“Yep.”
“It’s great.”
“No problems. No problems at all.”
Miranda and I share a look. “They’re the best?” I say. “You mean the best liars?”
At least they’re distracting.
“Captain’s got a problem,” Crew says.
“Small problem,” Porter adds. “Inconsequential. Not life-altering or anything.”
“We gotta go,” Zander says. “Fletcher put out a love bomb call. Everything’s fine. Just love bombs.”
“Love bombs?” I repeat.
“Don’t ask,” Miranda whispers. “It’ll make you cry again. I’ll tell you in a year or two.”
My eyes get hot. “Don’t say thecryword or I’ll do it,” I whisper back.
“Good to meet you, Ziggy,” Crew says.
“See you around,” Porter says.
“Don’t take a picture of that plant,” Zander tells Miranda. “Unless you tell the world it fell over on its own. Maybe our mascot should be the ghosts. That was one powerful—right. Yeah. We’re leaving. Captain needs us. Bye-ee!”
The three of them hustle out of the doorway, but we can still hear them as they make their way down the hall.
“Did you seriously just saybye-ee?”
“Shut up. Bad enough I broke a plant. But to do it in front ofbothof Keating’s daughters? I’m fucked.”
“He doesn’t care about a plant, dude.”
“He’s gonna care if he knows Zander’s flipping out ’cause Ziggy’s pretty.”
“I am fucking not. She’s one more sister that we didn’t know we had. Shut up.”
Miranda looks at me. “It might not be perfect, but this job will totally be entertaining as hell.”
“Can we go get a twice-baked potato now?”
She laughs.
Jessica barks.
And for five solid minutes, I let myself believe everything will be okay.
14
Holt
It’s amazingthe difference sleep can make.
I sleep so hard in Fletcher’s guest room that it’s Sunday morning when I wake up, and initially, I don’t know where I am.
Why I’m here.
