“You’re right.” Bill wags his head, his lips rolling in tightly. “But I went to their games for years when I lived in Colorado. They win too much, especially for a team in such a small town. They have to be cheating, and if they aren’t, it’s just annoying.”
“We are a team in a small town.”
“It’s different,” he quips back. “Plus, they think they are so cool. Did you see what their owner did? He got them one of those fancy lightning machines, just like Tampa has.” He throws his head back, disgust oozing out of his expression. “Like, come on. What a showoff.”
I bite back a smirk, knowing full well that Bill is more jealous than anything. Now that he’s voiced what he’s jealous of, I can fully visualize Bill getting a lightning machine sometime soon. “Yeah, okay. I guess I’ll make sure to ask Paisley if she’s a Voltage fan.”
“Alright, honey.” My mom reaches out and gives me a side hug. “I’m headed to bed, but you have a nice trip.”
They finally leave my room and I turn back to my bag, doing a final scan. The only thing that’s missing are my anxiety meds. I slide my gaze back to my nightstand, and they are gone. Again.
Puck.
That stubborn dog.
I heave a heavy sigh. My anxiety ticks up thinking about how high my anxiety will be if I don’t have my meds, and I hurry down the hall. My mom’s door is already closed, and I don’t stop to knock, because they never let Puck sleep in there. Usually, he sleeps by the kitchen backdoor, and I scurry through the hall, and down the back staircase.
He’s right where I thought he’d be—sitting next to the door. One eye is closed, and the other eye is on the fridge as he patiently waits for Bill to come down for his midnight snack. He has everyone’s eating times memorized, and he doesn’t miss an opportunity to graze.
“Hey, Puck,” I whisper shout. “What’s in your mouth?” I drop to the floor in front of him, one palm on the marble floor, while the other hand digs into the side of his clenched teeth. His jaw snaps open, but nothing falls out. “Where are my meds?” I ask with a light-hearted teasing voice as I understand this is now a game he’s playing. “Did you hide them?”
He juts out his tongue, points his ears back, and smiles at me while wagging his stumpy tail.
“Okay, that’s fine if you want to play, but the games are over. I’m leaving town tomorrow, and I need them. Where did you put them?”
More tail wagging.
I swipe a hand through my hair. I can’t believe this is happening. I’m clearly stupid for not leaving the pills locked in the medicine cabinet. I used to do that, but there were so many days I would forget to take them. One time in particular was before a game, and I had a full-fledged panic attack while I wason the ice. My chest tightened and I couldn’t breathe. After that happened, I vowed to always keep them by my bed, so it is the first thing I see in the morning.
I’ll have to call my doctor in the morning to see if he can send a replacement prescription over to the pharmacy, but tomorrow is Saturday, and we are leaving early. He’s more than likely not going to be in until Monday.
My gaze drops to the side, as I overthink this, because that’s what I do.
It might be okay if I skip them for the weekend. It’s not like we are going to be doing anything stressful. I mainly need them for games. Yeah. I spin on my heel and head back upstairs to get some sleep. It’s not a big deal. I’ll get more on Monday when we are back in town.
eight
Paisley
Sophie: We are just pulling into the Arena. Look for the black Ford Lincoln Navigator.
I’m sitting in my car, staring at my phone, and reading the text. The sun isn’t even up yet, and it’s way too early to solve riddles.
Me: Do you mean Lincoln Navigator?
Before she can reply, a black Navigator with tinted windows rolls to a stop in front of me. I check the emblem on the hood. It’s Lincoln, with dealer plates. Chuckling, I get out of my car, cross the parking lot to the SUV, and open the back door. Axl is driving, with Sophie riding shotgun. I throw my small backpack on the floor and climb inside. “Morning.”
“Morning,” Sophie calls back. “Obviously, we are still waiting on Noah. He said he’s running late.”
“Oh, that’s okay.” I pause for a moment, wondering why he never texted me. “So, did you get a new Navigator?”
“No, it’s a Ford Lincoln Navigator, and it’s not mine. Just a rental. I wanted something with third-row seating for all the extra bags, so we’d be comfortable.” Sophie smiles brightly, not understanding why I’m confused—or rather whyshe is confused.
“I get that Ford owns Lincoln, but I think this make is just called Lincoln.” My gaze cuts to Axl, who is wearing an amused grin in the reflection of the rearview mirror.
“Don’t even bother trying to explain it to her. Since the dealership had the sign that said both, she insists this is what it is,” he says when he catches me staring at him. “I lost ten minutes of my life I’ll never get back.”
“Got it.” I nod, and Noah’s SUV pulls in next to us, parking at a bit of a slant. Instead of straightening his car to fit between the painted lines, he jumps out and rushes over, opening the back hatch to drop a bag in. Then he runs over to his door and pants as if he’s out of breath. “Hey, sorry I’m late. My dog took my . . . ah, vitamins last night, and I was a little worried he might eat them. I didn’t want him to get sick, so I tried looking again this morning.”
