Page 89 of On His Mind

“Slow down,” I mouth and use my hands to talk. I call him over to me.

He walks back to the bed and leans in. “We clean on Sundays,” he breathes, barely a sound at all, his mouth almost against my ear. “All morning. Everybody’s up.”

I nod, understanding.

He points at the floor, and mouths it — middle boards — and I understand that the room I’m trapped in has floorboards that’ll creak if I stand up. I look down. Shit, that’s a problem.

And immediately, of course, I have to pee. Not a little. Genuinely. I press my lips together and do the math on how long I can hold it. The answer is not as long as this is going to take.

My phone. I find it in the sheets, and there are three from Ivory.

Ivory (7:40): You alive? Drew said Theo went home last night.

Ivory (8:02): Penelope?

Ivory (8:03): Where are you?

I type lying on my side, screen dimmed, curled around the phone like it might make noise.

Me: I’m drawing again! I had major inspo early this morning, so I’ll be out all day. Text you later.

I hit send and look at Percy. He’s staring at his closet, probably contemplating his life right now. He grabs a shirt and walks over.

“I have to go down,” he whispers.

I look at him.

“If I don’t, they’ll come up.”

I understand, of course. He can’t hide in here all morning. It’s Sunday. He has a role down there, he has to go be the person the house expects and leave me up here.

“Pers,” I whisper, reaching for him. “I have to pee.”

His eyes trail down my body for a second. Then he nods. He walks to his bedroom door and opens it. He looks around and waves a hand for me to come quietly. I step inside the bathroom with a racing heart. Then I go to close the door. Percy is closing the door for me one second, and then the next, he’s walking in with his fingers to his lips with wide eyes.

He locks the door, and two seconds later, there’s a pound on it.

“Dick move, Percy. Reeve bombed the toilet downstairs.”

Percy doesn’t miss a beat. “Shower. Give me twenty.”

“Fuck!” Footsteps stomp off.

I gape at him. I didn’t know he had that in him.

I bite my bottom lip, looking in the mirror. I fix my disheveled hair while Percy cleans the toilet and then puts the toilet seat down.

He walks up behind me and whispers, “I’m sorry.”

I wave my hand. “It’s okay. Just look the other way, please.”

He nods and stands at the door. I stare at the back of his head, mortified. Am I really going to pee in front of him? Well, I’m notgoing to hold it in. I slip my pants down, pee, and then stand up as quickly as possible.

I tap his shoulder when I’m done.

He leans in and says, “I have to pee too, and he thinks I’m taking a shower.”

I lift my shoulder where he is because his hot breath tickles me. I touch his shoulder, bringing his ear down to my height. “If you go down there and you’re not wet, they’re going to know you didn’t shower.”