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How long can someone survive without oxygen?
Will suffocating hurt?
Is it slow?
I pause, distracted from the overwhelming panic, at the feel of movement. Because movement might mean people.
It happens again, and my body braces this time.
Was that a speed bump? That would mean I’m in a vehicle.
So I’m not going to die in this thing alone…but I’m not safe. Because someone had to have put me in here, and there’s only one person I know who wants to hurt me.
This situation has somehow morphed from worse to terrifying.
Maybe a slow, suffocating death would be a better option than whatever is planned for me once we reach a destination.
Fuck.
SIXTY
MAX
Hammering my fingers into the buttons, I lean forward. I take the corner too sharply, over-steering into it, and my car fishtails, losing me the small advantage I had.
“Fuck!” I yell. “So fucking close.”
Nate chuckles as he flies past me and crosses the finish line, tossing his remote to the side. “I win. Again.”
“I let you win. You know, to give you a false sense of security…and then bam I’ll swoop in and beat you in the next race.” I scoff, scooping a few pretzels into my mouth. Fuck, the salty part is the best bit.
“Even if you win one, I’ve still beaten you three times in a row,” he replies distractedly, apparently more interested by his phone. I bet it’s work related. He’s not social enough to message friends, not that he has many outside of us. Which means I’m his favourite.
“Are we having a rematch, or what?” I probe and throw a pretzel at his face to get his attention.
Nate doesn’t look up. “Ask Bry.”
He’s such a sore winner.
“I can’t. I’m checking through orders for tomorrow, then I need to update the website,” Bry replies before I can even ask, firmly settled on the other sofa, laptop beside him and a tablet in his hands.
“Why is everyone too busy? Do you think Rosy and Noah will mind a plus one? Oh, maybe something’s happening, and they’ll let me watch,” I say animatedly.
What if Rosy’s in there naked? Noah’s much more tolerant of sharing. I’m sure he wouldn’t say no to little old me.
“No.” Bry sighs and rests his tablet on his knees. “Their evening’s planned. You can’t push in on it. Just like if this were your date with Rosy, we wouldn’t do that to you.”
“I’m too used to her being here. It’s weird not hanging out with her.” I pout and drop my head against the sofa cushion. “I know she’s only in the other room, but I miss her.”
“Same,” Nate grunts, still not looking away from his phone.
“See? If we miss her, we should just hang out. Or limit one-on-one time to an hour only. They’ve been forever,” I groan, rubbing at the pang in my chest.
It happens a lot, mainly when I have to leave the house and go to work. It’s made me start dreading going each morning when I just want to stay snuggled with my honeybee all day. Maybe we should both volunteer full time at the rescue, then we can hang out all day, every day.
“Boundaries, Maxi. We need to respect them and the time she wants to spend with each of us,” Bry says.
“Hey, has Rosy come back?” Noah asks as he walks into the room.
