I turned from Greer so he wouldn’t see my smile. I was sick of hiking, but I liked the thought of being with him. I fumbled with the clasp in the back.
“Here, let me.”
“No, I’ve got it,” I said, but Greer ignored me and helped anyway. I piled my hair on the top of my head, exposing my neck. Greer’s fingers touched the back of my neck, warming my skin.
“So, when you had your trial, what was it like?” I asked to distract myself from the way his breath tickled the back of my neck.
“I was twelve and terrified.”
I turned my head. “Twelve? Why so young?”
Greer stopped fidgeting, his fingers gently holding the clasp. “I wanted to do my part against the Merrics.”
They must have done something terrible to Greer and his family. “I’m sorry.”
“I did a lot of good.” Greer dropped the connected clasp, and I let my hair fall. “You’ll do a lot of good, but with your family ties, the trial won’t be straightforward. There has never been a Merric in the Galvantry. They‘ll be concerned about your loyalties and abilities.”
The statement made me laugh. “I have no loyalties to the Merrics. I’m not like them. I’m nothing like Bollard or Claudette.”
“Your grandmother wasn’t either, at first.”
“At first?” That was a weighty phrase. “Grandma isn’t like the Merrics. She’s a good person. She’d never hurt people.”
Greer stood staring at me, not answering.
I said, “She wasn’t. No matter what you heard, she’s a good person. The Merrics lie. Everything you’ve heard is a lie.”
Greer nodded slowly.
“No, really. Believe me. I remember her when I was a little girl before she got sick. She used to dance around her kitchen singing Yes, We Have No Bananas, she made the best molasses cookies, and she taught me how to waltz in the backyard. The Merrics all lie. You know that.”
“I know you love her,” he said.
“I do, and I am going to cure her.” I pushed past him.
“Waverly.” He took my arm.
“She’s worth helping, Greer.”
Greer nodded and let go of my arm. “I know a professor who can help with the words.”
“What?” I asked. “You do?”
“There’s an expert in religious theories from Boston.”
“Boston?!” We couldn’t go back to Boston. I couldn’t. It’d be too dangerous.
“Boston would be a terrible idea for us but in a few days, he is to vacation down in the Carolinas, on the coast.”
Carolina. I wasn’t sure if he meant North or South but what did it matter? We weren’t even close to the Mason-Dixon line… not that it existed in this world. How were we going to get to the Carolinas from here? We hadn’t even made it out of Massachusetts yet. I groaned. I couldn’t fathom walking all the way down south.
“Don’t feel defeated,” Greer said. “I have a plan to get us there.”
“Isn’t that like a thousand miles away?” Walking. Avoiding everything out there. The animals. The Libratiers. Strange traps. Nanos.
“It’s under eight hundred, but we won’t be walking all of it.” Greer took something out of his bag. “Here.”
“No, thanks. I don’t really feel like a Cloverfield this morning.”
“You need a pick me up. Here.” He took my hand and forced me to take what he had.
I opened my hand and found a piece of candy. “Chocolate? Why?”
“Makes most people feel better. Eat it.” I saw the name printed on it. Cloverfield. It was identical to the chocolate Manon had given me. I got a guilty feeling. A Galvantry man probably didn’t have a lot of money and these cost a lot. He’d already done so much for me and the chocolate was just one more thing.
I handed it back to him. “You should have it. I don’t need candy. I’m fine.”
He knew I wasn’t. “Eat.”
“But isn’t it expensive?”
“What? The chocolate?” He laughed out loud, a real deep belly laugh.
“It’s not?” I asked in confusion.
He laughed again, and he held his side like it stitched. “Give me a second.”
“What?”
“You’re worried about money? You’re worth billions.”
“Well, yeah. I am. And I’m worth millions to other people. Manon told me those chocolates were expensive. I’m not sure I get the joke.”
“No joke. I just didn’t expect you to— Never mind.” He gave a last chuckle and handed me the chocolate.
I split the chocolate in half. “Here, take half of it at least.”
“No, really, it’s fine,” he said.
“Don’t you like chocolates?”
“Yes, but—”
I grabbed his arm and put the chocolate in his hand and held it closed. He didn’t fight me or pull his hand back. Nope. I held his hand with mine, and he smiled down at me with his warm face. I said, “We’ll eat together.”
He nodded slowly as he looked at me, staring at me. I hoped, oh I hoped, he would close the space between us and kiss me.
“Waverly?”
“Yes?” I said.
“You need something better to wear.”
I let go of his hand and backed up. “What?”
Way to misread a situation. I was so stupid and embarrassed. Here I was gazing up at him and thinking of... and he was thinking I looked terrible. Wow. Oh wow. Shoot me now. Shoot. Me. Now. With my free hand, I patted down my hair and straightened my collar.
I played it off like I’d been thinking the same thing. “I need a shower too.” My eyes were tearing yet again. What is it about crying that makes you cry more? I flipped my sunglasses over my eyes. If I smiled, I might successfully play off like it didn’t matter. “And a bathroom. I miss those a lot. I’ll get ready. Wilderness living. What are you going to do?” I pretended like it was a joke because the moment was, wasn’t it? I’d kidded myself.
He nodded, although he looked a little crestfallen too. “Waverly?”
“I’m going to get ready now.” I tripped awkwardly and caught myself as I escaped. I called over my shoulder. “Thank you for the chocolate!”
Chapter 31
