“Wait a minute. Was Corrigan with him? Is he okay, too?”
But they weren’t replying to me. As they all started for their cars, I grabbed Sheila’s arm. “Wait. He’s okay? Nothing happened to him?”
She gave me the slightest of warm smiles. Her tone was gentle. “He’s okay, Sheldon.” She patted my arm. “I’ll inquire about Corrigan, but we weren’t here out of any concern for them. We just need Bryce to answer a couple of questions.”
“Oh.” Then what the hell was happening? “What’s happened?”
“I can’t say anything, but trust me. In a fucked-up way, this might be good news for you.”
Huh? So many questions were racing through me as I stood there and watched both cars pull out of the driveway.
The same helpless feeling that had been plaguing me weighed heavily once again. I felt like an elephant was trying to sit on my chest.
“Sheldon,” Denton called from the front steps. He sounded wary. “Come in. The guy told me before they left that Corrigan’s going to the station with Bryce, then I’m sure they’ll head back when they can.”
That something that is off was still with me. I couldn’t shake it, and I wondered if this was the beginning of an impending doom.
“Sheldon.” Denton still waited. I hadn’t moved. When I still didn’t move, he said, “I’m closing the gate. You can stay out here all you want. I’ll wait here.”
I glanced back to see that he had settled down on the ground, leaning back against the wall. He rested his head back and closed his eyes. There was no Mena so I assumed she had gone inside, but I didn’t care.
Corrigan and Bryce were the only ones I cared about.
As it was, I didn’t have to wait that long. Corrigan texted me a few minutes later: Home soon. B needed to answer some questions the police had. Don’t know what’s going on, but it was about Guadalupe.
“Was that Corrigan?” Denton must’ve heard my phone beep.
“Yeah.” I headed back up the stairs now. “They’re heading home now.”
He yawned, rubbing a hand over his face. His makeup smeared. “That was fast. The cops literally just left.”
“Yeah.” I frowned, but we’d have answers soon. Offering a hand to him, I helped him up and we went inside. “Where’s Mena?”
“She said she was tired. I’m sure she’ll be in her room all night now.”
He went to the refrigerator, and when he pulled out two bottles of water, I smiled in thanks and took a seat at the table. He sat across from me. “Man,” he said. “I’m tired. I need to go back to work. Too much stress trying to find your killer, traipsing around in ball gowns.”
I grinned. “I thought this would be second nature to you, Mr. I’m-in-Movies.”
He laughed shortly. “Nah. The hours are fine. Even dressing up and pretending to be a fraternity brother who’s pretending to be a girl is fine. It’s the stress about what could happen to you, now being worried about Bryce and Corrigan, too.”
Denton was concerned about them too. I frowned to myself. That thought had never occurred to me, but I didn’t know why it hadn’t. It wasn’t a surprise.
“What?”
He had noticed my look. “You care about them, too.”
He nodded. “They’re good guys. I do. I’m firmly in the friend-zone, so yeah, I feel like I’m actually friends with all of you guys, not just you.”
“Thank you, Denton.”
“For what?”
I gestured around the room. “For this, sheltering us.” For caring about my family, too. “Thanks for everything.”
He gave me a half-grin. “Aw, Sheldon. You’re such a softie inside.”
I scowled and gave him the middle finger.
“See.” He pointed at my hand. “Even that’s with love. I can tell.”
“Shut up.” I laughed.
“Listen, I’m all for staying up and making sure the guys are fine, but,” a yawn escaped him, “I don’t think I’m going to make it.”
“Pussy.”
“I’ll take it.” He grinned. “Come on, Sheldon. Tonight’s been a long night. Go to bed. The guys will be fine. They’ll be here in the morning.” He pointed to my phone. “Corrigan texted you. You know they’re fine.”
“Yeah, maybe.” If I were in bed, I wouldn’t be here when they both walked in; I wouldn’t feel the urge to wrap my arms around both of them, never wanting to leave them again. Then I shook my head. What the hell was going on with me? I grinned, laughing at myself. I was becoming a sentimental fool. Denton was right. Bed was the right place to go. They’d be there in the morning, no awkward middle-of-the-night hugs to be had.
“Okay.” I stood up.
Denton lifted an eyebrow. “That was easier than I thought.”
“Yeah, well, you’re right. I should get some sleep. Tomorrow . . .” Tomorrow would be another day spent trying to figure out what the hell I could do. “’Night, Denton.”
“’Night, Sheldon.”
I left for my room alone. He went to the refrigerator for something. If I was going to avoid the late-night awkwardness, I had to go now. If I waited to walk with Denton, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to go. I’d wait at that table the whole night, if I needed to, but when I got to my room and after getting ready for bed and crawling under the bed sheets, it didn’t matter.
I was still restless.
I still wanted to be up.
I still wanted to hug both of them.
I lay in bed for an hour, tossing and turning, until I heard someone’s voice in the hallway. My heart leapt to my chest. Was it—”’Night, Bryce.” A door closed, then light flashed under my door. I slid out of my bed without thinking. No, that wasn’t true. My internal logic was yelling at me to stay put, but I switched it off. The need to see Corrigan was too much.
I opened the door just as he was closing his.
It opened again, and his head poked out. “Sheldon?”
I sighed. He looked good, so damn good. My fingers curled around the doorframe, and I rested against it, not moving another inch. I could see him. That was good enough. “Hey,” I whispered.
His face transformed. The slight concern morphed into a tender grin. “Hey, yourself.”
