*** NEW AND IMPROVED ***
With her father missing, Shay will do anything to get him back, even if that means teaming up with a cruel gang leader and his band of psychotic men.
CHARACTER VIEWS DO NOT REPRESENT MY OWN.
***WARNING*** OFFENSIVE CON...
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SO COLD
Morning. 10:13 AM. Consciousness pried heavy eyelids up, lifting the flaps of skin with the tips of his fingers, curious for recognition and searching for the morning rush of sifting through memories and emotions. It was like staring straight into a beam of hot-white light. My eyes squeezed shut, crankiness waking up beside me, like a sullen teenager yanking their covers up over their head. My hand shot out, grabbing my ringing phone from the bedside table, fighting to urge to smash the glass screen to pieces. The charging wire tore away, somewhere on the floor. I answered the call. "What?!"
"Wanna go to Burger King?"
"Motherfucker. What time is it?"
"Uh..." Irvin was quiet for a minute, checking the time on his phone. "Ten fifteen. Why? You up yet?"
"Motherfucker. If I wasn't, would I be talking to you right now?"
"Damn. You're cranky as shit. So, Burger King?"
"Shove a fucking burger up your ass."
"That's unhygienic and it doesn't even sound like something I'd enjoy–"
I hung up.
I exhaled and flipped over on my stomach, face smushed against the pillow, phone shoved under. My eyelids burned with exhaustion, dry and wide awake. Shoulders tensed. Thirty seconds passed. A minute. "This fucker," I cursed in anger and flipped over to lie on my back. Sleep was fleeting, quick to vanish. My mind was active, flipping through a flutter of still-images from last night, forefinger wet and shifting through the pages at the quick pace of butterfly wings. I called Irvin back.
"Went through a tunnel, huh?" he answered, "happens to the best of us, don't sweat for an excuse, Shay. I forgive you."
"Where did you go last night?" My voice was low. I folded the corner of blanket over, slipping my legs out, intending to leave the room so I wouldn't wake up Cole. It didn't matter: He was awake, his arm went around my waist, face on my side, inhaling deeply. His eyes remained close. I relaxed, settling to lean back. I combed through his hair with a gentle hand as I spoke and inquired. "I searched for you. Why did you leave?"
"I felt claustrophobic." His voice was distant as he ordered the number #5 with a side of extra dips and fries and a large Coke. I heard the ring of a cash register and loud calls for orders.
"Where are you, you fat bastard?"
"At Burger King. I was going to wait for you and have a second meal and pretend like I didn't just eat," he paused and then disgruntledly complained, "why the fuck do dips cost the same as a full meal? I asked for extra cheese and she charged me 40 pence. This is terrorism. I'm going to report this bitch."
