“Liam, please,” she begged, “it’s not like I killed someone. It’s stupid, honestly. Forget I said anything.” She brushed past me and slipped out of the room.
She was lying about something—a lot of things, most likely—and I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever know the truth.
Or if I even wanted to.
***
My feet pounded against the sand as the sun began to rise above the dark line of the ocean. My breath came out in sharp pants, and my lungs felt ready to burst, but I kept going. My arms swung at my sides, propelling me forward.
“Dude, slow down,” Ollie wheezed behind me. “Bleh.” He spat on the ground. “I’m pretty sure you kicked sand into my mouth.”
“Quit your whining and run faster,” I taunted.
I was exhausted too, but I couldn’t quit yet.
Push, push, push.
Forge ahead. That’s what I had to do. Exhaustion meant nothing in the face of what was to come.
Ollie didn’t catch up, and I continued to hear him moan and groan behind me.
“I-have-to-go-to-work-you-know,” he managed to get out between pants. “And-I-can’t-work-if-I-can’t-stand-on-my-legs.”
“Wah, wah, wah, you’re such a cry baby.”
“Fuck-you-Wade.”
“You know, it doesn’t quite have the same effect when you can’t breathe properly.” I grinned over my shoulder at him and he gave me the finger.
I shook my head and forged ahead.
Half a mile left.
Ollie grew quiet behind me, and I glanced back to make sure he hadn’t passed out or something, but he was still trudging along—his face red with exertion.
I slowed to a walk and Ollie cried out, “Thank-you-Jesus.”
He walked beside me, gasping for air with his hands on his hips.
“Dude,” I laughed at his misery, “what’s wrong with you?”
It wasn’t like Ollie was out of shape, so I found his display pretty funny.
“I-shouldn’t-have-eaten-all-those-Cheetos.” He clutched at his side. “I-think-I’m-going-to-be—” He bent suddenly at the waist and retched all over the ground.
“Fuck, Ollie.” I skittered backwards, cringing.
“Sick,” he finished, standing up and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “I feel better now.” He reached for me with his dirty hand, like he was going to clap me on my back.
“Oh fuck no.” I dodged his hand. “Don’t even think about it.”
Ollie loved to mess with my slight obsessive-compulsive tendencies when it came to cleanliness.
“Oh, come on,” he taunted, waving his hand. “It’s just a little puke.”
He tried to rub his hand on me again. I nearly fell over my feet trying to get away. I ran back to my house with Ollie trailing behind me, laughing hysterically. I was sure to a passerby it looked like we were acting like a bunch of silly kids.
I busted inside the house where the girls were just waking up. Talia and Rebecca were sitting at the table while Ari made breakfast. I’d intended to make all of them breakfast, but they’d woken up earlier than I expected.