turning more game cards, and then in the parlor when all the rest of them were freaking out.
"Oh, Zach, what's wrong with you?" she said and threw her arms around him. She'd been worried about him all night; she'd been planning to comfort him, to help. But now she didn't have the strength. She desperately needed help herself.
He scarcely seemed to notice she was there. He pushed her away and turned back to agitating the tray.
"Zachary, did Dee come in here? Have you seen Audrey or Michael?"
His voice was slow, dragging, but matter-of-fact.
"I haven't seen anybody. I was sitting out there. Where the mirrors are. Then I saw a flashgun go off. When I looked for it, I found a door. I pushed the button and went in."
A flashgun-of course, that was how Zach would interpret the bursts of light in the hallway. "But what are you doing?" Jenny said.
"It was all set up for me. The print was already in the developer." Somewhere a timer went off, and he pulled away from Jenny's reaching hand. "I have to rinse it now."
Jenny blinked painfully as he turned the white light on. She watched his careful, clever fingers as he rinsed the print and plastered it wetly against the wall, standing back to evaluate it, frowning.
"Zach, please. You have to listen." The numbness over Summer was wearing off. Zach was her blood relative, and right here, and in trouble. In this light she could see how pale his narrow face was. She could also see the fixed look in his clear gray eyes. "Don't you realize this is your nightmare? We can't waste time-we have to find a door to get out. Zach!"
He pushed her away again. "I have to finish this job. I have to ..."
She was barely in time to catch him as he collapsed. But when she did he didn't push her away again. He clung to her like a frightened child.
"Jenny ... sorry..."
"It's okay." She held him tightly, almost rocking him. "It's okay, I'm here. That's what cousins are for."
After a minute he tried to straighten up, but she still held him, encouraging him to hold her back. She needed comfort as much as he did, and Zach had always been there for her. Before their families had moved out to California, she and Zach had lived next door to each other. They'd played Indians in the cherry orchard behind their houses. That was in the days before Zach decided he liked photographs better than people, when Zach's gray eyes had been warm instead of winter-cool.
Her cousin's mind was obviously following the same track. "Just like when we were kids," he said with what was probably supposed to be a laugh.
"And you'd get all scraped up climbing trees, and we'd wash you with the hose so Aunt Lil wouldn't get mad," Jenny said. She laughed, herself, muffled against Zach's shoulder. It was almost like crying. "Oh, Zach, I'm so glad I found you."
"Me, too." He sighed. "I've been feeling pretty weird."
"Everything's been awful," Jenny said, and once again her voice was shaking badly. "I've been so scared-and now ..."
She couldn't bring herself to mention Summer. The words stuck in her throat.
"It's okay," he said. "We're together now. We'll make things okay."
A hose and a Band-Aid aren't going to help this time, Jenny thought, but it was easier just to hold on to Zach. Tighter and tighter. Exchanging comfort without words. He was stroking her hair and it felt good-soothing. She seemed to feel strength flowing from his body to hers.
And something else. A warmth that surprised her. Zach was usually so cool. Now he was holding her and caressing her almost as if she were some toddler that needed pacifying.
Or-as if he weren't her cousin, but her boyfriend.
She pushed the thought away. Zach was just being kind. He wanted to help-and he was helping. She felt better, simply absorbing his sympathy, his affection. His-tenderness.
She leaned against him, letting him support her weight. Feeling secure. Cared for. Safe.
When he kissed the back of her neck, it was so tenderly it didn't disturb the safe feeling. Zach was nice. She loved him; she was happy to know he loved her.
When he kissed her again, an unexpected tremor ran through her.
Now-she wasn't supposed to feel like that. Not with Zach. He shouldn't-he really shouldn't....
But she didn't want to pull away from him or spoil the moment.
His lips were warm on the back of her neck. A shock of sweetness passed