The Hunger Grows: A Girl and Her Cat Book 2
I was going to have a long lead up to this release and a big party and all that jazz, but as soon as I finished this book I wanted to get it out into the world!
Suprise!
Chapter 1
I shifted in the hospital bed, wondering how they could make a mattress this uncomfortable. People had to stay here for weeks at a time; did they all come away with flat butts and bad backs?
“You okay, Everly?” Whitney occupied the recliner at the side of my bed. She’d pulled the footrest up and laid the top back and was scrolling through social media on her phone. Although, I could tell she wasn’t really paying attention because she’d passed two posts of musicians I knew she loved.
“I’m fine.” I turned a little to put pressure on a different spot on my butt.
Whitney looked over her phone at me. “Do you have to pee?”
I glared. “No.” I’d caught my best friend with a faraway look in her eye and an expression of pain on her face a few times this morning. I knew she felt guilty about running over Jason, not to mention stabbing Amy in the face with her flute. Instead of dealing with it, she’d been mothering me.
“Then why are you moving around? Does your arm hurt? Should I call the nurse?”
“The only reason you want to call the nurse is because he looks like the guy from Cobra Kai.” At least this little part of Whitney was still fine.
Whitney held up a finger. “A perfectly chiseled version of the guy from Cobra Kai. Did you see his pecs?”
“Nope.” Of course I had, but I’d been much more distracted by the way Wyatt, Whitney’s brother, had been hovering at my side since the night of the musical when I’d been bit and we’d run over a guy in the van. My eyes drifted to the chair he’d been sitting in a few minutes before and I repressed a sigh. He’d pulled it close to the side of my bed and rested his arm by my leg as he’d looked through the newsfeeds for more information on our not-quite-an-apocalypse. It was hard to breathe with any part of him that close to me.
“Oh, you saw him, but I think you’re distracted by the biggest dork on the planet,” Whitney said.
My face burned, and I shook my head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I’d never told Whitney that I had a huge crush on her older brother, but she’d obviously figured it out.
“Whatever.” Whitney rolled her eyes at me.
My phone buzzed, and I reached for it, careful not to tug on the IV in my arm, the bandage over the bite, or the annoying oxygen monitor around my finger. I smiled when I found a picture of Echo from Wyatt on the screen.
Wyatt had caught my Bengal cat, all brown-orange fur and black spots, licking his lips. Echo looked happy, which meant Wyatt was spoiling him.
Everly: What did you feed him?
Wyatt: Just a snack.
A bunch of eating emojis followed. Something stirred in the pit of my stomach. I’d decided to call this fluttering-butterfly-wing feeling Cupid. Mostly so I could specifically tell stupid Cupid to go away. I needed to keep things casual between us. How would un-twitterpated Everly answer Wyatt?
Everly: I thought you were on patrol.
Wyatt: Bros gotta eat.
“Uh-huh,” I muttered.
“Wyatt?” Whitney pointed at my phone.
“He’s spoiling my cat.” I showed her the picture.
“I’m not surprised. He’s in love with Echo. I expect their wedding announcement any day.”
I tried to keep the edge out of my laugh. Wyatt had been paying a lot of attention to me, especially after we’d escaped the school musical with our lives, but I had to remind myself that he really liked my cat. Not necessarily me.
