Page 109 of Inbetweeners
“I only saw George.”
“Fuck.” Phoenix clenched his fists. “Okay, so we lost one.”
Emmett leaned against the wall. “You two need to go.”
“One more night. Please,” Harry whispered. “We promise we’ll try and leave tomorrow. Just one more night in case it’s all…”
“We won’t be a nuisance,” Rashid said. “Please.”
Emmett sighed. “I’m not sure I have the energy to send anyone else back today.”
“So can we stay?” Harry asked.
“One more night,” Phoenix said.
“Yippee!” Harry hugged him, then dragged Rashid to the main room.
Emmett staggered into the bedroom and collapsed on the bed. He lay on his back, groaning.
Phoenix dropped down at his side. “I was going to come and help, but whatever you were saying worked. You’re more patient than me.” Phoenix brushed Emmett’s fringe from his eyes. The gesture made something leap in Emmett’s chest, the touch of kindness somehow more than he’d expected.
“That was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” Emmett whispered. “Listening to them talk. Hearing how sad they are about what they’ve left behind. Wanting to send their love to their family. Love was the word they kept repeating. And I told them that they had to cling onto that love, and that love that would be their strength and support. Because in the end, love is all that matters.”
Emmett gave a short laugh. “As if I knew what I was talking about. I’ve been so fucking selfish my entire life. I cut myself off because I was trying to keep myself safe, not let myself get hurt like I had as a child, but I wasn’t really living. I existed and there’s a big difference. Those young guys and the woman had such dreams… and they’re all gone.”
They sat side by side not speaking for a while. Phoenix had had dreams too.Me as well.Emmett’s dream was different now. He wanted to keep Phoenix out of Hell.
“Did you hint that they needed to keep their memories?” Phoenix asked.
Emmett smiled. “More than hint. I laid it on thick. Almost all of them said—why wouldn’t I want to remember?Maybe that was why I was chosen to do this. Perfect example of what not to do. They talked and talked and talked and I’ve never listened like that in my life.”
“They were lucky they had the chance to talk. Most don’t. You and I didn’t.”
“I never had anyone I wanted to talk to.”
“Not David? Not even your brother and sister?”
Emmett shook his head. “I don’t know how I can pass any of these messages on.”
“Don’t worry about that for the moment. There’s nothing we can do about Mo. He could be anywhere. We have to deal with Greyson and Sophie. A pissed-off Greyson and Sophie. Not sure wooden stools are going to be enough to protect us.”
Emmett rolled to press his face into Phoenix’s chest. “We don’t know if that was the only house they were using. Did you notice any signs of a woman living there?”
“No. You’re right. We assumed. Shit. Though the victimswerebeing kept in separate rooms. It was still risky. Wouldn’t they have used different houses if they had them?”
“Probably.”
“I’ll get the laptop, see if we can find anything out about them online. I’ll upload the photos and maybe we’ll get lucky. Do you want me to make you something to eat?”
“No thanks.” Emmett’s stomach protested at the thought. “Maybe later.”
He’d moved to a sitting position with his back to the headboard when Phoenix returned.
“We’ll look for Greyson first.” Phoenix said.
He settled next to Emmett, their shoulders touching, and Emmett felt comfort in that. Phoenix didn’t need to have sat so close, so the touch had been deliberate. He watched as Phoenix typed. There were no relevant hits for James Greyson, even spelt with an ‘a’, or Simon Greyson.
Phoenix sighed. “We should have looked in the house to see if there were clues to their identity.”
