“Well, y’all get in here,” he said, grabbing the bags from their hands and throwing them inside the door. “You want a beer?”
Emery followed them in as they chatted about family stuff, only half listening. When she got all the way in to the apartment, it hit her.
This was happening.
She’d escaped.
She was free.
It was a release in a good and a bad way. Emery couldn’t tell if she wanted to dance or cry.
“Emily, beer?” Noah asked.
Emery was just looking around, not used to the name yet, and didn’t acknowledge Noah’s question.
“Em...” Rachel said.
“Oh, sorry. What?”
“Beer?” Noah asked again.
She didn’t really drink beer, but didn’t want to be rude. “Sure, thanks.”
“Emily, this is my favorite cousin, Noah. Noah, this is my best friend, Emily.”
Emery walked over to where he was grabbing beers from the kitchen and shook his hand. “Thank you so much for letting me stay here, Noah. You’re saving my life.”
His eyebrows shot up and stood straight up.
“Really,” she said softly as she took the beer from his hand.
“It’s no problem. Mom and Dad bought this place and I’m without a roommate right now, so it’s perfect.”
They walked out of the kitchen and into the entranceway again. He started to put his hand on her back to guide her, but she skirted out of his reach.
“So…how much do I owe you a month?” she asked, taking in the apartment. The kitchen was shotgun style as you entered, and past that was a living room complete with a huge flat screen TV and two La-Z-Boy recliners. There was a saying on the wall.
“‘It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything,’” she read out loud. “Fight Club?” Emery asked, pointing at the wall. She read a lot. She didn’t have friends, so she read every fucked up book she could. She loved to read tales that were just as or more twisted than her own.
“Oh no,” Rachel groaned. “Please don’t get him started. He loves Chuck What’s-His-Name.”
“Chuck Palahniuk,” Emery and Noah replied at the same time and smiled while Rachel made gagging noises.
“Me too,” Emery said and looked at Noah with a grin. “What’s your favorite?”
“Honestly, Fight Club.” He grinned. “You?”
“Invisible Monsters.”
He looked at Rachel. “I may be in love.”
“Nope, there’s no love here,” Rachel asserted as she stretched out on the chair. “You need a couch, Noah.”
“Yeah, I guess,” he agreed and took the other chair. “Maybe Emily and I can go get one this week.”
“Sure.” Emery shrugged and sank to the floor facing the TV. She turned up her beer.
“So, Emily, do you know how long you’ll be around?”
“Fuck, Noah. We got here like, two minutes ago,” Rachel chastised.
He shrugged. “I was just wondering.”
“Listen, I really appreciate you helping out and I’ll stay out of your way,” Emery assured him. “Just let me know if I need to find another place and I can make it happen.”
“No, Noah said you could stay here and you’re staying here,” Rachel reminded them from her chair.
“It’s really fine, Emily,” he said. “I was just wondering.”
“Noah,” Rachel said, “she doesn’t care who you bring home, okay?”
Emery blushed at the truth of the statement that hung in the air.
“Well, I’ve just never lived with a girl before. I—”
“Seriously, Noah,” Emery said, holding up a hand. “You do what you always do; I’ll stay out of your way.”
He took a swig of his beer and turned up the football game. “Sounds good to me.”
Waking up in a sleeping bag on the floor of an empty bedroom next to Rachel was a welcome departure. Emery’s thoughts wandered to her sister and tears clouded her vision as she stared at the patterns in the ceiling. She didn’t know what they were called, but with her eyes full of unshed tears, they sort of looked like flowers.
She blinked a few times before looking at the new phone Derrick had gotten her. There was no more checking it for emails and other updates. She no longer existed. A smile skirted her lips as she thought of her escape. Emery walked out of that house last night and she woke up Emily.
“Fuck,” Rachel moaned. “We need a bed today. I cannot sleep on the floor again.”
“You’re a ray of sunshine in the morning,” Emery commented.
“Tell me you don’t feel like you got run over by a truck.” Rachel sat up slowly, stretching her back to each side.