Page 6 of The Challenge

Chapter 3

CHLOE

“Oh,” I said groggily, backing up against the headboard. “Hey, Effie.”

She put her index finger to her mouth. “Shh…”

“I’m not supposed to talk?” I whispered.

“My daddy told me not to come in here. But I wanted to look at you.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “It’s a school night.”

“Well, I won’t tell.” I grinned. “What time is it?”

“Past midnight.” She climbed onto the bed and made herself comfortable. “Why were you and my dad yelling at each other earlier?”

I played dumb. “Were we?”

“Is it because of the nightmares he has?”

I drew in my brows. “Nightmares?”

“Yeah. The ones where he calls out your name…Chloe.”

For a moment, the world stopped spinning. Calls out my name?

“He does?” I finally asked.

She nodded.

“Are you sure?”

“It happened twice.”

My insides whirled. “How do you know they were nightmares?”

“I don’t. But when I talk in my sleep, Daddy says I have nightmares. So, that’s what I call it when someone talks in their sleep.”

“Did you ever ask him about it?”

She shook her head.

“I don’t think he’d be happy if he knew you told me that.”

Effie seemed to think for a moment. “How do you know my dad?”

“You didn’t ask him that already?”

“I did. But he didn’t want to talk about you. He told me to go do my homework.”

Exhaling, I took a moment to gather my thoughts. “Well, believe it or not, he used to live with my family when he was younger. He moved in with us when he was a teenager.”

“Because my grandma was sick?”

“Yes.” I nodded somberly.