12:45 a.m.
My eyes wouldn’t focus. Snatches of light sparked against darkness, tumbling, flickering. It was still dark, still night, still with a fire flicking in the corner.
“God, Lottie, are you okay?” Jade clasped my hand. “You were so out of it.”
I swallowed down the bile before I could speak. “Need, pain…meds.”
“Where are they?” Alex asked.
I clutched my head. “Don’t know.” Each word stabbed like a dagger in my temples.
“Bathroom cupboard,” said Jade. “Downstairs.”
Pain, pain pounded behind my squinting eyes. “Quickly.”
“I’ll get them.” She ran downstairs.
Alex crouched next to me. “Can I help? You look like you might puke.”
“I’m fine.” I held on to the sofa for balance and pushed myself all the way up, swaying slightly as I stood.
“I’ll get some water.” Alex rushed to the kitchen and came back with a tepid glassful.
“Thanks.” I couldn’t see the edges of the glass to pick it up. Every thought hurt. The connections between my synapses were sparking electric shocks and zapping my brain.
Otis pushed his wet nose into my hand. I gave him a pat on the head.
“Here.” Jade pushed a giant-sized bottle of ibuprofen into my hand. “From your mom’s stock.” Of course she’d have plenty of meds.
“How long was I out?” I whimpered.
“Thirty minutes,” said Jade, checking her watch.
I shook out three red pills. They felt like stones going down. As long as they worked, I’d be fine, slow, but fine. If they didn’t, I had about ten minutes before I wouldn’t be able to think or even speak. I retched and swallowed back the bile. My head thudded. I needed to go back to sleep and lose myself in total silence and darkness.
But, there was Alex. Who hadn’t killed us yet.
I peered at him. He was just a lost teen with a giant dog, who’d fetched me glass of water. Possibly. I squeezed my eyes together. It hurt to think.
“Come and sit by the fire. You’ll feel better,” said Alex and led me by the hand.
“Thank you.” I felt pathetically grateful to be guided. I listened to the pop of the fire, and the plop of the snow, and pulled a blanket around me.
“We’ve been talking,” Jade said, sending Alex a quick, sweet smile, “while you were sleeping. It’s crazy cold out there and so late that it’s stupid for Alex to try and find his way in the dark. I said he could stay until morning.” She jutted out her chin, daring me to disagree.
“By morning there’ll be enough light for me to find my way, even if the signal’s still out,” Alex added. “And I’ll be out of your hair like I was never here.” He smiled.
It’s not like I had a choice. I nodded, which hurt like hell. “Promise you’ll leave first thing, before Oliver and Mum get back, or we will all be dead.” Wow, that was an exhausting sentence.
“I promise.” Alex bowed his head solemnly.
“Good.” Jade patted the floor. Otis bounded over and snuggled up against her, as if he’d known her his whole life. “No offense, Lottie, but you look terrible. You should sleep.”
Alex poked at the failing fire. “She’s right. Let the meds do their job and sleep it off.”
Just what I needed as my face was falling off—the two of them uniting against me. “I’m fine,” I mumbled. The word risk spiraled around my mind. There was something I was missing, something I’d forgotten. Something important, a reason I shouldn’t trust Alex, and I couldn’t find it. It was in there floating around my malfunctioning brain.
Risk.
Risk.
Risk, risk, risk.
The word lost all meaning and became a hissed warning instead.
“Hey, here’s another blanket.” Jade tucked it around me. “We can all sleep around the fire.” She glanced at Alex, who grinned back at her.
I stifled a yawn. No way was I falling asleep with Alex roaming the cabin.
“Yeah, I’m wiped out too.” Alex eyed the telescope case. “What’s that?”
“Just an old telescope,” said Jade, gathering her quilt around her like a nest.
Alex skimmed his thumb over the brass plaque. “Who’s the science enthusiast?”
“Oliver,” I said.
“Dad,” Jade answered at the same time. “He uses it sometimes.”
“Priceless,” I murmured.
Jade glared at me, hard enough to make my whole face squint.
“You’ll have to tell me about it in the morning,” said Alex with a smile.
The dog nuzzled into Jade’s side.
Alex curled up on the leather La-Z-Boy, using his jacket as a blanket. “Okay, everyone?” asked Alex. “Lights out.” And he turned off his flashlight.
I stared into the tiny flickers of flame, watching until they became orange ribbons and fluttered across the floor, dancing in my visions, like auroras dancing across the skies. I dug my fingernails into my palms to keep myself from drifting away and watched the shadow that was Alex watching the shadow that was me.