14. Russ
CHAPTER 14
RUSS
I'm asleep when Emery crawls into bed next to me, but since I usually sleep alone, I wake up at the slight pressure on the other side of the pillow barricade.
Then there's a giggle.
“Did you survive the gauntlet, Buzz?” I mumble.
“Oh no,” she whispers.
“What?”
“I woke you up.” I blink one eye open, squinting at the pillows. A wild riot of blonde waves peer back at me, until Emery shoves her hair out of her face and grins. “Sorry.”
“You don’t sound sorry.” I stretch. “What time is it?”
“Three.”
“So, I’m on my own for golf at seven?”
“Definitely.”
I reach over and pat her head. “Okay.”
Then I close my eyes again.
“Your friends are hilarious.” She sighs happily. “And they care so much about you being happy.”
Huh? I sit up and rub my face. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing.” She rolls onto her back and smiles dreamily at the ceiling. “They’re just really nice and I had fun.”
Then she hiccups.
Her eyes flare and she presses her hands to her chest. “I am not a fish,” she yells.
I jolt and curse in surprise.
She waves her hand at me. “It works.”
“Yeah, you aren’t a fish. Success,” I say.
“I cured my hiccups.” Her hand stays pressed to her chest, and as the night’s silence stretches around us, I realize that yeah, she doesn’t have another one.
“How…?”
“Dunno. I learned that on TikTok.” Her eyelashes brush her cheeks. “Anyway, thanks for inviting me, Rusty.”
I lay down again. “Any time, kiddo.”
There's only a slight snore in reply.
I listen to the house settle. It might be my imagination, but I think I hear the click of another door closing at the far end of the hall.
I stay awake for far too long, listening for any other sound, with a vigilance that’s both frustrating and unsettling. And even though none come, it’s hard to fall back asleep.