But they weren’t replying to me. As they all started for their cars, I grabbed Sheila’s arm. “Wait. He’s okay? Nothing happened to him?”
She gave me the slightest of warm smiles. Her tone was gentle. “He’s okay, Sheldon.” She patted my arm. “I’ll inquire about Corrigan, but we weren’t here out of any concern for them. We just need Bryce to answer a couple of questions.”
“Oh.” Then what the hell was happening? “What’s happened?”
“I can’t say anything, but trust me. In a fucked-up way, this might be good news for you.”
Huh? So many questions were racing through me as I stood there and watched both cars pull out of the driveway.
The same helpless feeling that had been plaguing me weighed heavily once again. I felt like an elephant was trying to sit on my chest.
“Sheldon,” Denton called from the front steps. He sounded wary. “Come in. The guy told me before they left that Corrigan’s going to the station with Bryce, then I’m sure they’ll head back when they can.”
That something that is off was still with me. I couldn’t shake it, and I wondered if this was the beginning of an impending doom.
“Sheldon.” Denton still waited. I hadn’t moved. When I still didn’t move, he said, “I’m closing the gate. You can stay out here all you want. I’ll wait here.”
I glanced back to see that he had settled down on the ground, leaning back against the wall. He rested his head back and closed his eyes. There was no Mena so I assumed she had gone inside, but I didn’t care.
Corrigan and Bryce were the only ones I cared about.
As it was, I didn’t have to wait that long. Corrigan texted me a few minutes later: Home soon. B needed to answer some questions the police had. Don’t know what’s going on, but it was about Guadalupe.
“Was that Corrigan?” Denton must’ve heard my phone beep.
“Yeah.” I headed back up the stairs now. “They’re heading home now.”
He yawned, rubbing a hand over his face. His makeup smeared. “That was fast. The cops literally just left.”
“Yeah.” I frowned, but we’d have answers soon. Offering a hand to him, I helped him up and we went inside. “Where’s Mena?”
“She said she was tired. I’m sure she’ll be in her room all night now.”
He went to the refrigerator, and when he pulled out two bottles of water, I smiled in thanks and took a seat at the table. He sat across from me. “Man,” he said. “I’m tired. I need to go back to work. Too much stress trying to find your killer, traipsing around in ball gowns.”
I grinned. “I thought this would be second nature to you, Mr. I’m-in-Movies.”
He laughed shortly. “Nah. The hours are fine. Even dressing up and pretending to be a fraternity brother who’s pretending to be a girl is fine. It’s the stress about what could happen to you, now being worried about Bryce and Corrigan, too.”
Denton was concerned about them too. I frowned to myself. That thought had never occurred to me, but I didn’t know why it hadn’t. It wasn’t a surprise.
“What?”
He had noticed my look. “You care about them, too.”
He nodded. “They’re good guys. I do. I’m firmly in the friend-zone, so yeah, I feel like I’m actually friends with all of you guys, not just you.”
“Thank you, Denton.”
“For what?”
I gestured around the room. “For this, sheltering us.” For caring about my family, too. “Thanks for everything.”
He gave me a half-grin. “Aw, Sheldon. You’re such a softie inside.”
I scowled and gave him the middle finger.
“See.” He pointed at my hand. “Even that’s with love. I can tell.”
“Shut up.” I laughed.
“Listen, I’m all for staying up and making sure the guys are fine, but,” a yawn escaped him, “I don’t think I’m going to make it.”
“Pussy.”
“I’ll take it.” He grinned. “Come on, Sheldon. Tonight’s been a long night. Go to bed. The guys will be fine. They’ll be here in the morning.” He pointed to my phone. “Corrigan texted you. You know they’re fine.”
“Yeah, maybe.” If I were in bed, I wouldn’t be here when they both walked in; I wouldn’t feel the urge to wrap my arms around both of them, never wanting to leave them again. Then I shook my head. What the hell was going on with me? I grinned, laughing at myself. I was becoming a sentimental fool. Denton was right. Bed was the right place to go. They’d be there in the morning, no awkward middle-of-the-night hugs to be had.
“Okay.” I stood up.
Denton lifted an eyebrow. “That was easier than I thought.”
“Yeah, well, you’re right. I should get some sleep. Tomorrow . . .” Tomorrow would be another day spent trying to figure out what the hell I could do. “’Night, Denton.”
“’Night, Sheldon.”
I left for my room alone. He went to the refrigerator for something. If I was going to avoid the late-night awkwardness, I had to go now. If I waited to walk with Denton, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to go. I’d wait at that table the whole night, if I needed to, but when I got to my room and after getting ready for bed and crawling under the bed sheets, it didn’t matter.
I was still restless.
I still wanted to be up.
I still wanted to hug both of them.
I lay in bed for an hour, tossing and turning, until I heard someone’s voice in the hallway. My heart leapt to my chest. Was it—”’Night, Bryce.” A door closed, then light flashed under my door. I slid out of my bed without thinking. No, that wasn’t true. My internal logic was yelling at me to stay put, but I switched it off. The need to see Corrigan was too much.
I opened the door just as he was closing his.
It opened again, and his head poked out. “Sheldon?”
I sighed. He looked good, so damn good. My fingers curled around the doorframe, and I rested against it, not moving another inch. I could see him. That was good enough. “Hey,” I whispered.
His face transformed. The slight concern morphed into a tender grin. “Hey, yourself.”
