He might be angry with me, or if it all went my way, he'd never find out it was me.
I fired off a one-line email to Dustin explaining the payment, then slipped my phone into my pocket in case Ava called.
With my mug in hand and a lived-in cardigan keeping me warm, I headed up to the rooftop to see if anyone was around.
Three
sadie
When I found Tim and his husband, Varesh, outside, I breathed a sigh. “Hi, you two.”
“Morning.” Varesh stood in front of the television, arms crossed, feet planted wide apart. He was a head taller than Tim, with brown skin and unruly dark hair. “I haven’t seen you in a couple of days,” he said, the lean muscles from his long-distance running flexing under his t-shirt.
“I keep missing you,” I said. “Whenever I come up here, someone always tells me you’ve just left.”
“Sadie, my love.” Tim moved a novel from the spot beside him and patted the couch cushion in invitation. His ginger hair was freshly buzzed, his beard trimmed since the last time I saw him. “Where’s your book?”?
“Finished it late last night.” I wandered over to the seating area to join him.
When we all agreed enforced lockdowns were imminent, a few of us had dragged a second-hand vinyl couch and mustardyellow armchairs up the stairs, along with a coffee table that had lived several lives.
I kept my tea steady and lowered myself into the space Theo had occupied a few days ago.
“Better watch out,” Varesh said, adjusting his black-framed glasses. “You’ll be running out of reading material soon, and the library’s a no-go zone.”
With a testing sip of my tea, I leaned forward and slid the mug onto the coffee table. “I should use my e-reader while we’ve still got electricity and switch to physical books when it disappears.”
Tim linked his hands on top of his head and stretched out his legs, jeans straining across his thighs. “You think it’s heading that way, too? Varesh is predicting an apocalypse.”?
“I'm exaggerating—I think. I can’t imagine it going that far, but… it’s not looking good.” I twisted my mother’s sapphire engagement ring on my right hand, a habit I hadn’t been able to break since I first slipped it on my finger. “Every time I try to talk to Ava, the line drops out or texts don’t get delivered.”
My sister was obsessed with American TV shows and movies that revolved around the supernatural, and it had been her lifelong dream to tour the places where her favourites were filmed. She’d been on the home stretch of a three-month-long trip when the first cases of the virus were detected. Now she was stuck there indefinitely.
Tim was about to speak when the door swung open, and Dustin came outside to join us.
I mentally groaned and sat up straighter, thoughts of Ava vanishing. Theo’s warning lingered in the back of my mind, and part of me wished he’d never brought it up.
“Watch out,” Tim said under his breath. “Lord Kerger’s here. Don’t forget to curtsey.”
I forced a smile, but I didn’t have it in me to pretend anymore.
“Dustin,” Varesh said in greeting.??
No response, which meant Dustin must have graced him with one of his regal nods rather than wasting words.
He moved into my peripheral vision, feigning interest in the view over the brick wall. The fleeting image of him toppling over and free falling hit me; then I shook it off and reminded myself I didn’t want him dead. I just wanted him away from me—permanently.??
I reached for my mug again, sharing a glance with Tim as the steam curled before my eyes.??
“This presenter looks like he’s been dragged through a hedge backwards,” Varesh said. “They must be grabbing people off the streets and forcing them behind the desk now—and check out the lighting in the studio. It’s a complete shambles.”?
“It’s the beginning of the end.” Dustin wandered closer, and the hair on the back of my neck prickled. “When society collapses, masks won’t stay in place for long,” he said, “and then you’ll see what people have been hiding?behind their facades.”?
Facades? The collapse of society? Just when I thought he couldn’t get any stranger. I pulled my cardigan tighter, unsure if I was reacting to the temperature or his words.
Varesh gave Dustin a dose of side eye over his shoulder, but chose not to comment.
“Some have already shown their true selves,” Dustin added, “and I have to say, I’m surprised and disappointed with what I’ve seen.”
