by T. L. Haddix
“Then I’m doubly glad,” Noah said. “I just… I like having you around.”
Eli laughed. “Trust me, you’ll have me underfoot more than you can stand. I’ll just be at the foot of the hill, and we’ll be working together every day.”
Noah sighed. “I know. I’m being silly.”
“Yeah, well. I am the perfect roommate.” Eli tossed a small pillow at him.
“You don’t get in the way too much,” Noah said, swatting him with the pillow. “So have you and Haley set the date yet?”
“No. Soon-ish, I think. I hope. She mentioned something about Valentine’s Day, God help me.” But the happiness on his brother’s face belied the exasperated words.
Noah nudged Eli’s right foot with his own. “There are worse days.”
“Yes, there are. Now show me what you can do with this thing.” He gestured to the guitar.
By the time Sophie called, Noah was getting the hang of how the game worked. They didn’t talk for long, as she had chores she needed to take care of, and after extracting a promise that she’d call later, Noah went back to the game. The activity did its job though, and he felt much calmer by the time Sophie buzzed him again.
He should have known expecting that peace to last was asking for too much.
The grocery store was a bustling hive of activity. As Noah wound around shoppers pushing carts to reach the produce section, he realized something didn’t feel right, but he couldn’t put his finger on what exactly. Shrugging aside the feeling, he looked around and found his target.
“There you are,” he said, smiling, and headed toward Sophie. She was putting something in her buggy. “I found them.” He held up whatever was in his hand—chocolate candy bars, he saw as he looked at it.
Sophie laughed and pushed her hair off her cheek. “Why are you putting it in my cart? What are you doing, Noah?”
“Mom! Mom, he won’t leave me alone,” a boy, probably ten or twelve years old, said as he rushed up to her, a younger boy on his heels. “Tell him to stop, Mom.”
Sophie ran her hand over the younger boy’s head. “Leave your brother alone.”
She called the boys by name, but Noah couldn’t make out what they were. Both the boys were looking at him, not listening to Sophie.
“Who’s this?” the oldest asked, scowling. “And why’s he putting stuff in your cart, Mom?”
Noah looked down, stunned to see that the single package of candy bars had morphed into a dozen, and they were sliding from his hands into the cart. When he lifted his eyes back to Sophie, he felt a jolt. Gone was the pleased smile. In its place was the sneer he’d come to associate with Erica.
“I told you to get away from me, you freak. I don’t want you. I never wanted you. You’re just too stupid to figure that out,” Sophie spat.
Stunned and sick at heart, Noah tried to back away. But his feet wouldn’t move. He was glued to the floor as effectively as if he’d stepped in cement. “I’m sorry… this can’t be real.” He tried to turn his face to look around. He halfway realized he was dreaming, but he couldn’t quite get his brain to fully make that connection. “This isn’t real.”
“Isn’t it?” Jeff Whitaker asked, coming up to wrap an arm around Sophie’s shoulders. “She’s mine. She always has been. And this one’s a girl.” He patted Sophie’s belly, which had, in the way of dreams, expanded to a full baby bump. “They’re all mine.”
As Noah watched in horror, Jeff kissed Sophie full on the lips. A laughing couple turned the corner at the end of the row, and his heart raced when he saw who it was: Eli and Erica.
“There’s my brother the loser,” Eli called, his voice carrying.
Suddenly the tall shelves of food that had divided the produce section from the rest of the store were gone, leaving the market open from one side to the other. And all the bustling shoppers had stopped in their tracks, laughing and pointing at Noah.
When he turned back to confront Eli, he was stunned to see that Erica was gone. Haley was in her place, but instead of the kind, sweet woman he knew her to be, a deriding sneer marred her face.
“You’re such a freak, Noah,” Haley said, her tone full of false regret.
Still, he couldn’t move. He felt sweat beading on his face and racing down his spine as everyone in the store laughed and mocked him.
A blinding bright light burst above his head, slowly unfolding as it washed over all the people. One by one, their flesh turned to ash and flaked away as though blown by a strong wind. When it was gone, every last person in the store had been stripped down to their skeletons.
Horrified by the brutal scene, Noah tried to move away, to run away. “No, no, no,” he cried hoarsely. “This isn’t happening. It can’t be happening.”
But it was. Sophie was gone. Eli was gone. Haley, the kids, Jeff. All of them.
And still they laughed.
Looking at his hands, which were curled into claws, Noah fully expected to see his own flesh disintegrate. Instead, it turned cold, gray, aching with the frigid air that was blowing over him. He was turning to stone, and he was completely helpless to prevent it. His breath caught in his throat and he struggled to find air, to pull oxygen into his lungs.
“Noah! Come on, man. Wake up. Come on. Noah!”
Eli’s voice reached him through a fog. Then, as suddenly as the dream had begun, it was over.
Noah was sitting up in bed, curled into himself, his hands clenched tightly around a pillow. And he was absolutely freezing.
“Hey, there you are. Come on, now.” Eli’s voice was quiet, soothing, and his hands were warm as he rubbed Noah’s arms briskly. “Come on. Look at me. It was just a dream. You’re okay, Noah. It was just a dream.”
