Page 90 of The Spare
I was shaken from my thoughts by a buzzing.
I looked over to see Sloan’s phone lighting up on her nightstand. She was so sound asleep that she didn’t hear it. After the first call went to voicemail, two more followed.
It was Henry.
He called multiple times in succession.
A chill trailed up my spine.
The calls stopped for a moment before my phone lit up.
My heart rate ticked up.
I swallowed hard, quietly moved off the bed, and made my way out of the bedroom as I picked up the phone.
“Hello?” My voice was almost a whisper. Now would have been a terrible time for Sloan to wake up.
“Shit, sorry. You guys are sleeping. Time difference.”
I remained silent and tried to figure out what he knew before getting too worried. He sounded out of it.
“I called Sloan, but she’s not picking up.” Henry went on.
“It’s close to midnight here,” I said.
“Right.” He paused. “She’s sleeping.”
“Henry.” A shudder passed through me. “What’s wrong?”
“It's umm, it's my grandfather.” My heart dropped. I felt my legs beginning to give way and was forced to lean against the wall. “He died today.”
I was silent.
My mind immediately raced at the implications. I didn’t allow myself any time to process or react to the news. He was a mentor, a friend, and the reason I was able to achieve what I had. That was what I did when I lost someone close to me. I kept moving.
“Can you get Sl—”
“I’ll tell her. Whenever she’s ready, we can head back to New York. I’ll let you know when.” I knew what he would ask: find Sloan, tell her, and get her home.
A sigh of relief came through. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for you. Thanks.”
“I’m sorry, Henry.” I tried to ignore the guilt seeping through me at his words. At that moment, his little sister was asleep, naked, in my bed.
I loved her. I wouldn’t hurt her. He was still pissed about my absence for so long, so I knew when I told him about Sloan and me, he would be angry. Eventually, he’d understand and be okay with it. I didn’t want to think of the alternative.
“Yeah. Me too.”
The phone clicked.
I slid down the wall until I felt the floor beneath me. My heart beat loudly in my ears. The death didn’t just mean I’d lost my mentor and Sloan her grandfather. Without him as cover, it meant my hope to keep my involvement in the Amari Global board a secret was gone. It was a matter of time now.
The sound of the clocking tick taunted me as I waited with a morbid anticipation.
* * *
Most of Sloan’s things had made their way to my place over the past few months, so packing for her was easy. When I woke her and broke the news, she wouldn’t be in the headspace to pack things for herself. I figured anything I missed could be easily replaced when we landed in New York. I didn’t want to wake her until I had to. Tonight was the last peaceful sleep she’d get in a while.
I sat in the kitchen, calling to get the jet ready for the morning when I heard the floor creak.
