CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
A shiver causes my body to tense and I wrap the comforter around me tighter. It’s not even cool in the house, but whatever sickness has invaded my body since lunch has decided I’m an icicle. Or burning. My body can’t decide.
It’s possible my immune system is getting revenge for all those times I pretended to have a summer cold. Turns out being sick in the summer really does suck. At least I always faked that part right.
The doorbell chimes for the second time and I groan. I am not leaving my nice warm bed. There must be another person in this house who can answer a damn door.
“Drew!” I attempt a yell, but it comes out much more of a tiny screech barely heard in my bedroom let alone in the hallway.
A third chime of the doorbell irritates me enough I throw back the covers and make the walk downstairs clutching my box of generic face tissues. I don’t have money in the budget for the nice ones with the germ fighting lotion. Whoever dared ring the doorbell better hope the house is on fire and they are here to rescue me. He also better look damn hot in his firemen uniform. I don’t get out of bed for ugly emergency response workers.
My foot clears the last step to a chorus of cheers. I flip my head to the living room in time to witness Drew and Grant high-five one another on the couch.
“Really?” More cars blow up on the TV screen as I scuff my feet the rest of the way to the front door. I’m down here. I might as well open it since dumb and dumber over there aren’t concerned.
Grant jumps up from the sofa. “Are you sick?”
“No, I’m carrying these around for my health,” I say waving the box of rough tissues.
Oh wait. I kind of am. Whatever, I’m too tired and sick to correct myself. Grant won’t notice.
The front door swings open to reveal Aspen standing next to a taller male version of herself. She hasn’t melded with Finn as Marissa worried but the man with her is definitely related from their similarities. Since Aspen only has one relative, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out it’s her brother Ben, the police officer. Sadly, he’s not in uniform but wearing a pair of faded jeans and a dark black polo shirt, the San Francisco Police Department logo on the left side.
“Is everything okay?”
“Hey, meet my brother Ben. We came to do a security check.” Aspen smiles as she does her introduction and then mouths a quickI’m sorry.
There’s no way my expression doesn’t portray how confused I am, but I ask the question anyway. “Security check? For what?”
Seeing my reluctance Ben takes the opportunity to step past me and into the house. It’s not like I would stop him. He’s a cop. “Aspen said you had a break-in,” he clarifies not taking long to walk right past me.
“No, I said they had aneighborwith a break-in.” Aspen follows behind him and I have no choice but to close the door and follow the train. “And this reaction is why I never tell you anything.”
Ben stops inspecting every corner of our house long enough to glare at her. “You’re keeping something from me, then?”
“Oh my god, Ben. I can’t handle you.” The frustration in Aspen’s voice is easy to pick up, but I can’t help but laugh at their exchange. Drew is the closest thing I’ve had to a sibling, but these two have the bond that comes from a lifetime together.
Ben continues walking around the first floor of the house. He stops at every window taking time to admire how they’ve been painted shut after so many coats of white paint.
He stops in the middle of the living room taking a second to check out the game on the TV screen before addressing us. “I have a friend from college. He lives out East now and works at a private security firm in some rinky-dink tourist town in Maine. They do a lot of different gigs but have a substantial market in security alarms. He owes me a favor. I can have him fly out and install an alarm for you this week.”
“I don’t think you should be cashing in favors to get us a security alarm.” I look to Aspen with my best “what the hell” expression but she doesn’t notice.
“How much does an alarm cost?” Grant asks coming to stand beside me. “We do need to make sure everything is safe.”
“This is my fault.” Aspen jumps in, throwing her arms out. “I casually mentioned your issue and he demanded we come right over.”
“Why?” The whole situation is getting out of control. “You’re not my brother.” I remind Ben in case he forgot we have no blood ties between us.
He rears back like I slapped him and narrows his eyes at me. “I’m everyone’s brother.”
Aspen sighs. “Don’t argue it. Just let him get his crazy out.”
Apparently satisfied Aspen gave him the okay to secure our house, Ben starts educating us on the importance of a safe entry and criminal deterrent. I try my best to pay attention, but standing here holding a box of Kleenex and sniffling every two seconds wears me out. I make a feeble but real apology and head upstairs to lie back down. Aspen promises she’ll come and visit me before they leave and I fall asleep waiting for her.
**
A gentle rocking of my shoulders brings me back to consciousness. Grant sits on my bed leaning over a few inches from my face.
