Olivia blows out a breath, resting her head back on my shoulder. After a few moments I feel her body stiffen and she lifts her head, looking alert.
“What is it, Finch?”
“Shhh.” Her brow creases in concentration. “Do you hear that?”
I strain my ears and manage to hear the low hum of the heater and electricity.
“The power’s back on?” I ask.
“I think so. Dee, wake up, the power’s back on,” she says, elbowing her.
Delilah mumbles under her breath, then sits up, rubbing her eyes. I take the opportunity to move my numb arm, shaking it out.
“Huh?” Delilah asks groggily.
“I think the power’s back on.”
Delilah seems to wake up more. “Really?”
“Let’s go find out,” Olivia says, throwing the blanket off of us. She folds it back up neatly and puts it back in the drawer.
When the drawer snaps closed Rat Boy stirs. “What’s going on?”
“Power’s back on,” Delilah says, standing.
Rat Boy shoots up from the chair, nearly falling over. “Seriously? Let’s get out of here.”
He and Delilah are the first ones out the door, but Olivia waits for me as I slowly stand up like a ninety-year-old man, my back and neck killing me.
“Let’s get out of here,” I say, grabbing her hand and leading her to the front of the building.
Only a few people still linger inside, most of them sleeping.
“How do the roads look?” Olivia asks Delilah as we meet her at the front doors.
“Roads seem to be fine,” she says, her face bright. “We just need to take it slow for any lingering patches of ice.”
Olivia lets out a relieved breath. “Good. You should be able to make it home today, then.”
“That’s the plan. Now let’s go home!” Delilah says cheerfully, dragging Olivia outside to the parking lot.
I walk out with them to Delilah’s car, still holding Olivia’s hand to make sure she doesn’t slip on any lingering ice. Rat Boy unfortunately follows, since his car is parked close to Delilah’s.
I open the passenger-side door for Olivia.
“Thank you,” she says, her tired eyes lingering on mine.
“Go home and get some rest, Finch,” I tell her as she slips into the car.
“You too. I’ll see you later,” she whispers, a small smile gracing her lips.
“Text me when you make it home safely,” I instruct before shutting her door.
I watch them safely pull out of the parking lot and onto the main road before trucking it back to my dorm room, where I flop down on my bed to try to get some decent sleep. I only fall asleep after I get Olivia’s text message saying that she made it home safe, and I make sure to set an alarm to get up and get ready to go spend Thanksgiving at her house on time.
Twenty-four
Deal
