Page 5 of Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal
Okay, that’s weird.
The text message should saydelivered.
“Let’s not overreact,” I say to myself. “Because this is exactly what they’d expect, for me to fly off the deep end and start assuming the worst, especially after what we talked about last night. Stay calm.”
I let out a deep breath and then head back down to the first floor.
I pull up my text thread with my brothers.
Max:Hey, do you happen to know where Mom and Dad went this morning? Woke up and couldn’t find them.
I set my phone down and head to the fridge, where I grab a gallon of milk and then reach for my protein powder and shaker bottle.
Pausing for a moment, I pick up my phone, but once again, my text has gone undelivered to my brothers.
What the fuck?
I decide to send a text to someone else to see if maybe it’s my phone.
Max:Can you read this?
I pop open my shaker bottle and start to pour the gallon of milk just as there’s a knock at the front door, startling the fuck out of me. I drop the milk and spill it all over the kitchen counter.
“Fuck.” I right the milk jug and start for the door.
I open it and take a step back when Cole moves forward, holding up his phone to me. “Why did you text this?”
I study his screen and then make eye contact with my less-than-charming best friend. Nearly a mirror image of me with his messy brown hair and brown scruff lining his jaw. The difference is I’m taller, far more attractive, with impeccable bone structure,and much more liked because of my stunning smile and cheery disposition.
“I wanted to make sure my phone was working.”
“Why wouldn’t it be working?” He scans me up and down. “And why are you in your robe? Dude, it’s almost ten.”
“Wait? Really?”
“Yeah. What the fuck have you been doing all morning?”
“Uh, freaking out,” I say as Cole enters the house. “Now, I don’t want you to think I’m acting crazy, because I’m not, but dude, I think—” God, he’ll think I’m such a fucking idiot, but I swallow my pride and say, “I think my family disappeared.”
“Jesus... Christ,” he mutters as he grips the bridge of his nose. “Actually, I think I’ll just head to the reindeer barn and start on my chores for the day. I can’t deal with this.”
He turns toward the door, but I grab him by the shoulder and turn him back toward me. “Dude, I’m not fucking around. They’re nowhere?—”
“Probably because they’re out on the farm, helping everyone open up for one of the busiest days of the season while you traipse around the house in your robe.” He plucks at it. “This thing is disgusting. You need a new one. It’s pelting.”
“It’s fine,” I say, pulling away from him. “It does what it needs to do.”
“Really, because your left nut is hanging out.”
“What?” I glance down only for Cole to chuckle to himself. When I look back up, I can feel the fire in my eyes. “Not fucking funny. And no, they’re not on the farm, because if they were, then my text messages would have been delivered to them, and they weren’t.”
“What are you talking about?”
I take my friend by the arm and lead him through the family room and to the kitchen, where milk is now dripping down the face of the cabinets.
“What the hell are you doing in here?” Cole looks me in the eyes. “Your mom will kill you if she sees this mess.”
I grab a bunch of red napkins that are left over from yesterday and toss them at him. “Help me.”
