I should have been afraid for Carson’s mom, I worried most about him.
I got up from my bed and went to the window. We usually kept our blinds open—unless we were changing or something—so we could talk at night if we needed to.
I couldn’t see him, and his room was dark.
“Carson,” I whispered. “Carson.” I picked a Lego from the bag he had given me and threw it at his window. It sailed through the opening and into his room.
His face appeared in the window, a dark outline, but from the light in my room I could see the circles under his eyes. Haunted.
A scream sounded from downstairs in his house, and Carson closed his eyes, his body rigid. “I hate him.”
I wanted to take away all of Carson’s pain, to never see the defeated look on his face again. “Come over,” I whispered, desperate to help.
His eyes widened for a moment, then another crash sounded.
“How?” he finally asked.
“The back door,” I whispered. “I’ll shine a flashlight when it’s clear.”
He nodded. “I’ll be down.”
With a racing heart, I grabbed my flashlight from my desk drawer and tiptoed down the stairs. I could hear Dad’s snoring coming softly from their room, and heat stung my eyes. I was so lucky to have them, to not have to deal with the horror Carson did every single day.
I crept past the stairs to the next set of stairs that led to the walkout basement. The TV was on, but Joe wasn’t here. He must have forgotten to shut down his game console before going to bed.
Actually, the music on the pause screen could help us get to my room without being detected. Passing the TV, I walked to the sliding door and looked into the dark backyard. There weren’t any lights in the green belt, not that it would have helped me see Carson waiting outside our privacy fence.
“Callie?” Joe said.
I jerked, holding my flashlight to my chest. “I-I thought you went to bed.”
“Nah.” He pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the open bathroom door where I could hear the toilet water running. “Pit stop.”
“Going upstairs soon?” I asked hopefully.
“As if.” He plopped onto the couch and put on his headset. “Yeah, I’m back. No, you’re going down, man.”
I turned my eyes toward the ceiling. This was risky. But Joe’s back was toward the sliding door. And if we were quiet, maybe he wouldn’t notice.
Joe looked at me suspiciously over his shoulder. “What are you doing?”
“Um... just getting some fresh air.”
He lifted his eyebrows and pushed his headset back. “You’re meeting Carson, aren’t you?” he accused, making kissing sounds. “You are in love him!”
My cheeks flushed red.
“You are!” he hissed. “My, my, my, perfect little Callie is sneaking out?”
Overwhelmed with embarrassment and frustration, I shushed him. “Can you not hear his parents fighting?”
Joe’s smile immediately fell. “Is he in trouble?”
“He might be,” I said, my chest aching all over again. “I offered him to stay in my room until it blows over... unless you’re gonna snitch.”
To Joe, a breech in loyalty was the worst betrayal imaginable. He acted offended at my suggestion. “I’ll do one better. I’ll help you get him in.”
Now that surprised me. “Seriously? You’d do that?”
“Of course,” he said, shrugging. “Carson’s practically the brother I wish I had.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Fine. Just don’t mess it up.” I went to the door and flashed my light outside a couple of times. In the dim glow from the basement, I saw Carson’s body move quickly over the grass. He was getting stronger—quicker.
I slid the door open and looked back at Joe. He went back toward our parents’ room, with a promise to run interference if needed.
Carson’s eyes were frantic, but I grabbed his hand and pulled him as fast as I could toward the stairs. I flew up the steps, practically dragging him behind me. We rushed into my room, closing the door behind us and sliding down against the wood.
My chest heaved from the speed and the adrenaline, and when I looked over at Carson, his chest was doing the same.
He rolled his head over and looked at me, then offered his fist for a bump.
With a small smile, I tapped my knuckles to his. Then, I looked back at my closed window with the curtains drawn. Worry creased my brow. “Will your parents be upset if they find out you’re gone?”
He shook his head. “Sierra’s at her boyfriend’s almost every night, and Gemma practically lives at