Call Out Read Online Free Page B

buckled and he nearly took us all
down. Somehow Brian and I managed to keep London on his feet, and
Brian got him to the chair.
    "Fuck," London breathed. A tense moment
ticked by before he came back to himself. "She's okay."
    Brian let himself fall then, sinking to his
knees, leaning on London for support. I slid down the wall behind
me to sit on the floor.
    "What just happened?" I asked.
    "Too much emotion," London said. "Strong
emotions make it easier for me to...see things."
    "That's what the whole touching thing was
about," I realized. "Why you put your hand on Brian's shoulder
before you touched the dress."
    "Yup. Contact helps, too. But I just wasn't
ready for that much of a reaction. I was touching both of you, and
you both have really strong feelings for Dylan. I didn't think
about that.” He pushed the chair back a little and got to his feet.
“Didn’t even really realize you were touching me, honestly. At
least not until after it was too late to do anything about it."
    I replayed the scene in my head and
remembered that, yes, the arm I’d had around Brian’s waist had
brushed against London when he reached for the dress.
"So...um...emotional overload?"
    "Yup, pretty much."
    "I think 'emotional overload,' is the phrase
of the day," Brian said as he let London help him up.
    "No shit," I agreed. "So, Dylan's okay. But
how do we find her? Have you got some kind of mystical tracking
device in your arsenal?
    London shook his head. "Not something I know
how to do," he admitted. "And I don't really talk to anyone who's
involved in that stuff. I think I can find some help, but it’ll
take time." He rubbed his eyes. "Right now, I need a drink. It may
sound shitty under the circumstances, but I really, really need a
fucking drink. And some air. I'm going to find the bar."
    "It doesn't sound shitty," I assured him. "It
sounds human. You do what you have to do to cope when the shit hits
the fan."

Chapter Three
     
    London's coping mechanism involved getting a
drink in the bar. Brian's, working out in the hotel gym. Assuring
them both I'd be fine, I shooed them out of the room. I still
needed to find a place to stay, and I needed to get rid of a day's
worth of grime and stress.
    Thirty minutes of steamy shower later, I felt
halfway human again. I pulled on undies and my PJs - a faded
t-shirt and Star Wars boxers - and set my laptop on the desk. I'd
find a hotel and the number for a cab company, and then I'd worry
about real clothes.
    I had gotten about ten seconds into my hotel
search when London let himself back into the room. "Find the bar?"
I asked.
    "It's hard to miss," he said, crossing the
room to drop a key card on the desk beside me.
    I nodded and tapped a new search into my web
browser. For a minute or two the only sounds were the hum of air
conditioning and the clicking of laptop keys. Another new search,
even though I had a feeling I wouldn't find much in my price range.
'College student' is not a high-paying job.
    "Hey," London said, crouching down beside my
chair so we were more or less at eye level.
    I dragged my attention from the computer to
look at him.
    "Are you doing what it looks like you're
doing?" he asked.
    "If it looks like I'm trying to find a place
to sleep tonight, then yes."
    He reached up to brush a stray lock of wet
hair back from my eyes. "There's a perfectly good bed right behind
you."
    "Yeaaah. I don't think it's big enough for
the three of us."
    London eyeballed the bed. "I think it might
be."
    "London..." He cut me off before I could say
any more.
    "It's not some weird come-on. I just think we
should all stick together tonight."
    "One of your feelings?"
    "Partly. Mainly just common sense. And maybe
a little paranoia."
    A smile tried to turn up the corners of my
mouth, but it ended up as more of a tired twitch.
    "If you really just can't stay in here with
us - and I'd kind of get that - then I'll go down and see if I can
get another room close to ours."
    It was a generous offer. I knew the