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“Go to sleep, Sol,” he whispered back.
“I will if you will. But if it helps? I’m not going to make trouble for you, okay? I just want to know what’s going on. And I won’t let you ignore me, you hear?”
Butch grabbed his courage with both hands. “What did you tell them about me?” he whispered again.
“What?”
“You heard. You were up there for hours. You must’ve talked about something. So I’m asking… did you talk about me?”
“They know we were in high school together.”
“That’s it? Just that?”
Silence.
“Sol. What else did you tell them?” His heart hammered.
“I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but I haven’t said anything, beyond the fact you might feel awkward having me around the place.”
Butch suppressed his snort. “‘Awkward’? And the rest.”
“Please. Don’t do this now. Let’s talk tomorrow, okay?”
He was right, of course.
“G’night.” Butch rolled over to face the wall, pulling his pillow around his head like a cocoon.
Despite Sol’s insistence he hadn’t divulged a lot, it seemed as if Butch’s past was catching up with him, and it could change everything.
Shit always got out, and it always stuck.
Chapter 15
Sunday, August 21
Sol woke up and glanced at the bunk opposite.
Empty.
Any relief he’d felt that they’d finally broken the ice and spoken the previous night, vanished.
This is not good.
Little light penetrated the area, and he grabbed his phone to see what time it was. Not even five o’clock, and he was wide awake.
He sat up and looked at the other beds. The four other guests were still out for the count, Walt was hidden under his blanket, and there was no sign of Zeeb or Paul.
Toby’s advice came back to him, and he decided to take advantage of the moment. He grabbed his towel and headed for the bathroom. He smiled to himself as he entered, noting the steam coating the mirrors over the sinks. Judging by the low tuneless singing coming from behind the blue shower curtain, he’d located Zeeb.
Sol stepped into the second shower enclosure.
“You’re one of those cheerful morning people, aren’t you?” he said in a low voice before he flipped on the water.
By the sound of it, Zeeb came close to choking.
“Warn a guy, why don’tcha? And for your information, it’s all an act. I’m fakin’ it till I get my first three cups of coffee inside me.” He paused. “How’d you sleep?”
Sol squeezed bodywash into his palm. “Not great, but then I never do the first night in a strange bed. I woke up a few times. Not that I was the only one having difficulty sleeping.”
