Chapter 96 (1/2)

I toss my phone at the bed and bounce on one foot out to the living room, my toe still throbbing. When I reach Tessa’s sleeping body on the couch, I scan her and the furniture. Her cell has to be around here somewhere.

Why didn’t I listen to my mom about getting a landline?

You never know what could happen, Landon.

The cell service could stop working.

You may lose that cell phone and have to use the landline to call and find it.

The aliens could invade Brooklyn and steal all technology to further their plan of taking over Earth for their evil doings.

Okay, so I made the last one up when I teased her about her concern.

However, this is one of the many times in my life when I’ve come to realize that my mother usually knows what the heck she’s talking about. Most twenty-year-olds would never admit it, but I’m smart enough to know that I’m lucky to have a parent like her.

I spot Tessa’s phone wedged between the back of the couch and her hip. I slowly reach for it and hold my breath, trying not to wake her. Just as my fingertips reach the phone and I grab hold of it, Tessa’s body jerks and her eyes dart open.

I pull back and give her time to understand that it’s only me, and she’s asleep on the couch in her own living room.

“Are you okay?” Tessa groans. Her voice sounds like she’s still asleep.

“Yeah, sorry. My phone is dead and I’m late for work.”