“Shit,” I said, flopping down on the couch after we moved it back into place.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and tried to remember exactly what I’d done with my medicine. There was no doubt in my mind I’d set them on the coffee table.
“Let’s take a trip,” Sam said.
“Yeah?”
“We’ll check out the pharmacy you mentioned,” Sam said, pulling her shoulders back. “You’ll bring your bat. What’s the worst that could happen?”
My brow wrinkled. “You just had to ask that.”
“It’ll be quick. We’ll get what we need and leave. In and out.” Sam’s eyes scanned the area. “Think your brother had two bats? Or maybe he played golf for a while?”
“I’m sure we could find something,” I said, chewing my cheek.
Sam’s head bobbed, and her lips curled into a mischievous grin. “Then let’s go.”
16
Sam took a dull steak knife from the kitchen, and I took the bat. During the entire walk, I wondered if I’d actually be able to use it if it came down to it.
If I would have had a bat when Elijah locked me up, I would have definitely tried to use it. But that was different.
We were the ones going to the pharmacy to steal. This time, I was the bad guy.
“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” I said, remembering how things had gone when we went with Erik to the other town.
“You need your medicine,” Sam said. “Things have probably settled down now. It’s not like you can go without your medicine.”
My shoulders dropped. “I’ll be fine as long as nothing happens.”
“We can’t stay in the house forever. At least I’m not going to,” Sam said, keeping her eyes forward. Her mind was on the day we left to make our trip back to Massachusetts.
“No, I guess we can’t,” I said, coughing. “That reminds me, Erik told me how we can get back to Dott.”
“Oh?” Sam asked, her eyes glimmering in the sunlight.
I let out a long breath. “It probably won’t work, but he said older vehicles might still work. If we could find something without a computer.”
“How do we do that?” Sam asked.
“I haven’t figured that part out yet,” I said, my face stretching as it contorted. “But I’m sure someone must have an old truck in the area.”
“That’s not a bad idea if it works,” Sam said, looking at the knife in her hand. “How would we get gas?”
I pressed my lips together. “There are kinks to figure out.”
“Even if we could ride part of the way, that would help tremendously,” Sam said, bumping her elbow into me. “Tell Erik thanks.”
“You could tell him,” I said with a shrug.
“He likes you better,” Sam said, raising her brows up and down.
I rolled my eyes. “Even if that were true, it doesn’t really matter.”
“He’d probably come with us if you asked,” Sam said.
“That is not something I will do!” I said, my eyes bugging out of my head.
“Wouldn’t it be nice for all of us to be out there watching each other’s backs? Is that what he wants?”
I shook my head. “No way. What Erik wants is to stay safe in his home for as long as he can.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“Essentially, yes.” I clenched my hands into tight fists. “I wouldn’t ever ask either of them to do something so foolish.”
Sam frowned. “So, you think going to get my daughter is foolish?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it.”
“You should just stay here with Erik and Dorian where it’s safe,” Sam said. She walked faster, staying ten feet in front of me at all times.
If I picked up my pace, she walked faster.
“Come on, Sam,” I groaned. “It’s not like I’ll let you go….”
My words faded as we approached the town. The swirling in my stomach sent acid racing up to the back of my throat.
Most of the buildings had been burned to the ground. What remained of the streets were empty. It was a ghost town.
“What happened here?” Sam asked, her voice a scratchy whisper.
“I have no idea,” I said, swallowing hard. “It looks like fires spread through town.”
Sam shook her head. “No one could stop it. No fire trucks. Maybe something like what happened with your microwave.”
“Could be.”
“Which building would have been the pharmacy?” Sam asked. “Maybe we can find what we need in the rubble.”
“We’ll have to take that street for a bit,” I said, leading Sam around a mound of smoking debris that was likely once a house. “Then take a right on the highway.”
Sam rubbed her lower back. “Is it far?”
“Another mile, give or take.”
“I hope it’s take.” Sam grimaced. “Why did your mom live so far from civilization?”
I pressed my lips together to stop them from quivering. It felt like I was going to burst into tears, but I suffocated the sadness, replacing it with anger.
“If she hadn’t, maybe she’d still be alive,” I said.
“Oh, Mel!” Sam said, squeezing me.
“It’s fine. I just shouldn’t have left her,” I said, sniffing as I looked away. “I shouldn’t have gone to the furthest college that would take me.”
Sam squeezed me harder. “It’s not your fault.”
“My sister left. My brother left. And then, I had to rub salt in the wound and leave too,” I said, biting down on my cheek so I wouldn’t cry. “I took my hatred of the house out on my mom. I could have lived closer.”
“You can’t blame yourself. Moving away is normal,” Sam said.
“Yeah, but this is different,” I said with a sigh.
Sam shook her head. “Not really. You didn’t know this would happen. Your mom wasn’t even sick. Heart stuff