“No,” he gasped. “It wasn’t. It was the end of the world.” He was almost afraid to open his eyes, afraid he’d see the hideous, empty sockets of Eli’s skull looking back at him. But if he kept his eyes closed, the dream might come back. He took a chance and finally pulled in a full, deep breath when he saw his brother’s concerned face bathed in the warm light from the bedside lamp. “Oh, God.”
“Do I even want to know?” Eli was still rubbing Noah’s arms, though not quite as briskly. “You’re white as a ghost.”
Noah shook his head. Telling Eli about the dream was beyond his capabilities at the moment. He was still shaking, emotionally cold and sick to his bones. “Sorry to wake you.”
“Shut up. Are you okay?”
Even though he wasn’t sure, Noah nodded. His heart was slowing down, and he shoved himself back to sit against the headboard with a harsh sigh.
“It’s cold up here,” Eli said. He grabbed a blanket draped across the foot of the bed then wrapped himself in it. But he didn’t make a move to leave.
“How’d you know I was having a nightmare?” Noah scooted over and patted the space beside him.
Fig, who’d been at the foot of the bed and watching them closely, hurried up to take the spot, giving a low, soft purr when Noah pulled her into his lap. He needed the physical reassurance as much as she did.
“You were yelling.”
“Oh.”
Eli handed him the bottle of water from the nightstand then sat quietly as Noah drained it. He didn’t press for answers, and after a few minutes, Noah felt strong enough to speak. He told Eli about the nightmare.
“You all just… fell apart in front of me,” he finished. “Like you’d been vaporized. All that was left was your skeletons.”
Eli whistled low. “That’s rough. I’m sorry.”
Noah shook his head. “Not your fault.”
“At least you don’t have prophetic dreams. There’s that.”
Noah looked at his brother, incredulous. “Sweet God, I don’t even want to…” He shuddered. “I may never go to sleep again.” The clock s
howed the time to be a little past four thirty, too early for him to justify getting up.
Eli touched his arm. “Want me to stay with you?”
“Nah, I’m a big boy. I’ll go wash my face then try to lie back down.” He moved Fig aside and threw back the covers. “Thanks though.”
But when he came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, Eli was still there. In fact, he’d made himself comfortable, taking off the prosthesis and settling into bed.
Noah frowned. “What are you doing?”
“Sleeping. Or trying to. It’s too cold to go back downstairs. Just don’t think you can roll over and cuddle me in the middle of the night.” To punctuate his words, Eli slapped a pillow down between his side of the bed and Noah’s.
“Smart-ass.” But Noah didn’t try to convince him to go back downstairs. Truth be told, he didn’t want to be alone.
Once Noah was back under the covers, Fig stretched out across the pillow so that she was touching both him and Eli, and he sighed. The dream was mostly fading, thank God.
Eli turned off the lamp. “Night.”
“Good night.” As he stretched out, one arm behind his head, the other under the covers resting by his side, Noah was surprised by the yawn that came out of nowhere. He’d fully expected to stare at the star-studded ceiling for the rest of what remained of the night, but instead, his eyes were already drooping.
Chapter Thirty-One
Eli was worried about Noah. He’d tried to hide it and fought hard to mask his feelings the next morning, but he was worried. Neither of the brothers was a stranger to nightmares, but something about the one last night set off Eli’s radar. So as they made their way up to their grandparents’ farm in Noah’s truck, the items they’d need to repair the doorframe on Owen’s studio in the bed, he kept a close eye on his brother. They got there at a little before nine, and to Eli’s surprise, Sophie’s car wasn’t in its usual spot.
“I thought she was working today,” he said as he opened his door.
Noah scowled. “She’s supposed to be.”
Their grandfather met them at the studio door. “There are my boys. Ready to work?” Owen’s smile was bright, his eyes eager as he rubbed his hands together. The weather had shifted overnight, and in the sunshine that bathed the front of the building, it was pleasantly warm.
Eli laughed. “Looking forward to this?”
Owen gave a sheepish shrug. “Maybe a little. I’ve always liked building things. And Noah has all the good tools.”
“Where’s Sophie?” Noah asked. “Shouldn’t she be here by now?”
“She’s coming in at noon. She had a doctor’s appointment in town.” He frowned when Noah cursed. “What’s wrong?”
“She didn’t tell me she was seeing the doctor. Is she okay? Why’s she seeing him?” Noah turned his scowl to Eli. “Did you know about this?” His tone was brusque, concern plain upon his face.
“No, but I’m sure she’s fine. She seemed okay when she left last night.”
“Your grandmother probably knows,” Owen said. “I think they were discussing it yesterday. But like Eli said, she seemed okay over the weekend.”
“I’ll go ask Grandma. Excuse me.” Without another word, Noah set off for the house.
Eli sighed, watching him cross the garden. “Last night was really rough. He had a God-awful dream that woke him up yelling. It shook him so much he didn’t complain when I stayed with him for the rest of the night.”
Owen laid his hand on Eli’s shoulder and squeezed. “You’re worried about him.”
