Total pages in book: 167
Estimated words: 164838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 824(@200wpm)___ 659(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 824(@200wpm)___ 659(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
Rinsing them under the tap, I stuck them in a bowl, grabbed the rest of the cheese slowly cultivating its own penicillin, then carried my midnight snack out to the living room.
A crescent moon hung in the sky, dotted with silver stars. No lights shone in any of the houses. No foot traffic or car traffic. Everyone was fast asleep.
Shoving a few grapes into my mouth, I bit off a corner of cheese and sat in the chair by the window. The view angled right into Sailor’s front yard, revealing she’d mowed the strip of lawn at some point and yanked out a few offending weeds.
How was she going with the renovation?
Was she still painting the living room and deleting Milton’s presence?
How’s her mental health going?
Seeing her appearing occasionally on my cameras between surgeries wasn’t enough to know if she was happy. Alive yes, but anything else…I had no idea.
Movement caught my attention as I worked my way through the grapes and cheese.
Sailor.
I froze as she stepped out of her front door and headed toward the swinging egg chair by the railing. Scooting onto the swing, she nursed a cup of something, wrapping both hands around it as if it was snowing outside and not hot enough for crickets to chirp.
Her face tipped toward my place. I couldn’t make out her features in the gloom, but I swear she stared exactly where my front camera was. Shrinking into the shadows, I hoped she couldn’t see me.
What was she doing up so late?
Had she had another nightmare?
A panic attack?
My heart pounded at the thought of her struggling on her own. I should never have cut contact with X. What if she still needed to vent? To talk to a faceless stranger and get rid of all the darkness inside her?
Fuck.
Putting my empty bowl down, I padded back to the kitchen where I’d left my phone.
Swiping on the device, I scanned a text from Colin and my younger sister before clicking on the thread with Sailor.
I couldn’t let her sit out there alone.
It just wasn’t possible.
I’d text her as Zander.
I was her neighbour, after all.
I’m allowed to spot her out the window without it being creepy.
My thumbs flew over the screen as I made my way, in my boxer-briefs, back to the living room. I didn’t go near the window, just in case she saw me.
She’d tucked her legs up and sipped her drink. Peng had joined her and sat curled on her lap. She looked so young, so innocent.
Just as alone as I felt.
My chest ached.
Me: Turns out, we’re both night owls. If you can’t sleep, you can talk to me.
I pressed send and watched for her reaction.
She didn’t move.
She didn’t reach for a phone, hinting she’d probably left it inside.
Minutes ticked past, then half an hour.
My eyelids drooped and my shoulders sagged. I swayed on my feet, doing my best to stay awake all while fighting a losing battle.
Finally at three a.m., she vanished back inside, and I tripped up the stairs.
I barely made it back to bed before I was out cold.
* * * * *
Next time I woke was to brightness and noise.
My phone screeched with its obnoxious ringtone, flooding my system with adrenaline.
God, please don’t let it be work.
If I got called in, I honestly didn’t think I’d make it through the day. I’d never been this…sore. Not just physically but emotionally. It felt as if that proverbial train had come back and not just run me over but dragged me behind it for miles.
Fumbling in the bedcovers, I found the wailing device and swiped it on.
“Dr North speaking.”
“Oooo, hello Dr North speaking. Don’t you look at caller ID?”
I scowled and flopped back onto my pillow. “What the hell are you doing calling me so early?”
“It’s eleven o’clock.” Colin snickered.
“Fuck, is it?” Stretching, I reached for my glasses. My foggy eyesight suddenly became crisp, revealing the sun was high in the sky. “Shit, so it is.”
“I take it you crashed hard?”
“If you told me the world ended last night and you’re the last person alive, I wouldn’t be able to argue.”
“Love those nights when you’re dead.”
Sitting upright, I scratched my scruff and shoved a pillow behind my back. “Still feel like I’ve been run over, though.”
“I have the perfect cure for that. A friend of mine is going out on the lake with his boat this arvo. I asked if I could bring a plus-one.”
“Aw…and you thought of me.” I yawned. “So sweet.”
Placing the call on speaker, I brought up my inbox, making sure I hadn’t missed anything urgent.
Christina and Jolie had messaged me in the family chat, along with a couple of colleagues at work. Colin’s text loomed unanswered from an hour ago when he presumably tried to contact me.
“If you’re keen, you’re welcome. All you have to bring is yourself and some beer. I could swing by and pick you up on my way?”