Exception by Mariah Dietz

Author:Mariah Dietz [Dietz, Mariah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kindle Press
Published: 2018-01-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Joey

“For fuck’s sake,” I mutter, flipping the light switch off and on half a dozen times to no avail.

With a flashlight in hand so I can see the fuse box, I head toward the garage and stop when another clap of thunder is quickly followed by a knock on the front door. Coen, Ella, and Hayden left after the insulation team did, suggesting I relax and enjoy the takeout Chinese they ordered for me. I was planning on doing just that once I finished getting the Sheetrock in the living room up, but then the damn lights went out.

I swing the door open and come face-to-face with Kennedy. Her hair is still pulled back in the same braid I tugged this morning, but it’s now wet. She’s breathing hard, and her legs are covered with small leaves and bits of grass.

My heart staggers and then pounds. “Are you okay?” I ask, pulling her inside and glancing around the yard behind her.

“Yeah.” She runs a hand over the top of her head, slicking small pieces of hair that had fallen loose from her braid. “Sorry to bother you guys, I just want to make sure you knew about the storm coming since the power went out. I knew you guys were operating with kind of limited resources over here.”

“Is that what killed the power?”

Kennedy nods. “I heard it’s a blackout.”

Thunder echoes again, rumbling for several seconds before the skies appear to part, and rain pours down, ricocheting off the doorstep and into the house. I pull Kennedy farther into the house and close the door to keep it from seeping inside.

“Shit, did it get dark fast.”

“Do you guys have flashlights?” she asks.

“I have one in my truck.”

“If you give me your keys, I’ll grab it. I’m already soaked.”

“I’ll get it. You head toward the garage. The door’s unlocked.”

Kennedy’s eyebrows rise high with question. “The garage?”

“I’m staying in the room above it. There’s nothing in here. No furniture, food, nothing.”

“Where are Coen and Ella and Hayden?” She looks past me into the house.

“They went to North Carolina for a couple of days. Hayden’s dad lives down there, and they’ve been working on the visitation.”

“Oh.” She runs her hand over her wet hair again as her eyes dart around the room. It’s clear this visit was impulsive and has her uncomfortable.

“Run toward the garage,” I tell her again, bringing her to focus back on me.

“That’s okay. I just wanted to make sure you guys were okay and prepared for the storm. It can take the city a while to get power back.”

“Wait until the rain lets up, and I’ll drive you home.”

“It’s okay. Like I said, I’m already soaked.”

Thunder rumbles again, so loud the house shakes. Lightning quickly chases it.

“Yeah, you’re not running through the woods right now. That lightening is close.”

“The chances of getting hit by lightning are slim to zero.”

“Yet it still happens. Plus, it’s going to be slipperier than snot out there.” I open the front door, and the rain falls in sheets.

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