The silence went on another moment, as though Tean were waiting for something.Then he said, “Okay, well, apparently Amy needs us to grab a prescription from her house.”
The words seemed like they were coming through glass.
After a few seconds, Tean said, “It’s in the refrigerator, which I guess is why she forgot it when she was packing.”Another pause.“I told her we could pick it up.”
Daniel’s hand hiding the jewelry box.Daniel hiding the chain under the sofa cushions.Daniellyingabout it.
“Jem?”
“Hm?”
“Did you hear me?”
“Yeah.Her prescription.”The part of him trying to track the conversation recognized that Tean was waiting for something, so he scrambled for the right response.“I can get it.”
“I’m already out of the house.”Tean’s next breath was unhappy.“I couldn’t deal with my dad, who apparently is going to stay the night.Anyway, I just thought— Could you meet me there?I know it’s stupid, but I don’t want to go by myself.”
“Uh huh.”
“Okay.I know it’ll take you a while to get back.I’ll pick up some groceries and meet you there in, say, thirty minutes?”
“Hm.”
“Uh, okay.”Jem’s blood beat in his ears.And then Tean said, “Jem, is everything okay?”
“Yep.”
Daniellyingabout it.
“All right,” Tean said slowly.“I’ll see you at Amy’s in about half an hour.”
Jem disconnected.He merged onto I-15.The Subaru’s engine got louder as he accelerated, and the sound filtered into his head.It was like that dead channel, the one he’d tuned in to earlier, getting louder and louder.
I have friends.They’d help me.
Hands that smelled like bleach.Hands reaching for him.Hands touching him.
I’ll help you.
Jem turned off his phone.
Twenty minutes later, the Subaru shot past the exit for Amy’s house.
And as he headed toward the foothills, he stretched across the passenger seat and took the garage remote from the glove compartment.
24
The brick rambler was dark, and already Jem was breathing too fast.Sheared-off breaths.High in his chest.They burst into white clouds when he exhaled, and black specks floated in his vision.
It was the altitude.And it was all these damn hills.
He made himself take a deeper breath as he continued along the sidewalk.Spine straight.Shoulders loose.Not really looking at anything.Definitely not looking at that house.Just a guy out late on a walk.Cold, but not cold enough that someone would wonder about a guy taking a walk.He didn’tfeelcold.He didn’t feel anything.
The tire iron bounced against his leg.
Frost covered the lawn.The streetlight made each blade of grass glitter, turned everything shining white.Jem had to blink.His eyes felt gummy, and the lawn was so bright that it was like a glare.They talked about that in movies sometimes.And Tean had said something about it.Snow blindness.When the whole world is white, and it can blind you.But that was during the daytime, not at night.So, it was just a trick of the light.It was just his eyes.If he could just get a damn breath.
Beyond that stretch of white lawn, the house was shadows.Nothing showed in those fancy new windows.No fairy lights glowed on the rooftop deck.He was out.Or he’d gone to bed.That was fine.Jem could wait.
