Page 19 of The Spider & the Storm

It had been one hour, then two since I’d last heard from Mom, and I was starting to wonder if I should call. Just to ask what they were doing and if they were on their way home.

“Luke,” I said quietly.

“Hmm,” he grunted, half asleep with his head flopped against the armrest.

“Should we call Mom and Dad?”

His chest inflated with a sigh, and then he opened his eyes to look at me on the other end of the couch. “You freaking out again?”

I shrugged, dropping my gaze from his eyes. “No. I just …” I picked at a loose thread along the couch’s seam and tried to come up with something reasonable to say, yet I came up empty. So, I shrugged again, unable to look at him.

“If it’ll make you feel better, go ahead.”

I couldn’t snatch the cordless phone from the coffee table quick enough while trying hard not to seem too eager as I quickly dialed Mom’s number. I pressed it to my ear and listened as it rang and rang and rang, but she didn’t answer.

I hung up when it went to voice mail.

“She didn’t pick up?” Luke asked.

His eyes were closed again.

I didn’t reply as my stomach ached. Pinching and gnawing around those two sandwiches I was suddenly regretting.

“I’m sure they’re fine,” Luke muttered, slurring his words a little as he wrapped his arms around his middle and drifted closer to sleep.

“But …” I swallowed, staring at the glowing screen on the phone. “What … what if they’re not?”

“Stop.” I looked up to see him open one eye. “You know that’s just your brain talking. Tell it to shut up.”

And I tried. I really,reallyfreakin’ did as I forced my eyes to focus on the movie, but my mind just couldn’t settle, even as I wrapped a blanket around myself and felt my lids getting heavy.

Where are they?

I grabbed the phone again, quiet as to not wake Luke up, and I dialed Mom’s number. Still no answer. So, I dialed Dad’s number, and the phone rang one, two, three …

“Hello?”

I laid a hand against my chest and breathed out the biggest sigh of relief.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Charlie, buddy! What are you doing awake?”

“I, um …” I hesitated to tell him I’d been too worried to sleep. Mom, I could be honest with her, but Dad took my fears and feelings a little less seriously. But I couldn’t think of anything better to say. “I was waiting for you guys.”

“Tell him we’re fine,” I heard Mom say.

“Mom says to tell you we’re fine,” Dad repeated.

“Okay, good.” I breathed a little easier.

“We spent longer than we’d expected at the diner with Bill and Addy, but we’re on our way now.”

“Okay.” I pulled the blanket higher over my shoulder, not sure I remembered who Bill and Addy even were. But it didn’t matter. Mom and Dad were okay.

“So, get some … hold on.” His tone changed, and my eyes snapped open. “Sue, watch out for that guy. What—”

“What the hell is he doing?” Mom’s voice sounded frantic, urgent.

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