With a sigh, I shrug my jacket off and toss it on the kitchen counter before I walk to my bedroom in the back of my new apartment. I flip the light on in the room for a moment before turning it off again, walk over to my bed, and flop down on my back. Before I cross my arms over my chest, I reach over toward the nightstand and grab Auggie’s glasses from where they sit and put them on.
Closing my eyes, I think of what he would think of me now.
Robbie Grant.
Alone, lost, and a little sad, but still trying to see the silver lining in the cloud of wretchedness that descended on him the day his brother left.
Chapter Three
Fuck.
My eyes open slowly and I blink a few times. I hadn’t meant to fall asleep—especially not while wearing my most prized possession.
I sit up immediately and begin to inspect Auggie’s glasses then let out a sigh of relief when I see that I hadn’t even scratched the lenses during my impromptu nap.
I guess I’ve been a lot more tired than I’d been willing to admit to myself lately, but I don’t like to sleep anymore.
It’s when I see his face.
It’s when we’re back in his workshop working on the Scarecrows.
It’s where Atasha lives too and I hate her more than anything else.
Anywhere I find that bitch is a place I don’t want to be.
I rub my eyes before I set the glasses back down on the nightstand. I never did quite understand just how bad his eyesight was until I put his glasses on for the first time.
It’s a wonder he was able to see anything at all, let alone the good in his little brother.
A glance at the clock tells me that it was much more than a nap. Had I been one to keep the curtains open in my room, the morning sun would have told me the same thing.
But I like the darkness. It’s where my demons hide and sometimes, listening to them babble on and on about the things I should do, instead of what I actually do, makes me feel better for the time being.
I swing my long legs over the side of the bed, stretch my arms over my head and smile slightly.
It seems I’ve been given a new day to try and get this life thing right once and for all.
Maybe I’ll get finally get lucky.
I’ve been sitting at my kitchen table with my forehead in one hand and a cup of coffee gripped in the other.
I haven’t sipped much of it and I’m sure that by now it’s either lukewarm or cold, but I don’t have the energy to stand up and make a fresh pot right now.
I’ve been getting headaches lately like Auggie did and I can’t figure out if it’s just a hereditary thing or if I miss him so much that I want to feel his pain.
Common sense dictates that I should probably get myself checked out, but I don’t care for doctors so I’ve decided to ride the wave of pain and see what happens.
Who knows?
Maybe being in Auggie’s shoes will tell me where the fuck he went once and for all.
Chapter Four
The knock on the front door is unnerving. I haven’t moved from my spot at the table nor have I changed positions, yet someone wants my attention.
Do I grant it to them or do I stay put in the darkness and continue to ponder my mortality?
Knock, knock.
I grit my teeth as I give in to the demands of the stranger at my door. The second round of knocks has turned into pounding and it’s more persistent.
I take my time, though.
I make sure that I’ve pushed my chair in, walk over to the sink and give my cup a good scrubbing. I make sure that the coffee pot is brewing again now that I’m on my feet, then I check my reflection in the metal handle of the oven, before I run my hands over the side of my hair, then proceed toward the front door.
I open it slightly, resting my cheek against the wood, and find myself staring into the eyes of a woman I don’t know.
It hurts my heart because I had hoped that it would be Auggie back from wherever he went to, coming to take me back home.
But I was wrong; I always am when it comes to that one hope.
“Can I help you?” I ask before she has a chance to speak. The tone I use sets her on edge and it gives me critical time to take her in.
Her eyes are dark brown like her long hair, she’s nowhere near as tall as I am—I think the top of her head may stop where my shoulders begin—her smile is bright, her skin is flawless, and she’s dressed casually.
“Hi, I”m Embry and I was wondering if I can ask you some questions about the fire last night?”
I lower my eyes toward her hands and see for the first time that she’s holding a small stenography notebook, flipped open and a pen in her left hand ready to take down anything I have to say.
A smile begins to curve the edges of my full lips as my eyes widen slightly and I give her my best little boy lost look, “Sure.”
“Great! So can you tell me where you were it started?” she asks, her pen poised over the paper.
I purse my lips in mock thought and glance away for a moment. I don’t know how to explain to someone that would never understand that I was in a dark place full of shadows. One that looked like my brother, one that looked like me, and one that looked like the demon that tried to tears us apart.
“Asleep,” I finally say, turning my eyes back toward hers. It’s the simplest way to explain it and it’s the truth—something Auggie was always fond of.
“You may not think like everyone else, Robbie, but you always tell me the truth when I ask and it’s one of the reasons I love you.”
I close my eyes for a moment while I listen to the sweet sound of his voice that only I can hear, then open them again, trying my damnedest not to let the tears roll down my face.
Clearing my throat I use the back of my hand to quickly rub my eyes before I force the smile back on my face and wait for her to finish writing.
“And what’s your name?” she continues as she looks back up at me.
“Robbie. It’s what my brother calls me.”
“Your full name,” she corrects gently with a smile.
“Oh, um, why?” I ask curiously.
“So I can properly fill out my reports at the end of the day,” Embry explains reasonably.
Reason was something that I was never fond of. Being reasonable means that everything is much too easy and there’s no adventure in something when the reason is as plain as day.
“Okay, well you tell me your full name first,” I say as I let go of the door, step out onto the stoop and cross my arms over my chest. I’m careful to leave them loose because if I hold them as tightly as I want to, I know she’ll take it as me being a threat to her and I’m not.
Not yet, anyway.
“Embry McVee,” she says holding a hand out toward me.
“Trent Robert Grant,” I finally reply as I take her hand in mine and initiate a firm shake.
She’s not a Grant.
She’s not Atasha.
She’s someone new to play with.
That’s something I haven’t had in a long time.
Not since I left Seattle, and I sure have missed being able to play my wicked little games.
Chapter Five
Embry McVee writes my name down in her little book then looks up at me again. I don’t know what else she can possibly have to ask me. Unless she wants my phone number, but I don’t have a phone. I always used Auggie’s, and I won’t give his out without his permission so if that’s what she’s waiting on, then she’s about to find herself shit out of luck.