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“You coming or not, boy?”
The old man was waiting for me at the mouth of the alley.
“Are you going to let them walk all over you?” he said. The way he looked at me made me feel ashamed, like I’d done something embarrassing and didn’t have a clue what it was.
Jaw clenched, I said, “No...but what the fuck do you want me to do about it?”
He smiled at me, his teeth all yellowed and rotten. “I want you to follow me and stop asking dumbass questions.”
46 - Jessica
Vincent, Jojo, Bo,and Cherry were all snuggled around me on the bed. Now and then I would wake, but Vincent would rub my back for a while and soothe me back to sleep, reassuring me that the others would be back soon.
I didn’t like to wake up and not have them all there. Even with Vincent and all the animals around me, the bed felt too empty; the house did too. As if I’d been listening for them in my sleep, I woke instantly at the sound of their footsteps trudging in the door.
“Are they back?” I murmured, unable to open my eyes yet. I was resting against Vincent’s chest, still heavily weighed down by sleep. Jojo and Bo jumped off the bed, their nails clicking as they walked into the hall to greet the boys.
“They’re back,” Vincent assured me, tracing his fingers along my spine. His capable hands rubbed the knots out of my shoulders, easing away my tension. “Don’t worry, baby. They’ll be up here soon.”
Hearing them all come into the attic made me finally open my eyes. The room was dark, save for the strand of multicolored Christmas lights around Vincent’s bed. The gentle glow illuminated them as they climbed on the bed, discarding shoes and jackets on the floor.
“What happened?” I whispered, tracing my fingers over Lucas’s face as he lay down by Vincent’s side.
“They didn’t hurt us, sweetheart,” he said, leaning over to kiss my cheek.
“Everything is okay, Jess,” Jason said, climbing under the covers and spooning me. “We’re all here.”
It was a struggle to keep my eyes open as I reached for Manson’s hand, holding it tight as he climbed into bed behind Lucas. His hands felt so cold, his hair was disheveled. “Where did you go?”
“We had to send a message, angel,” he said, drawing my hand close and kissing my fingers. “I’m sorry we woke you.”
“Are you sure you’re not hurt?” I hated not knowing what had happened, but my eyes felt so heavy. Sleep was dragging me back into its clutches.
“We’re not hurt,” Manson said, his voice floating in the darkness as I closed my eyes again. “Don’t worry, Jess. We’ll be right here with you. Go back to sleep.”
Within seconds, I was out like a light.
