Page 21 of Absolute Certainty
“The National, as usual,” Sahar answered. “But I’m also eagerly waiting for the new Glass Animals album.”
“Taste,” Sam replied, then answered for himself. “I’ve been listening to a lot of instrumentals lately. Dec reminded me of theInterstellarscore, so I’ve had that one on replay again.”
Sahar bobbed her head. “Hans Zimmer can do no wrong.” She pointed to Sam’s phone. “Speaking of the ill numpty, Dec’s requesting to join.”
Sam frowned sympathetically and then clicked on the acceptprompt. Declan came into the frame from his living room. He’d been out with a bad cold since Saturday.
“How are you feeling, baby boy?” Sam asked.
“Decccccc,” Sahar elongated the c.
Declan shut his eyes dramatically. “Like death and decay,” he answered.
“Bro, how’d you get so sick?”
He shrugged. “No idea, man. But I’m mostly just congested today, so I’m hoping the worst of it has passed. Scale of one to ten, how much do you all miss me?”
Sahar scrunched her face, gesturing with her hands. “Like an eight. It’s way too quiet.”
“Ten. Thank the lord it didn’t happen while Ethan was off on his vacation. I couldn’t survive without both my boys.”
Sahar turned to him. “What am I, chopped liver?”
Sam and Declan both laughed. Momentarily, as though on cue, Ethan ran in. “I heard Dec,” he mentioned before stepping into the frame. “You realized you wouldn’t be seeing me for three days, so you got yourself sick by stressing about it so much? Is that what happened, sweet Cinnamon Toast Crunch?”
They all laughed. These three and their endearments toward one another. They’d never use such saccharine shit with their wives or girlfriends. It was hilarious and adorable.
Trailing off for a split second as the laughter settled, her mind wondered how Jay was around his friends.
“That’s it. That’s what it was. I should get sick more often. You’re so nice to me when I am. Is this how you felt when Willa was gone?” Declan mentioned with a wink.
Ethan shook his head lovingly. Sahar peered up at him, remembering how quiet and sad he’d been when Willa had gone back to England for her brother’s wedding. Outside of their interviews, he’d been so dejected. Lost. She hadn’t realizedDeclan and Sam hounded him about it, but it made sense that they would.
What would it be like to have someone miss her like that? To have someone for whom she wasn’t too much, but everything instead. Someone who craved her company the moment she was no longer with them.
“Okay, I’m leaving. I just wanted to say hi to the sick peanut.”
Declan blew a kiss through the camera. Ethan did the same and then left Sam’s dressing room.
“Okay, sweet cheeks, we gotta go get ready. They’re going to call fifteen minutes any second now.” Sam said.
Declan pouted. Sahar did, too. “Feel better!” she added.
Waving, Declan left the Instagram live, and after, Sam and Sahar said bye to the viewers watching before promising not to wait too long until they went live again.
Sam turned to her before she got up. “Hey, are you okay? Dec being gone isn’t the only reason it’s quiet around here. You’ve seemed off the past few days. Is it the breakup? You know, I’m here if you need anything.”
Sahar trusted Sam like she trusted everyone atMidnights,but she wasn’t going to tell him that she was tamping herself down because it’d occurred to her that she could be the problem in all her relationships.
She dismissed the truth. “No, no. I’ve just been more tired.”
He tilted his head like he was trying to read her. “You sure that fucker didn’t hurt you in any way? You say the word, and the three of us will beat his ass for you.”
Giving him a genuine laugh at the sentiment, she nodded once more. “I’m grateful, but no need to duel in my honor.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll take the hint. But also, what’s this project you’re reading from a friend? Do I get to know?” he added with his signature smirk.
She could tell him this. It wasn’t like Sam would go paradingit around. “You know Jay from Amanda’s? He’s written a limited series, and I got him to let me read it. It’s incredible.”
