didn’t want to risk waking her up—not now as she was finally getting some rest. I felt my own eyes grow heavy as I pressed my chin against the top of Livvy’s head, thought about Darin, thought about Gwen, thought about the future of us all, then slowly, very slowly, dozed off myself.
SIX
Shane
I woke up to the sound of pounding on the wall. My eyes jerked open and I sat straight up only to realize that I’d fallen asleep next to Livvy all night. She, too, opened her eyes, the look on her face one of surprise as I pulled my arm out from underneath her head.
“Sorry, Liv. I must’ve fallen asleep…” I tried to explain quickly.
There it was again. It wasn’t pounding on the wall but knocking on the front door followed by the sound of a car door shutting and an engine starting as a car drove away.
My lips felt pasted together as the horrid reality hit me with full force. My brother was dead. I glanced back over at Livvy to see if she was going to burst into tears or not. She slowly got to her feet and pointed to the bathroom. “I’m getting a shower.”
I nodded my head and walked out toward the front door. I wondered if she was pissed at me. Her husband had died and her brother-in-law had slept beside her all night. I knew I was over-analyzing the whole thing. Of course Livvy wouldn’t be pissed. She was—Livvy. She knew I was only trying to comfort her. I raked my fingers through my hair and shook it out again. What the hell time was it anyway?
I opened the front door to be greeted by a steady stream of blinding sunshine. I took two steps back for a moment to let my eyes adjust. There on the front step was a large arrangement of flowers. I walked out in my bare feet and picked up the huge vase, carrying it into the kitchen. The card said it was from Darin’s work. So word was already starting to spread about my brother. I glanced at the microwave clock. Eleven o’clock. Lunch or breakfast? I should make Livvy some eggs or something. My own stomach growled in agreement.
Searching for a pan, I finally found one and was trying to figure out more things like if Livvy even had any eggs in the fridge and how to turn the dang burner on. I had just cracked an egg into the pan when the doorbell rang.
Who now?
I glanced back at the egg sizzling away in the pan before silently cursing and making my way to the front door. I opened it wide to find some guy standing before me I’d never seen before. He must’ve been over fifty, I estimated, as half of his head had turned a grayish-white color. He was wearing a collared shirt and dress pants. He was holding a…pie?
“Um, hi. Can I help you?” I asked, my eyes still on what I thought was a pie.
The guy gave me a look over. “You Livvy’s brother?”
So he knew Livvy. Probably a neighbor or something. My thoughts drifted back to the egg sitting in the pan with the stove that was still on high. “Brother- in-law,” I stressed.
The guy just stood there and stared for a few seconds. “Is she home?”
My irritation grew. The last thing Liv probably wanted right now was a visitor. She was in no mood to talk, and neither was I. I swung the door wide open. “Come on in. She’s in the shower if you want to wait.”
He didn’t answer, just followed me inside as I rushed back to the kitchen. There was already the awful stench of burnt food lifting in the air along with some black smoke, and I was sure not just the egg had been cooked to a crisp, but the pan also. I cringed and cursed again as I struggled to turn the stove down and waved madly in the air at the smoke. I ran over to a window to crack it open. The guy just watched me, amused I was sure, as he sat his own pan down on the countertop.
“How is she?” he asked.
I raised my eyebrows, pissed off as I looked around deciding if I should try making another egg or maybe look for some cereal. Cereal would be safer.
This guy hadn’t even told me who he was. I instantly disliked him. He had no
SIX
Shane
I woke up to the sound of pounding on the wall. My eyes jerked open and I sat straight up only to realize that I’d fallen asleep next to Livvy all night. She, too, opened her eyes, the look on her face one of surprise as I pulled my arm out from underneath her head.
“Sorry, Liv. I must’ve fallen asleep…” I tried to explain quickly.
There it was again. It wasn’t pounding on the wall but knocking on the front door followed by the sound of a car door shutting and an engine starting as a car drove away.
My lips felt pasted together as the horrid reality hit me with full force. My brother was dead. I glanced back over at Livvy to see if she was going to burst into tears or not. She slowly got to her feet and pointed to the bathroom. “I’m getting a shower.”
I nodded my head and walked out toward the front door. I wondered if she was pissed at me. Her husband had died and her brother-in-law had slept beside her all night. I knew I was over-analyzing the whole thing. Of course Livvy wouldn’t be pissed. She was—Livvy. She knew I was only trying to comfort her. I raked my fingers through my hair and shook it out again. What the hell time was it anyway?
I opened the front door to be greeted by a steady stream of blinding sunshine. I took two steps back for a moment to let my eyes adjust. There on the front step was a large arrangement of flowers. I walked out in my bare feet and picked up the huge vase, carrying it into the kitchen. The card said it was from Darin’s work. So word was already starting to spread about my brother. I glanced at the microwave clock. Eleven o’clock. Lunch or breakfast? I should make Livvy some eggs or something. My own stomach growled in agreement.
Searching for a pan, I finally found one and was trying to figure out more things like if Livvy even had any eggs in the fridge and how to turn the dang burner on. I had just cracked an egg into the pan when the doorbell rang.
Who now?
I glanced back at the egg sizzling away in the pan before silently cursing and making my way to the front door. I opened it wide to find some guy standing before me I’d never seen before. He must’ve been over fifty, I estimated, as half of his head had turned a grayish-white color. He was wearing a collared shirt and dress pants. He was holding a…pie?
“Um, hi. Can I help you?” I asked, my eyes still on what I thought was a pie.
The guy gave me a look over. “You Livvy’s brother?”
So he knew Livvy. Probably a neighbor or something. My thoughts drifted back to the egg sitting in the pan with the stove that was still on high. “Brother- in-law,” I stressed.
The guy just stood there and stared for a few seconds. “Is she home?”
My irritation grew. The last thing Liv probably wanted right now was a visitor. She was in no mood to talk, and neither was I. I swung the door wide open. “Come on in. She’s in the shower if you want to wait.”
He didn’t answer, just followed me inside as I rushed back to the kitchen. There was already the awful stench of burnt food lifting in the air along with some black smoke, and I was sure not just the egg had been cooked to a crisp, but the pan also. I cringed and cursed again as I struggled to turn the stove down and waved madly in the air at the smoke. I ran over to a window to crack it open. The guy just watched me, amused I was sure, as he sat his own pan down on the countertop.
“How is she?” he asked.
I raised my eyebrows, pissed off as I looked around deciding if I should try making another egg or maybe look for some cereal. Cereal would be safer.
This guy hadn’t even told me who he was. I instantly disliked him. He had no
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