Watching her another minute, I agreed. “Where can we find a wall she can draw on? Something where she won’t run out of space?”
“My place,” Luke said. “I’ve got an indoor basketball court. Lots of wall space.”
Lorel and Rhi exchanged a worried look.
“Might help her escape the vision if she can write it down,” I said. “She might even be waiting to bring herself out until she can capture it.”
“Okay,” Rhi said with another look at Lorel, who nodded. “I drive an old VW Bug. It’s too small to carry her like this.”
“You can take my SUV,” I said, pulling my keys out of my pocket. “The back seats fold down.”
“What about you?” Lorel asked.
“I’ll take your car. I can stop and get some markers to write with.”
“We’lltake your car,” Stacey said, holding her hand out to Rhi for her keys. “I’ll be driving.”
“I’ll drive these three to my house,” Luke said, taking my keys. “Anybody else coming with me?”
“I’ll ride with the three musketeers,” Mikey said, pocketing his phone.
Jen rolled her eyes at me and mimed sticking her finger down her throat and throwing up. She glanced at Mikey. “You realize this isn’t a date, right? Not only will you be the fourth wheel, you’ll probably have to jam yourself in the back with me and ride with your knees up to your ears. You may want to rethink and go with Slutboy over here.” She jerked her thumb at Luke.
The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Thanks for your concern, but I’ll be fine.”
“Actually, why doesn’t Beck ride with us,” Luke said. “I’ve got a bunch of extra bedrooms and you look like you’re going to fall over at any moment.”
I hesitated. As soon as he’d mentioned bedrooms, exhaustion had slammed into me like a Mack truck. My eyelids felt like twenty pound weights. I couldn’t sleep, though. Not with Lindsey like this. I needed coffee. Gallons of it. I started shaking my head.
“Go,” Stacey said. “Luke’s right. We’ll get what we need and we’ll all have a slumber party at Luke’s.” She glanced at Mikey. “Well, maybe notall.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he drawled.
“Just be sure to lock your door,” Jen told me. “I’d hate for Luke to be incinerated because he decided to make a pass.”
“I’d like to think I’d show restraint and just give him crabs or a serious case of male pattern baldness,” I said.
“You might, but I’m not sure Damon would.”
At the mention of his name, I felt a pang. He hadn’t called or texted since he’d landed. Maybe distance didn’t make the heart grow fonder. Maybe distance was all out of sight, out of mind.
I ignored the little throb of hurt kindled in my stomach. He’d had to go back for an emergency. By definition, those didn’t leave leisure time. He loved me, and he missed me, and he’d call me when he could. Inwardly I rolled my eyes. Even though I knew that was true, I couldn’t help the hollowness that opened in my chest, adding to the physical ache.
I had no idea why people wanted to be in love. It left you feeling uneasy and off-balance and lonely and stupid. Maybe Stacey was right not to get emotionally involved. Now, if I’d only realized that before I’d started having feelings for Damon, I’d be a whole lot better off.
“Will you pick up Ajax for me?” I asked Jen and Stacey, trying not to sound as forlorn as I suddenly felt.
“Of course,” Stacey said. “Lorraine, too.”
“What do you call it when one guy cock blocks the other, but only so the target of their mutual affection can’t get laid at all?” I asked Jen as Stacey, Mikey, and Luke left together to fetch the cars.
“Desperate?”
“I wonder how the boys see this ending.”
“I figure it can go one of three ways: 1) menage a trois, 2) Stacey kills one or both, or 3)….” Jen trailed off, then shook her head. “Nope, there are only the two.”
“You don’t think Mikey will loosen up?”
