It took way too long for me to stop panting, and I had to wipe my armpits with the corner of the blanket after locking the doors.
I needed some water.
More than that, I had to do something. I had more than a week left here. It wasn’t like the bat was going to open the door and let itself out.
Shit, shit, shit.
It was either do something or do nothing… and for now, the only thing I was going to do was sleep in my car because there was no way in hell I was going back in there. Not for water. Not for a bed. I’d pee in an old water bottle if I had to. Bats were nocturnal, weren’t they? God, I needed internet.
I shivered and tucked the blanket under my chin tighter.
Had Mom and I ever had bats at our house? Did she take care of them on her own? I wondered.
What in the hell had I gotten myself into?
Chapter 8
That next morning, I rolled up to the store and found Clara standing beside her car—a new Ford Explorer—and talking to a man a lot taller than her while Jackie stood off to the other side, messing with her phone.
It took me a moment to realize why his light brown skin and build seemed kind of familiar.
It was Johnny. Amos’s uncle.
Pulling in to park on the other side, I finally spotted the Subaru parked behind the store. I grabbed my purse from the passenger seat before getting out.
“…it’s fine. Just bring me the money tomorrow,” Clara said in that soft, steady voice of hers.
“Can’t tell you how much I appreciate it, Clara,” Amos’s uncle replied. I could see he was smiling at her, this sweet, easy one.
Jackie glanced over her shoulder and smiled tightly. “Hi, Ora.”
She was one of the only people to call me that here. Even Clara only called me Aurora. Probably because it was my aunt and uncle who had started calling me Ora.
“Hi,” I greeted her. “Are you coming with us?”
She blinked, and her smile dropped just a tiny bit. “Is that okay?”
I smiled extra wide, hating that for some reason she’d think I wouldn’t want her around, especially since things were fine between us but just a little awkward for whatever reason, and nodded. “Yeah, it is.”
Her smile back was timid but brighter.
Johnny happened to glance over then and made eye contact with me.
“Aurora,” Clara called out over her shoulder. “This is Johnny, Amos’s uncle.”
I couldn’t help it, I said, “We met at the hospital.” I forgot I hadn’t told her about all… that.
I walked around the Explorer and came to a stop beside Clara who smiled at me.
“Nice to see you again, Aurora,” the man drawled.
“Nice to see you too.”
I wished I put more makeup on now. I hadn’t gotten around to it because I’d been so tired thanks to the chaos last night, I hadn’t exactly gotten a good night’s sleep. And it wasn’t like Clara—or Jackie—cared if I had bags under my eyes.
“Did Rhodes give you a hard time the other night?”
I grinned and shook my head. He had to be referring to the night I’d snuck over to see Amos. “No. He said thank you. I figured that was pretty good.”
The way he tilted his head said he thought so too. “Have fun on your trip. Clara said you’re going to Ouray; it’s nice up there. See you around?”
“Sure,” I agreed, figuring I’d probably see him around the store since I wouldn’t be at the apartment too much longer.
Clara gave him a quick hug, Jackie and I waved, and then we were loading into her Explorer and Johnny was getting back into his car.
Her little sigh had me leaning between the two front seats—Jackie was in the front passenger—and peering at her.
Was that a dreamy look on her face or what? I glanced at Jackie to find her smirking. I wasn’t imagining it.
Clara looked at us and instantly frowned. “Yes?”
Neither one of us said anything, and she sighed again and turned on the car.
“He’s a sweetheart, okay?” She started to reverse. “And he’s cute.”
I leaned back into the seat and put the seat belt on. “He is cute.”
“He just split up with his girlfriend about a month ago…” She trailed off.
“Aunt Clara’s been wanting to get in his pants,” Jackie said out of nowhere.
“Jackie!”
I laughed.
“He is cute,” she confirmed, not exactly sounding happy about it though. “But I’m not saying I want to marry the guy or… or… get in his pants. I don’t even want to date him. I’m not ready yet to be with anyone else, but I can still look.”