“I am. He’s wound tight this morning, as you can see. And last night… Grandpa, he was terrified. I can’t blame him.” He told Owen about the dream. “It’s not the first time he’s had bad dreams since I moved in, but it was the worst one yet. I have to wonder how many nightmares he’s had like that over the years, how many times he’s had to face them by himself.”
That his brother had been so alone still sat heavily on Eli’s shoulders, and Owen obviously picked up on that guilt. “Stop blaming yourself. Terrible nightmares are unfortunate, but they’re hardly unique. We all have them from time to time. And Noah’s strong. I know seeing his vulnerability probably scared you—it’s a side of him that he’s never let you see before—but that he let you in last night is a sign of how far you two have come, not a sign of his weakness. That’s all.”
Eli searched Owen’s face, seeing the truth there. “You’re not worried?”
Owen shook his head. “No. I’m not surprised either. I expected him to have a bit of a hard time, honestly. This thing with Sophie, it’s opened him up in a new way. And that’s not a bad thing. But for a man like Noah, it’s going to come with a learning curve.”
His tone was reflective, and as Eli set the tools up so they could work, he easily made the connection. “You went through this with Grandma?”
“I did. It’s an uncomfortable position to be in, but he’ll come around just like I did. Sophie will see to that, I believe. She’s very patient, and she’s not a quitter. She’ll need to be patient until he’s used to the idea of being loved by a woman he’s not related to.”
Eli glanced at Owen, surprised by the smile in his voice. “Is that how Grandma handled you?”
Owen broke into a wide grin. “No. She used a water hose on me. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that with your brother. It’s much too cold for that treatment right now, but it sure is effective.”
As Eli chuckled, he felt a little better about things. He was still concerned, but knowing Owen felt so calm about the situation helped.
Noah came back from the main house a few minutes later, his tension palpable but not as strong. He also brought fresh blueberry muffins.
“Well?” Eli asked, taking a muffin from the plate.
“Grandma says the doctor thing is routine and that I’m overreacting. Then she bribed me with these.” He scowled at the plate as Owen helped himself. “You two are as bad as Dad about stealing my food.”
Completely unrepentant, Eli grinned at him. “You’re the one standing there with it plated up for offering.”
Noah shot him a dirty look then devoured one of the muffins. “Get to work.”
Eli saluted him. “Yes, sir.”
Though still on edge as they tore out the old doorframe, Eli allowed himself to relax. Whatever Sarah had said to Noah in the house had apparently worked at calming him. Hopefully when Sophie got there later, the rest of his brother’s tension would fade and things would go back to normal.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The first of the month traffic was heavier than normal, no doubt because of the leftover holiday rush. As a result, Sophie was a bit later getting to Owen and Sarah’s than she liked. She’d hoped to get there earlier than noon, but she ended up parking just as the clock on the dashboard showed twelve.
As she gathered her things, she saw Noah heading toward her with a frown, leaving Eli and Owen on the front porch of the studio. A little concerned by the frown, she waved as she got out of the car.
“Hi,” she said when Noah reached her. “What’s wrong?”
“You tell me. I didn’t know you had a doctor’s appointment this morning.”
Sophie blinked. His tone was clipped, and his body language was guarded, almost agitated and antagonistic even though he wasn’t threatening her in the least.
“I did. I was finally able to get in with the guy your mom recommended when I moved here. It was a meeting to establish care, get some refills, that sort of thing.” She stepped closer to him, concerned. “I forgot I had the appointment until I got home last night and went through my calendar. It wasn’t a big deal. You weren’t worried, were you?”
His lips pressed together as he stared at her. “I just wish you’d told me.”
His possessive attitude gr
ated on Sophie, and she scowled. “I’m not going to report my every move to you. I’m an adult. You’re making it sound like I deliberately hid the appointment from you or something. What’s going on?”
He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and shrugged. “Nothing. I just don’t like being the last guy to know you went to the doctor. That’s all.”
In all the time she’d known him, Sophie’d never seen Noah acting as he was now. Something was wrong, but if he didn’t tell her what…
“Are you mad at me for some reason?” she asked, trying to hold on to her patience.
He blew out a hard breath then looked at the barn. “No.”
“Well, you’re doing a danged good job of acting like someone who’s angry.”
“I’m not angry. Maybe I have a different idea of how this whole relationship thing works. Maybe I expected too much.”
Nope, she couldn’t hold back her annoyance. “Noah, you’re acting like I went out with friends to a bar and got drunk or something. You’re being ridiculous. Or don’t you trust me? Is that what this is really about?” The thought made her sick, and she hoped to God he didn’t answer in the affirmative.
Jaw clenched, his cheeks flushed as he stared at her. “That is not… you make me sound like a petulant twelve-year-old.”
She raised her eyebrows and gave an incredulous laugh. “Well, I kind of feel like I’m dealing with one.” She crossed her arms and, with a look, dared him to contradict her.
Noah’s scowl intensified. He jerked his hands out of his pockets, throwing them up, then tugged on his hair with a frustrated growl. “I need air.”
He stalked off toward the barn. Sophie stared after him, not sure what had just happened or what to do about it. Footsteps and a rough sigh alerted her to Eli’s presence.
“You okay?” he asked as he stopped beside her.