Page 38 of The Easy Way
Cort thought he’d run away, just like Drewdid.
Well, two could play at thisgame.
[Cam:]Whatever. What’s with the dogs and chickens? Where the fuck did you growup?
[Cort:]Lots ofplaces.
[Cam:]Like?
[Cort:]Like, lots of places. I don’t remember themall.
[Cam:]Fine. We’re donenow.
He clicked his phone screen off and resumed walking, unaccountably annoyed. Cort wanted to start this shit, but wouldn’t finish it. He wanted Cam to take all the risks and take nonehimself.
Not.Happening.
[Cort:]Are youpissy?
[Cam:]No.
Not that he planned to admit, anyway. But he couldn’t help adding, a secondlater:
[Cam:]But for the record, Iwon.
The next text came five minutes later, after Cam had walked over the bridge, bought himself a coffee, and turned onto his own quiet street. Maybe Cort had been in the shower, or working out, or making breakfast, but Camknewin a way he couldn’t explain even if he wanted to, Cort had been staring at his phone screen for a long time… and maybe thinking aboutdiving.
[Cort:]I spent the longest in Johnsville. It’s where I graduated high school. I lived there 8years.
Cam sighed out loud and closed his eyes right there on the sidewalk. There were facts in that text, and Cam knew they were real and true, but they weren’t the whole story. Cort was sharing them because they were playing a game and he hated to lose, but Cam didn’t want to get information thatway.
[Cam:]Listen, don’t start these convos if you don’t wanna share, k? You don’t owe me a thing and I don’tpry.
[Cort:]Sometimes I want to share, Cam. It’s just not easy. I’m out of practice,maybe.
Cam got it, maybe better than Cort could imagine. So maybe he was talking to them both as hetyped:
[Cam:]Never gets easier if you don’ttry.
[Cam:]Anyway, enjoy yourvacation.
[Cort:]Will do. Starting a new hobbytoday.
Cam let himself into his building and stomped up the stairs to shower,wondering.
What iftrustwas the hard surface that could break him? What if Cort was thepayoffhe’d get if hedid?
A little later that morning, Cam’s phone buzzed again as he was signing his name to approximately a thousand thank you cards which Margaret would send to generous SafeWater donors later that day. He threw his pen down on his desk and snatched up his phone to see what new things Cort hadshared.
[Cort:]How many times do I have to shoot this thing before I getpaid?
[Cam:]What?
[Cort:]This malevolent little fucker popped up in front of me and I shot him. Where is mymoney?
[Cam:]Cort? Are you seeing things? Do I need to callsomeone?
[Cort:]Funny. This shit was YOUR idea, Cam. Now I’m gonna get killed and you’re not evenhelping.
