Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
“My ego needed that,” I whisper. “Thanks.”
“You’re not going to kick my ass for flirting with you?”
So we are flirting. Good to know.
“I can assure you, Tyler, kicking your ass is the last thing I want to do to you.” I nuzzle my nose against his hair again, wishing we were far from all this shit, alone in a hotel room.
He starts to say something, but then someone clears their throat. All lust and desire to chase after a man like Tyler are squelched.
Frannie shifts beside Tyler before saying, “How are you feeling, Kellen?”
Humiliated.
Horrified that she may have been listening in on what I thought was a private conversation.
I cough, then wince at the pain just under my ribs. “I, uh, am feeling okay. How are you doing? Holding up okay?”
“I’m worried about Ron,” Frannie utters, emotion making her voice quaver. “With his bad knee…” She trails off and then sobs. “He didn’t make it, did he?”
No one made it aside from a select few of us. The entire city is underwater. Still, I can’t be the one to be the bearer of bad news.
“I’m sure he’s fine,” I say, voice tight. “Just as soon as we get out of here, we’ll go look for him.”
Someone snorts nearby, sending another wave of shame rippling over me. Was everyone quietly listening to me and Tyler speak? Do they all know I’m gay now? Fuck.
“We need provisions,” the voice barks out. Kyle. “Barb hasn’t moved much. She needs more than a few sips of water. She needs proper care, hot food, and a fucking blanket.”
I understand his frustrations, but it’s as though he’s holding me responsible for this shit.
“Where, Kyle?” I grit out. “Where the hell do you plan on getting this stuff?”
Kyle curses under his breath but doesn’t reply.
“The break room on our floor,” Brian says, softly joining the conversation. Yep, everyone heard my mortifying attempt at flirting with a man half my age. Fucking wonderful. “There are cases of bottled water and a vending machine,” he continues. “There might even be a first aid kit or some ibuprofen.”
“That floor is completely submerged,” I remind him, irritated that I even have to. “We can’t get there. Not happening.”
Tyler stiffens from beside me, causing unease to skitter through me. He’s not thinking about…no. Not. Happening.
“Who can hold their breath the longest?” Kyle asks, followed by a bitter laugh.
Frannie, to my horror, chimes in, “I know I’ve grown soft in my old age, but I was quite the swimmer in college. I’ll do it.”
“The fuck you will,” I growl, searching for her face in the impossible darkness. “Are you trying to get yourself killed, woman?”
Tyler plucks his hand from mine and starts fumbling around in his bag. Seconds later, he pulls something out and blinding light floods the stairwell. Everyone, aside from Barb, stares our way, eyes wide and owlish. If I weren’t so pissed about this stupid proposition, I’d be absolutely ashamed that they all heard Tyler’s and my flirty talk.
“Flashlight still works,” Tyler says, waving it around briefly before snapping it off. “We can use this to search the break room.”
“Tyler, you’re not going. Neither are you, Frannie.”
“I’m going,” Kyle spits out. “Try to stop me, Kellen. Newsflash, we’ll die here if we don’t do something.”
Guilt floods through me. “I know, but there has to be a better way…”
“I’ll go too,” Brian says, “since I know the layout and it was my idea.”
Unbelievable.
“We have enough to get by through morning.” I rub at my temple and release a heavy sigh. “At least wait until then. There might be some light coming through the windows on that floor then. Doing it now would be suicide.”
Tyler’s hand finds my knee and he squeezes it. “Morning then. Until then, we’ll make a plan and have Brian map it out for us.” He turns, bringing his mouth so close to my cheek it makes my heart hammer in my chest. “I’m going to find that first aid kit so we can properly dress your wound and disinfect it.”
While it moves me that he’s motivated to do this in order to help me, it also scares the shit out of me.
“You all better come back,” I rasp out, hating how weak I sound. “That’s an order.”
Frannie, Tyler, Brian, and Kyle launch into their planning while I sit frozen in place. The thought of losing half our group is enough to have bile creeping up my throat. But they’re right. We need food and water. Plus, if we don’t get a first aid kit, it’s possible I could develop an infection from seawater that’s no doubt tainted with whatever it swept up in its successful attempt to drown the city.
I didn’t survive this long just to die from an infected cut.
“Please be safe,” I mutter. “Please.”
Tyler sits back and drops his head down on my shoulder. “I’ll look after them. It’s going to be okay.”