Somewhere To Be Read Online Free PDF Page B

say.
    “You still at the airport?” Nick asked.
    “Mmm? Yeah. Stuck here overnight. Hopefully we’ll be out of here in the morning, but honestly, my car isn’t made for bad weather.” It really wasn’t. His little Renault hatchback was light as a feather and had zero traction on snow.
    “I hope you make it home for Christmas,” Nick said.
    “Yeah. Me too.”

Chapter Six
     
    A T 3:00 a.m. rolled around, Jamie was sitting in an all-night coffee shop, cradling a hot chocolate and wishing he were anywhere but here. His auntie and grandma were both sleeping again, having woken earlier on for food and some good-natured grumbling. In Hokkien, of course, because Grandma spoke zero English. She was always happy, even trapped in an airport in a cold foreign country after a fifteen-hour flight. Her face had lit up when she’d seen him, and he’d felt lighter than he had all day at that, but now they were asleep and he was sitting up with that zombie stare that so many of the people here had. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he sluggishly pulled it out, frowning when he saw Nick’s name on the screen. At 3:05 a.m. on Christmas Eve? Technically Christmas Day? Why wasn’t he asleep like a normal person?
    “’Lo,” Jamie answered, his tongue heavy.
    “Hey, I was hoping you’d be awake.” Nick sounded far too perky. “Man, I need a coffee,” he groused happily.
    “Why aren’t you asleep?” Jamie asked, sipping his hot drink. “Wish I was asleep,” he mumbled. The airport felt weird and alien this late at night, with people scattered around trying to catch scraps of sleep. It felt like being in a bizarre bubble.
    “Had things to do. Hey, so how’s your fam? Get to them okay? I didn’t ask earlier.”
    “Yeah, I got ’em. They’re asleep.”
    “Think they’d be mad if you woke them?” Nick asked in a little singsong voice.
    “Why would I wake them?” Jamie asked, trying to unsuccessfully stifle a yawn.
    “Wellll….” He paused, just as the barista hit the switch to steam milk in a little metal jug, the hissing sound rising up in the background. “You’re in a coffee shop, aren’t you?” Nick said in a faux accusatory tone.
    “Mmhmm.” Jamie looked around and spotted the name on a napkin. He recited it absentmindedly and swallowed a mouthful of hot chocolate. “S’not bad,” he said.
    “Well, no wonder you can’t sleep.”
    “Hot chocolate, smartarse.”
    Nick laughed a little and sounded a tad breathless, as though he were walking fast. “Well, someone is grumpy in the morning. Good to know,” he teased.
    Jamie grinned a sleepy little grin and focused on the rhythmic sounds of Nick walking and breathing.
    “What ya doing?” he asked, as the sounds of people picked up behind Nick. “Why are you outside, you crazy person?”
    Nick paused, then chuckled. “Hold on a sec,” he said and ended the call.
    Jamie stared at the phone, wondering if the call had dropped or if Nick had meant to end it, but his brain was chugging along slower than a snail’s pace, and Jamie honestly felt like he was going to start drooling soon.
    Had he been more awake, he would have jumped out of his skin when the chair next to him abruptly scraped on the floor, but as it was, his near-comatose state had him just performing a full body twitch in reaction and turning to look at the creator of the obnoxious sound.
    He did startle when Nick flopped down in the seat, though.
    “Jesus!” he said, fumbling to put his drink on the table. “Are you actually here?”
    Nick grinned and tapped his fingers on the tabletop. “What, you think you’re dreaming me up? I’m flattered.”
    “It’s kind of a more likely scenario than you actually being here,” Jamie said slowly. “Like, maybe I’ve cracked in all my sleep deprivation.”
    That got a laugh out of Nick, who lifted a hand and displayed a set of keys. With a Jeep key chain attached. “So, one of my hobbies is off-roading,” Nick said with a smile.