“What’s gotten into you, Biscuit? Is Raven right? Are these friends of yours bad influences on you? You’re being rude.”
“I’m being rude?” Sailor says. “Your date is implying that I’m not good enough for my friends, and you think I’m the one being rude. Honestly, Dad, wake up. And for the record, no, my friends aren’t bad influences. In fact, they’ve all literally saved my life.”
“Saved your life? What are you talking about?” Adam demands.
I tense up. What is she going to tell him?
“They saved me from being the butt of every joke for the rest of the school year, they saved me when I was all alone, and they saved me from being that nerdy kid that no one will talk to. Happy now?”
Sailor doesn’t wait for an answer. She comes back to the dining room and gives Raven the most fake smile I’ve ever seen.
“My apologies, Ms. Price. It seems my dad thinks I was rude to you.”
“Honestly, it’s fine. There’s no need to apologize. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Sailor ignores her and turns to me.
“I’m going to bed. I’ll see you out.”
I get to my feet.
“Thank you for dinner, Adam,” I say. “It was nice to meet you. And to see you too, Raven.”
Adam shakes my hand.
“Thank you for joining us, thought I am not quite sure what got into my daughter, you are welcome anytime, Rye.”
He might think so, but Sailor is staring daggers at me again and it’s clear she disagrees with his statement. I follow her into the hallway. She slams the dining room door.
“Sailor,” I start, but she’s in no mood for talking.
I can see the tears shimmering in her eyes as she shakes her head. I reach out for her but she steps around me and opens the front door. I hate to leave her like this but it’s obvious that’s what she wants and I step outside. I turn back to speak to her, but she’s already closing the door. As it closes, I get a glimpse of the frantic look in her eyes. It’s like she’s pushing me away but begging me to stay at the same time.
I walk around to the side of the house already knowing that there’s a fifty percent chance Sailor is going to tell me to just fuck off and leave her alone. Well I won’t. Not until I know she’s okay. I look up at the room I heard Sailor moving around in earlier when she went to get changed. I spot a drainpipe and shimmy up it and slip into Sailor’s open window.
She’s lying on the bed, her body curled in the fetal position, and I can hear her anguished sobs. Hearing her crying like that breaks my heart and I can’t help but think of what she said to Aziza. How must she feel to think her dad is replacing her mom with someone she doesn’t like?
I move to the bed knowing I shouldn’t do it and yet I lie down beside Sailor anyway.
“Sailor—” I start.
She cuts me off again, but this time she doesn’t do it by pushing me away. She does it by throwing herself into my arms. She’s sobbing so hard I can feel her body shaking and her tears soaking through my shirt. I don’t know what to say to make it better, so I don’t say anything. I pull her blankets over her and just hold her.
“Rye?” she whispers when her sobs have trailed off to hiccupping gulps. “Please don’t leave me.”
I know I have to leave her. Staying is too much; it will anger the gods. I open my mouth to tell her I have to go and I’m sorry.
“Never,” I whisper back instead.
And I mean it. For as long as Sailor wants to be next to me, I’ll hold her in my arms and protect her from the world. And if that incurs the wrath of the gods, then I’ll fight them too.
Sailor and I walk along a winding path through green fields and rows of sweet jasmine. Her hand is in mine and I can feel the love for her radiating out of me. She turns her head and smiles at me, a smile that lights up my entire body, and I stop walking and kiss her. She squeals with delight when I pick her up and spin her around.
The scene flashes. Sailor and I lie on our backs on a beach, side by side; as she stares up at the stars in the night sky, all I see is her. She squeals in pure delight when a shooting star flies across the sky and tells me to make a wish. I squeeze her hand and tell her I have everything I’ll ever need right here. She rolls over and straddles me, leaning down to kiss me, and everything is perfect in the world.
The scene changes again. I’m walking Sailor home. She’s practically skipping along beside me, telling me what an amazing day it’s been. She doesn’t have to tell me; I know. We turn a corner and see Sailor’s house. It’s consumed by flames. Sailor rips her hand from mine and runs toward the house screaming for her dad. I run after her. Three gods stand before the house. They refuse to let Sailor in.
“We warned the god, Paradox. He knew the consequences.”
“Where is my father, you bastards!!!” Sailor screams.
“The god ignored our warning and your father paid the price with his life.”
Sailor screams and falls to her knees. She looks up at me, raw hatred in her streaming eyes. Her voice is ice cold as she speaks.
“First you killed your family and now mine. This is all your fault.”
I jolt awake, instantly aware that I’m in Sailor’s bed and she’s lying beside me wrapped in my arms. I gently disentangle myself from her, already missing the warmth of her body. I get dressed as quietly as I can and go
