down.
“Oh dear Gooood,”
I grumble, clutching at where my thighs meet my ass. Feels like I’ve been on a horse all day.
Milo walks around the semi and takes one look at me bent over and groaning, then bursts out with his booming laugh.
“Take it you didn’t go on long trips growing up.”
I shake my head. Mom and Dad didn’t do much other than work, my brother is seventeen years older than me, and Grandma didn’t really like…
Oh my damn.
Grandma.
“I need to use your phone,” I fire at him.
“Do you need to call one of your random women?” he jokes, pulling it from his pocket.
“My grandmother,” I answer, fingers flying over the cell screen. Call me a “Grandma’s boy” but I have a standing date with Grams every Monday night. Shit, she probably called a million times to my waterlogged phone.
“Hello?”
“Grandma, it’s—”
“Oh, Jace…don’t you do that to me!”
Shit. Her voice sounds on the edge of panicky tears. The only thing worse than girl tears is grandmother tears. “I know. I’m sorry. The flight—”
“I’ve been glued to the Weather Channel all day.”
“I know. There was a—”
“You were supposed to be here. I had Alec and Landon here to help set up the game for you.”
My grandma still doesn’t know how to turn on ESPN. “Shoot, Grams, I know. But I was—”
“I can’t get through to your phone. Do you not have your charger? I knew I should’ve sent an extra. Did you miss the flight?”
Ah, shit, her breathing’s going crazy. “Grandma, are you using your oxygen?”
“I’ve got it.”
“ ’Kay, you take a breath. And give me more than two seconds to explain.” I wait till I hear her breathing even out, then I dive in. “I changed my ticket last second because my agent got me an audition for this Friday in Alabama. I’m sorry I forgot to call you, but I haven’t been to the airport since the storm started, and my phone got big-time water damage.”
“So where are you?”
Middle of nowhere at the moment. But I’m not telling her that. She’ll send out a search party with money she doesn’t have.
“Heading to Albuquerque. Hoping to catch a flight there.”
“Do you need money?”
“I’ll be okay.” I’m not getting it from her.
“You sure? How are you paying for your flight?”
I could lie and tell her Shay’s agency is covering it. Anyone else, I probably would.
But I
don’t
lie to Grandma.
“I’m going to call Landon. He can spot me till I get back.”
“If he can’t, you call me. And keep me up to date as much as you can, big shot.”
“I will.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I make sure her breathing is okay before hanging up. She scares the hell out of me when she panics like that. Though that really was my fault. Would’ve been a lot worse, though, if I were ten years younger.
A garbling monster awakens in my gut, and I toss Milo’s phone into the truck. Food first. I’ll call Landon later.
The people wandering around in the gas station look sketchy. I swear the guy behind the counter is a ghost. He’s sallow and transparent-looking. I shift my eyes away and grab a few things to snack on, not knowing what Shay likes or what she doesn’t. And when I check out, I think the pen on the counter moves without anyone touching it.
I’ve walked into
Paranormal Activity
, whatever number they’re on now.
I unload the stuff in the truck, shoving Milo’s drink into the cup holder, which can barely contain it. Since I’m not sure what Shay likes, I just leave the other two drinks—Pepsi and Diet Pepsi—there so she can pick. Then I grab the massive cheese-filled hot dog I nearly ate right off the heat roller and take a bite that could feed a small country. The thing is gone within five seconds, and I’m really tempted to eat the salad and side of fruit I got Shay. Instead I pop open the bag of sunflower seeds and dig into them, staying outside to keep my legs from cramping.
I stick a few
“Oh dear Gooood,”
I grumble, clutching at where my thighs meet my ass. Feels like I’ve been on a horse all day.
Milo walks around the semi and takes one look at me bent over and groaning, then bursts out with his booming laugh.
“Take it you didn’t go on long trips growing up.”
I shake my head. Mom and Dad didn’t do much other than work, my brother is seventeen years older than me, and Grandma didn’t really like…
Oh my damn.
Grandma.
“I need to use your phone,” I fire at him.
“Do you need to call one of your random women?” he jokes, pulling it from his pocket.
“My grandmother,” I answer, fingers flying over the cell screen. Call me a “Grandma’s boy” but I have a standing date with Grams every Monday night. Shit, she probably called a million times to my waterlogged phone.
“Hello?”
“Grandma, it’s—”
“Oh, Jace…don’t you do that to me!”
Shit. Her voice sounds on the edge of panicky tears. The only thing worse than girl tears is grandmother tears. “I know. I’m sorry. The flight—”
“I’ve been glued to the Weather Channel all day.”
“I know. There was a—”
“You were supposed to be here. I had Alec and Landon here to help set up the game for you.”
My grandma still doesn’t know how to turn on ESPN. “Shoot, Grams, I know. But I was—”
“I can’t get through to your phone. Do you not have your charger? I knew I should’ve sent an extra. Did you miss the flight?”
Ah, shit, her breathing’s going crazy. “Grandma, are you using your oxygen?”
“I’ve got it.”
“ ’Kay, you take a breath. And give me more than two seconds to explain.” I wait till I hear her breathing even out, then I dive in. “I changed my ticket last second because my agent got me an audition for this Friday in Alabama. I’m sorry I forgot to call you, but I haven’t been to the airport since the storm started, and my phone got big-time water damage.”
“So where are you?”
Middle of nowhere at the moment. But I’m not telling her that. She’ll send out a search party with money she doesn’t have.
“Heading to Albuquerque. Hoping to catch a flight there.”
“Do you need money?”
“I’ll be okay.” I’m not getting it from her.
“You sure? How are you paying for your flight?”
I could lie and tell her Shay’s agency is covering it. Anyone else, I probably would.
But I
don’t
lie to Grandma.
“I’m going to call Landon. He can spot me till I get back.”
“If he can’t, you call me. And keep me up to date as much as you can, big shot.”
“I will.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I make sure her breathing is okay before hanging up. She scares the hell out of me when she panics like that. Though that really was my fault. Would’ve been a lot worse, though, if I were ten years younger.
A garbling monster awakens in my gut, and I toss Milo’s phone into the truck. Food first. I’ll call Landon later.
The people wandering around in the gas station look sketchy. I swear the guy behind the counter is a ghost. He’s sallow and transparent-looking. I shift my eyes away and grab a few things to snack on, not knowing what Shay likes or what she doesn’t. And when I check out, I think the pen on the counter moves without anyone touching it.
I’ve walked into
Paranormal Activity
, whatever number they’re on now.
I unload the stuff in the truck, shoving Milo’s drink into the cup holder, which can barely contain it. Since I’m not sure what Shay likes, I just leave the other two drinks—Pepsi and Diet Pepsi—there so she can pick. Then I grab the massive cheese-filled hot dog I nearly ate right off the heat roller and take a bite that could feed a small country. The thing is gone within five seconds, and I’m really tempted to eat the salad and side of fruit I got Shay. Instead I pop open the bag of sunflower seeds and dig into them, staying outside to keep my legs from cramping.
I stick a few
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