Page 25 of Survival

“You drive a hard bargain,” I deadpanned, even though I grinned.

We rode home singing to songs from a rock station Izzy had blaring on my radio, and I was happy for the small glimpse of my old friend again. I hated turning the car off when we reached my house.

“Here or at your place?” I asked, throwing open my door.

“Here,” she decided, pulling her bag and purse from the car. “Nic’s been here by himself all day. I’m sure he’d like the company.”

I smiled before following her up the walk, glad that at least one of my friends had hit it off with my cousin. Tucker was trying, but they hadn’t really clicked yet, and hell if I even knew if there was a chance for Nic to ever get along with Annie.

It wasn’t too bad with my family. Mom pestered him a lot about likes and dislikes and had tried making several of his favorite meals, and when Dad learned Nic was clueless about cars, he’d been pulling him into the garage a few nights a week, just like he had with Colton and I all our lives.

Harper was mostly holed up in her room, stuck to her phone with her friends, but Colton was ecstatic to find out that Nic played soccer and just about laughed himself into tears when he heard our cousin call it football. He made me promise to show Nic what American football was before he left.

“Hey, Nic,” Izzy said when we stepped inside.

“Hi, Izzy.” He smiled, looking up from a book. “Jet,” he acknowledged.

“Hey.” I held up a hand, already heading to the kitchen, my stomach growling. I grabbed a bag of leftover croissants from the counter, stuffing a couple in my mouth.

“How’s your book?” Izzy took a seat on the sofa.

“Bloody brilliant. The main character gets stalked. It’s really interesting because you’re able to read both characters’ perspectives.”

“As in the stalker and the stalkee?” Disgust mixed with horror crossed Izzy’s face. “Who’d want to be in a stalker’s head?”

“It’s fascinating, actually, getting to see how everything is twisted in their perception. I’m almost at the climax of the story now. I’m thinking someone might die here at the end.”

“Wow. I’m more of a romance reader, but it sounds like something Annie would like.”

“Hmmm…”

The inclination in my cousin’s response was hard to miss, and I frowned before taking a swig from the milk carton to help swallow my mouthful of rolls. Stuffing it back in the fridge, I headed back to the living room. “You ready to start on homework, Izzy?”

She glanced up. “Oh, yeah. Sorry, Nic. Homework.” She made a pretend face at the idea as she got up. I just wished I could make that face in pretend. Theonlything making college exciting for me next year was football.

We set up at the table and got to work, and when I got too stuck on a few problems, Izzy held out her hand, quickly finding where I’d gone wrong.

“Thanks. You’re a lifesaver,” I said as she passed it back.

“No problem.” She glanced at her Fitbit. “Crap. I can’t believe what time it is. I’m going to be late.”

I frowned. “For what? Aren’t you only doing dance a few days a week for now? Until your ankle is stronger?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. I’ve regressed so much. I’m so behind. But no, it’s for work. The daycare’s shorthanded this week since Tammy’s on vacation, and Leo’s sister texted while we were on the way home to ask me to come in today. And since they gave me off last week, it just seems fair…” She quickly gathered her things.

My stomach dropped. “Izzy…”

“Yeah?” She looked up.

There it was, that small hint at the brightness that used to fill my friend’s eyes. It was good to see but not when I knew how vacant they would look in only a matter of hours if she went in. “You had to tell them yes?”

“Of course. They need me.”

I wondered who she meant. Her coworkers or the babies. “Do they really?”

“Yes.” Her look hardened as she picked up on what I meant.

“Do Tucker and Annie know you’re going in today?”

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