Page 91 of The Sculptor

“Can I get you some water?” I finally ask, as Duke’s tremors settle.

He doesn’t acknowledge me. He just keeps staring into the darkness.

“I’m going to get you something to drink, okay?” I rub down his back, but he still doesn’t answer me. “Stay here.”

His eyes never close, but the tremors return. I don’t know what to do. All I know is that this is a side of Duke that I only saw once before—and even then, I couldn’t be there for him like he needed.

But unlike last time, I have resources.

With a kiss to his cheek, I leave Duke on the bed, grabbing my phone off the nightstand as I go, already dialing the familiar number.

“What’s wrong?” Vance answers on the second ring, sounding wide awake in the middle of the night.

“Duke, he had a dream…” I clear my throat and decide to be honest. Vance knows everything. “He dreamed of that night—the one where—”

Vance cuts me off. “I know what you’re talking about. What’s wrong with him?” I understand his impatience. Vance has always cared deeply for his younger brother.

“He woke up shaking. I can’t get him to speak to me. He’s just staring.”

Vance lets out this frustrated sound. “Take him the phone.”

Part of me wants to say no, that he can tell me how to help Duke, but then I think that it’s my screams he still hears. Maybe hearing his brother’s voice will help orient him back to reality. His brother wasn’t there. He doesn’t associate Vance with the pain of that night.

“Okay,” I relent, walking back into the bedroom where I find Duke still on the bed. But this time, his eyes are focused… on my sketchbook.

“Duke?” His head snaps up at me. He looks wild and unhinged. “I have Vance on the phone.” I hold the phone out. “He wants to talk to you.”

Duke looks at the phone and then back at the sketchpad just as Vance yells in the phone, loud enough for us to hear. “Duke!”

He takes the phone, his eyes never leaving mine as he presses the screen and hangs up, handing it back to me.

I stand there in shock as Vance immediately calls back. “Are you okay?” I ask Duke, ignoring the call.

He nods. “I’m fine. Go back to bed.”

Yeah, like that’s going to happen. But I nod anyway as he gets up and shakes his head like he’s clearing out the lingering images. “I’m just gonna grab a shower.”

“Okay,” I answer gently.

Duke pauses when at the bathroom door. “I can’t stay here any longer.”

“We’ll leave,” I promise. The memories are too strong here. I get that. The last thing I want to do is cause him more pain.

“In the morning,” Duke confirms.

“In the morning,” I agree, settling back into the bed, ignoring the next two calls of Vance’s as Duke disappears behind the door.

I lie there for a minute when my phone rings again. Poor Vance. He’s probably just as confused as I am. “Hey, I’m sorry. I don’t—”

“Ramsey?”

The voice isn’t Vance’s. “Kelly?”

“Yeah.” She sounds out of breath. “I’m sorry to call so late, but I couldn’t wait to call you.” She pauses. “Are you alone?”

I look at the bathroom door. I can hear the water running. “Yeah, I’m alone. Why?”

She sighs. “Because I found something.”

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