Page 57 of Lucky Night

We should at least considerit.

No time! Edvin says. He’s back, his arms full of wet towels. No considering. Wego.

He dumps the towels by the door and heads for the cabinets. Nick watches him open one and start rooting around. He turns to Jenny.

This is who you’re going to listen to? The guy who didn’t have the brains to bring his key with him when he galloped out of his room—in a bathrobe?

But I should listen to you? she says. The guy who persuaded me to stay when we could have gone? Who lied to me about where the fire is? Who—

Jesus Christ, I’m sorry, okay? I screwed up! Repeatedly, comprehensively. Trust me, I am very, very,verysorry we didn’t leave. But that doesn’t mean we should leave now, when the problem is almost solved. That’s fucking insane!

He turns to find Edvin right on top of him, holding a laundry bag.

You should not swear at your wife, the big man says.

Nick sighs. Right. Thanks for the tip, chief.

Edvin moves to the fridge. He stuffs bottles of water into the laundry bag. He scrabbles around in the snack shelves.

You saw the news, Jenny. We’ll be able to walk out of here soon. But not yet.

Edvin was so scared when he got here, she says. What if it’s worse out there than what we’ve been told?

Then we definitely shouldn’t go! It’s…what the hell is he doing now?

Edvin has opened Nick’s suitcase. He pulls out a pair of running shoes.

Okay, that’s…Edvin? That’s not cool, man, those are—

Edvin tosses the shoes aside and moves on to the desk. Nickwatches him ransack the drawers. She can’t go with this guy. She can’t…Christ, all night it’s been like this. She tries to escape, he tries to stop her. He didn’t want her to leave the bed, the room. Theirthis.He should have let her go when she wanted to go. They both should have gone.

But just because they should have gone then doesn’t mean they should go now.

Edvin drops a ballpoint pen into his laundry bag. He picks up one of their robes from the floor, yanks the belt through its loops and shoves that in, too.

Nick reaches for her hands, but she draws back.

Jenny, please listen. I know you want to go. But—

Why do you care whether I go or not?

Why do I…because I care about you! Yes, I got massively pissed off a few minutes ago, but I don’t want you to get hurt, and if you leave with Gigantor here, that’s a real possibility. Look. We don’t have to talk the rest of the night. We’ll sit in opposite corners and ignore each other. But please pleasepleasedon’t go. Not now.

Edvin is messing around in the closet again. They watch him pull a hanger off the clothes bar and shove it into his bag. What the fuck does he need a hanger for?

Jenny turns back to Nick. Her eyes are full of tears.

I just want it to be over, she whispers.

Oh honey, I know. He cups her face with his hands. So do I, and I am so sorry it isn’t. But leaving right now isn’t the answer. People die doing dumb shit like what he’s about todo.

I know, I know, I just…she steps back and covers her face, shaking her head.

But she’s staying. He can tell.

Thank Christ, she’s staying.

Is time, Edvin says. Is…

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