Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
He didn’t need to be told twice. With a huff, he hauled his massive body onto the bed and settled in beside me, his warmth pressing against my side. I wrapped an arm around him, letting his steady breathing calm the mess of thoughts swirling in my head. I wasn’t sure how much time passed. Minutes? An hour? Before the door creaked open.
Light footsteps padded across the floor, and then the bed dipped as Cherish climbed in beside me, squeezing into the already tight space Moose and I had claimed.
I laughed softly, rolling to the side to give her some room. “What are you doing?”
“Giving you sad girl cuddles,” she declared, her voice slurred with drunkenness.
“You’re super drunk. And I’m not sad.”
“Shhh,” she shushed me loudly, the scent of liquor heavy on her breath. “You are. It’s okay. I’m here. I’ll still kick his ass when I see him.”
That made me laugh, despite myself. “Cherish, you couldn’t kick a soccer ball in your state, let alone someone’s ass.”
She huffed indignantly, resting her head on my shoulder like we were kids again. “Doesn’t matter. I’d figure it out. Nobody makes my baby sister sad and gets away with it.”
Her words warmed me, even as I shook my head. “I’m not sad,” I insisted, though my voice lacked conviction.
“Liar,” she murmured, hugging me tighter. “You’re my sister. I know you.”
We talked a little after that—well, as much as one semi-drunk and one fully drunk girl could manage. Our words were slurred and scattered, the conversation weaving between nonsense and fleeting moments of seriousness.
At some point, her breathing evened out, and I knew she’d fallen asleep. I was on the verge of drifting off myself when I heard the door open again. Moose let out a soft huff but didn’t move.
I cracked my eyes open just enough to see Ryan standing in the doorway. His expression softened as he took in the scene—the two of us squished onto the bed, Cherish half-sprawled across me, Moose taking up the rest of the space.
Without a word, he grabbed the comforter from Cherish’s bed and draped it over us, tucking it in gently before retreating. I let my eyes close again, a faint smile on my lips.
I woke to the sensation of being shoved halfway off the bed and sunlight streaming through the windows, blinding and relentless. My head throbbed as I squinted against the light, groaning. Cherish had sprawled out in her sleep, taking up most of the bed, her arm flung carelessly over where I’d been lying.
“Cherish,” I griped, carefully maneuvering myself off the edge without falling. My headache pounded with each small movement. I looked down at myself and saw I was in sweatpants and a WOW sweatshirt—sans bra and underwear. I didn’t remember putting clothes on, but I had to be pretty damn out of it to skip those.
I looked around and saw Moose was no longer on the bed. I frowned, scanning the room. He wasn’t sprawled out on the floor or curled up by the door. He wasn’t anywhere. Carefully, I grabbed the blanket Cherish had kicked off and pulled it back over her.
She shifted but didn’t wake, mumbling something incoherent into the pillow.
“Moose?” I called softly, stepping into the hallway. The house was eerily quiet. I glanced toward the windows in the dining area. Judging by the light, it had to be midmorning, maybe later. Everyone else must’ve still been asleep. As I walked past the dining room, I stopped short.
Jason was asleep on top of the table. His hair was a mess, one sock was missing and Sharpie doodles were covering his face. Someone, or maybe himself, had draped the rug from the living room over him like a makeshift blanket.
“What the hell did I miss last night?” I murmured as I moved on, continuing my search for my dog.
I wandered through the living room, then the kitchen, growing more uneasy with every empty corner I passed. My steps slowed when I felt a faint breeze, cool and insistent.
Following it, I paused, my stomach dropping as I stared at the enclosed porch. The door to the outside was wide open, swaying slightly in the breeze.
“No, no, no,” I whispered, the panic rising in my chest as I did the math. Moose wasn’t in the house. The door was open.
He’d gone outside.
“Moose!” I called, my voice a little louder now as I stepped onto the porch and peered into the yard. Nothing but trees and an empty lawn greeted me. “Moose?”
Silence.
Shit.
I turned and jogged back inside, my heart pounding. There was no way I was about to take off into the woods without my phone, but the problem was I didn’t have it. Naija had taken the box of phones after we’d all tossed ours in, and now I had no idea where it was.