Dirty Lies

DANGER IN THE NIGHT

Screams.

I woke from a deep and blissful sleep to the sounds of Skylar screaming for help.

My heart hammered in my chest, jolting me upright. I jumped out of bed and followed her voice, panic spreading through my body like a wildfire.

They've found us. The mafia. They're going to kill her. Kill me. Fuck...

Her screams echoed from inside the bathroom. I practically broke the door down to get to her.

The gun! I've forgotten the gun...

She was wearing one of my big T-shirts and stood atop the edge of the Jacuzzi tub. "Luca! Oh God! Right there," she cried, pointing at the wall behind me.

I spun around, sweat forming on my face. "Skylar, what? What!"

"The cockroach on the wall. I hate them. Please make it go away," she squealed. "Do you see it? It's right above the toilet. I can't deal with it. It's the worst thing about living in Florida. Kill it!"

I took a deep breath and slumped against the bathroom counter. She'd almost sent me into cardiac arrest over a two-inch bug. I walked into the bedroom to grab her flip flop.

She was still standing on the edge of the tub when I returned and calmly thwacked the shoe against the wall, killing the insect. Using a tissue, I scooped up its carcass and flushed it down the toilet.

My heart almost resumed its normal cadence, and I grinned at Skylar while washing my hands. She remained on the tub and muttered something about how every building in Florida had cockroaches.

I wrapped my arm around her legs and gently lowered her down, then picked her up and carried her back to bed. In the darkness, I drew her close.

"Don't do that, Skylar. I thought something really bad was happening to you. It scared me. Next time you see a bug, wake me up without the screaming, okay?"

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