Page 89 of The Eleventh Hour
“G would beg to differ,” I throw out.
“Why are you both okay with this?”
Any second now, he’s going to stomp his foot like a two-year-old, and I’m going to have to put him in time out. I sit up and reach for the remote, pressing pause.
Rafe grumbles as I rearrange myself so I’m facing Dane. I clasp my hands around my knees, cock my head to the side, and paste my most polite expression on my face.
“Please…continue. I’m simply dying to know your opinion on the matter.”
Dane starts to talk, but I stand up and walk over to the kitchen and start the coffee grinder.
He stops talking, and I turn it off.
“Sorry, Dane, did you say something?”
“You can’t-”
Oh, I love it when people tell me I can’t. I flick the switch on the grinder, and then turn on the tap and start doing the dishes.
“ALl RIGHT!”
I turn off the tap and the grinder and turn around.
“All right, he’s a he and whatever.” Dane looks deflated. “Just note, what you are doing is unnatural and creepy as fuck.”
“Duly noted. Thanks for the input. I’ll make sure to make certain it’s notarized.”
Dane lets out a sound of pure frustration. “Why do you have to make everything so difficult?”
I cock my head to the side. “I’m not even trying, Dane. Imagine the hell I could create if I put my mind to it.”
Dane watches me silently, and then scrubs a hand down his face. “Shit.”
I hear a trilling from the bedroom and move towards it curiously. It’s coming from the bedroom my stuff is in. I open the door and search through the items until I find the disposable phone Dad gave me. On the screen, it says River. I hesitate a moment, and then answer it.
“Hello?”
“Fuck, where the hell have you been? Your apartment is trashed, and your keys are on the floor.”
“I’m staying with friends.”
“Great. A little warning for your baby brother, please?”
There’s something strange in his voice. “River, what’s wrong?”
“Sparrow is ringing around, trying to find you. Keylore as well.”
“The Pastor’s trying to contact me?” Now, that sends a frisson of fear through me.
“Yes, are you changing your stance on religion?”
“Nope. Curious.” I keep my tone jovial, but there’s a sinking feeling inside. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Please, please, don’t be what I think it is.
“Great, so you know, maybe you could, like, start carrying this phone around and maybe, I don’t know, answer it occasionally?” River shouts.
I pull the phone away from my ear and grimace. “Fine, stop yelling at me. I’m fine.”
“Fuck, you scared me. All these people going missing and dying.”