, maybe he could slay law school after all.
He was gearing up for midterms, making an elaborate and detailed study plan, when the storm that had been building off the coast of Africa became a full-fledged hurricane by the name of Marshall, a Category 4 storm that was getting stronger by the hour and heading straight for Pinellas County.
Meteorologists were predicting landfall in the next 48 hours.
Wylie called his peeps, who all assured him they had it handled, but he packed a go-bag the very next morning and went to fill his car with gas.
He had to wait in line at the gas station for more than an hour and broke up a fight while he was at it.
Storms and scarcity made Floridians squirrely.
Now, he was stuck in traffic on I-75, trying to get to Sunset Village where preparations were already underway.
He was stressed, not only about missing school, but also about the safety of his family.
Thank God for Hannah, who had called tirelessly around town and found a Budget Inn that could accommodate all the residents if they doubled up.
Hotels were filling up fast with everyone along the coast being under a mandatory evacuation order.
Marshall was predicted to be the largest hurricane to make landfall in the area in decades, which was not a threat to take lightly.
Even Nancy was freaking out and had clearly been puffing on a cigarette when he’d spoken to her earlier by phone.
It seemed they had both broken their no-smoking pact but neither of them was fessing up to it. One catastrophe at a time.
What Wylie hadn’t counted on, was seeing Diego in the midst of storm preparations when he arrived at Sunset Village a couple hours later.
Shirtless, no less, which was crazy hot, as he hammered in nails to secure a sheet of plywood over one of his neighbor’s windows.
Judging from the many trailers that were already storm-proofed, he’d been at it all morning.
“You look sexy when you’re getting shit done,” Wylie said to him in greeting.
“I think you’re supposed to head away from the hurricane, not toward it,” Diego chided.
They embraced in a sweaty hug, and Wylie savored the smell Diego’s sweat and the strength of his arms as he gripped him back tightly. “Love me a man who’s handy.”
“I aim to please,” Diego said, brown eyes shining and grinning ear-to-ear despite the fact that a wicked storm was currently bearing down on them with alarming speed. “Care to join me?”
Wylie yanked off his shirt in solidarity, and the two of them made quick work of boarding up the rest of the trailers. Their neighbors kept them hydrated and fed as Nancy made the rounds, reminding everyone to pack their medications and nonperishable foodstuffs.
“Who knows how long we’ll be without power,” she said. They had a portable generator in case the electricity at the Budget Inn went out for those residents who needed medical equipment, but it couldn’t be used for much more than that.
“Wy,” Hannah called out to him, rounding the corner of the trailer where he and Diego were working. She was breathless, wearing cut-offs and a t-shirt, no makeup, focused on the job at hand. Wylie felt a surge of pride in seeing his best friend take charge with such confidence.
“Yeah, babe, what’s up?” They’d barely been able to greet each other in the chaos of preparations.
“Slight hiccup. The place where I booked us to stay, they don’t take pets.” Her face was pinched with worry. Wylie knew for a fact that there were some residents who’d rather stay behind and risk their lives than leave their animals unprotected.
“I can take them,” Diego piped up. “We’ll put them all in their kennels and bring them to my place.”
“Your apartment?” Wylie asked because, no offense, the place was tiny.
“That building is built like a brick shit house. Only one window. We’ll be fine.”
“I’ll stay with you,” Wylie assured him, knowing it was way too much work for just one person. Also, there was no one he wanted to ride out the storm with more than Diego. “Thank you.”
Diego nodded and Wylie turned to Hannah. “Tell everyone to pack up their animals with food, medications, and any instructions we may need to know. We’ll take Mac’s truck and start transporting them as soon as we’re done here.”
Hannah nodded, already moving on to her next task.
“Hey, how’s she doing?” Wylie asked Diego. He’d talked to her on the phone several times, but he hadn’t been there to see for himself.
“She’s doing really good,” Diego said with a smile. “She’s talking about going back to school for nursing, like your mom.”
Hannah had mentioned that during one one of their calls, how impressed she’d always been by Wylie’s mother who’d managed to have a career while also being a single mom.
“She’d be great at it. I mean, look at her go,” Wylie said with fondness.
“What about Fuckface? She said they were through, but she’s said that before. ”
“He’s still making her life harder than it needs to be, but she’s shown no signs of taking him back.”
“Good,” Wylie said, encouraged by Diego’s report. “That’s really good.”
“Yeah. Hey listen,” Diego said with his serious face on. “I know now’s not the time, but I was hoping sometime while you’re here, we might be able to talk, just you and me?”
Wylie searched his face, trying to determine if this was going to be a good sort of talk or an I’ve-changed-my-mind-and-I’m-thinking-about-ending-it kind of talk.
“Yeah, sure,” Wylie said, keeping it light because now was indeed not the time.
The wind picked up then, gusty and erratic, reminding them they were on deadline.
Storms like these could be fun and exciting, or they could be completely terrifying and catastrophic.
Wylie hoped this one leaned more toward the fun side.
“Fucking Marshall,” Wylie said.
“Yeah, fuck that guy,” Diego agreed with a shake of his head.
As the first drops of rain began to fall, Wylie predicted that the storm was only the start of what was coming.
The first couple hours were fine. They walked the dogs around the block and let them do their business outside while taking in the state of the neighborhood.
All of the apartments in Diego’s complex had been boarded up, and some of his neighbors were outside milling about, waiting for the storm–drinking beer or smoking cigarettes or messing around on their phones.
A couple of kids were kicking a half-deflated soccer ball around the concrete parking lot.
They wanted to greet the dogs, and Wylie let them pet the friendly ones.
The wind was gusty, whipping up leaves and plastic bags and whatever random trash was littered about.
When the sky turned the color of ash and a light sheet of rain began to fall, they headed inside.
Their phones were charged and Diego had stocked up on candles, canned goods, and bottled water, all lined up on the counter in preparation.
He’d helped Frank board up the pit yesterday along with Frank’s and his mother’s homes–they were all riding out the storm with one of the Tías who lived inland.
They’d wanted Diego and Wylie to join them, but Diego was adamant about caring for the animals.
Swoon.
Toward the evening the wind started to really pick up, and some of the dogs began to keen lowly, as if knowing the storm was approaching.
Diego turned on his battery-operated radio so they could hear updates.
The seas were steadily rising and the warning to take shelter played on repeat in between the wind speed and surf updates.
They sat at Diego’s small dinette and played Rummy while listening to the wind get progressively louder, the rain now coming down in steady sheets.
When the wind started howling, Diego took to checking on the animals, trying to soothe those that were frightened, cuddling the ones who were small enough to be let out of their kennels.
Some of them had been medicated and were now asleep, according to their owners’ wishes.
At one point, Diego had five cats climbing on him. Of course, Wylie had to take a picture.