Page 25 of Enraged

I don’t think I’ve ever been in this house where it’s so quiet.

I stared at the pictures on the wall. Our senior class picture that we took on the back lawn, a framed picture of Cassie and Dakota from their engagement session, a framed picture of Jace and me from ours, a picture of our Creek’s Edge National Bank family, a picture of Baxter, Dakota’s childhood dog. Years and years of memories were scattered across the old walls, reminding me that everything would be different now.

Where the fuck do you go from here, Lena?

Before I could answer myself, the room went pitch black.

Dakota

Aaaaand the power is out.

“Fuck!” I cursed aloud.

“Dak!”

Lena.

“Comin’!” I climbed out of bed and tried to feel my way to the door. My equilibrium was off from the rendezvous with Jack Daniels and then the rendezvous with Lena.

I’m sure the absolute pitch-black room isn’t helping.

“What the fuck happened?” She demanded from a few doors down.

I banged my knee against the stair railing as I baby stepped down the hallway.

I told your drunk ass we were under a winter storm warning!

Finally feeling what I thought was her door frame, I spoke gently.

“Remember the winter storm I mentioned? Yeah, that causes power outages.”

I rolled my eyes, knowing she couldn’t see me.

“I know you’re rolling your eyes,” she called out from somewhere inside the dark master bedroom.

Chuckling, I crab walked into her room, only to have my shin connecting with some fuck ass old piece of furniture. “You sum’ BITCH!”

She howled with laughter. “Your eyes haven’t adjusted?”

Obviously fuckin’ not.

“Yeah, Lena Loo, they did. I just decided that I was gonna pick tonight to identify as a fuckin’ bumper car.” More laughter.

Well, I guess that’s better than cryin’.

I rubbed my eyes. They were finally adjusting to the darkness, just in time for me to notice she was sitting on the floor.

“Why are you on the floor?”

“When the lights went out, I tried to grab my phone to turn it on and use the flashlight to come find you, but I knocked it off. I was looking for it.”

Always so damn clumsy.

“Well, I’m here now, but there’s just one problem.”

I could feel her judgmental stare even in the dark.

“Just one problem… that’s some interesting math skills you have, Lieutenant Clayton.”

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