Total pages in book: 163
Estimated words: 150878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 754(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 503(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 150878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 754(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 503(@300wpm)
After a moment, we both stepped back and Katelyn walked over to her nightstand where she opened a drawer and removed something. When she held it out to me, I blinked down at it. A switchblade.
“It’s been scary at night. Everything’s totally dark and silent and I, well, I took this from my dad’s collection. He has other knives too, don’t worry. Here. You press this button,” Katelyn said, demonstrating so that the sharp blade swung out. She closed it and set it in my palm. “I’m not saying you’re going to need this, but…” She frowned, pausing for a moment. “My dad says a woman should always be prepared to protect herself.” She glanced out the window to our right where the pink sunset shone through the blinds. “Promise me you’ll use this if you need to.”
twenty-two
Emily
Day Five
As the town disappeared from view, I had this panicked desire to drop my backpack and run back to the Goodfellows’ house and beg them to let me stay. To hole up in that room upstairs with the handmade quilt and men already guarding the perimeter of the town. There had been a modicum of safety there, and now, though we were headed home, we were also headed out into a world where I had no idea what to expect. On our feet.
“This fucking sucks balls,” Charlie said. The sun still hadn’t fully risen, but the streaks of color in the sky were plenty bright to light our way.
“Let’s think of it like a hike,” I said. “When this is all over and we’re back home, we’ll be in the best shape of our lives.” I’d show up for my tour looking fantastic. And okay, maybe the tour would be postponed for a few months considering the catastrophe that would have taken place for a large part of the country, but I could not allow myself to believe that it wouldn’t happen at all. I’d worked so long and so hard for my dream to come true and I wasn’t going to let it go that easily. I wasn’t able to pretend like Charlie had suggested we do to cope, but positive thinking wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, I thought it was necessary.
“Yeah. A hike. Okay. It’s not a bad idea,” Charlie said. “I just signed on for that movie where I play a superhero. It starts filming this fall. I’ll be ripped.”
I nodded. “I was thinking last night about how I want to help too,” I said. “There’s going to be so much to do, you know? So much money to raise for the people affected by this disaster and maybe driven from their homes. I can only imagine the terrible stories we’re going to hear, right?”
“True,” Charlie agreed. “Hollywood and the music industry will go all in the way they always do. There’ll be dozens of telethons.”
I perked up at the thought of all the opportunities in front of me. “And marathons.”
“Walkathons.”
“Exactly. We should be on those phones, Charlie. We should cross finish lines for the cause and maybe even—” I drew in a breath as I looked over at him, a new idea suddenly coming to me “—perform a benefit concert!”
“That’s a great idea, Emily. With great privilege comes great responsibility.”
“Exactly.” Maybe I’d start writing a single for it while we were out on the road.
Up ahead, Tuck’s smooth gait didn’t change, but I swore I saw his shoulders move as he pulled in a long-suffering sigh and then let it out slowly.
He hefted the backpack higher on his shoulder and I did the same with mine. Along with the backpack Katelyn had given me, the sheriff had provided two more for Tuck and Charlie, including sleeping bags to roll up and strap beneath. He’d also given Tuck several other items they could spare: some food to get us through a couple of days, a canteen of water, a first aid kit, some matches, a map… They’d been very generous, and I knew it was in large part because Tuck had helped their son and brother who was now pain-free and on the mend.
We followed in his footsteps like we’d done when traveling from the plane to Silver Creek, speeding up when he did, and stopping when he took out the map to study it for a moment before refolding it and returning it to his backpack.
And honestly? I appreciated being led in this situation. Tuck had very naturally assumed the job of leading me and Charlie. Taking charge. Forging the path ahead. And despite that I was grateful for his role, part of me also felt irrationally resentful about the fact that Tuck was happier walking solo.
He was such a damn loner. Always a one-man show. It’d started when he was a teenager and compounded by a million when his mother died.