“Maybe. But to be honest, if the world was falling apart, and you had a vehicle that still worked, how well would you protect that vehicle?”
Sam frowned. She quickly wiped a tear that leaked out of the corner of her eye.
“How am I going to get back to her?” she asked.
“I’m not sure.”
“Do you think he’s keeping her safe?” Sam asked, clasping her shaking hands together.
I looked into her eyes. “I do. He’d do anything for her. You know that.”
“I should be with her,” Sam said, turning away from me. “This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have left her. It was selfish. Stupid. Careless.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
She didn’t intend to make me feel bad, but still, it was my fault she was here. I could have done more to discourage her from coming with me to help clean my mom’s house. But I was the one that had been selfish, stupid, and careless.
“I’ll figure something out,” I said, knowing that I had to make it up to her.
I had to fix the problem to get her back to her daughter. If it hadn’t been for me, they would be together and probably far more safe than Sam, and I were.
I didn’t feel any relief when I could see my mom’s house through the trees. The deteriorating siding blended in with the trees, but not enough that the house would be invisible to those in the area. Not to mention the simple fact that anyone could see it from the road.
We didn’t stop at the house, even though I was thirsty. I also wanted to take another look for my medicine in case I’d just somehow overlooked it. Of course, I knew that wasn’t possible.
When we got to Erik’s house, Sam banged the side of her hand against the door. Erik would have sensed the urgency.
The clouds in the sky had increased, blocking out the sun. A slight chill in the air from the breeze coming off the bay made me shiver.
“What’s taking him so long?” Sam mumbled as she pounded again. “Hey!” she shouted. “Anyone home?”
I walked up to the window and peeked inside. Mister Cat was prancing across the floor. He didn’t look my way, but it almost seemed as though he knew I was watching him.
“I don’t think they’re home,” I said.
“Great,” Sam said.
“Guess we should have checked for the boat before walking here,” I said, tightening my arms around my body and rubbing my palms up and down my arms.
Sam dropped down in a chair and rested her chin on his fists. “They could be gone for hours.”
“They won’t mind if we stay here,” I said, looking down the road, hoping to see them walking toward us. “At least I don’t think they would.”
“Just wish we could wait inside,” Sam said, pulling her legs to her chest. “It feels like we’re being watched.”
I leaned back against the house. “I know what you mean.”
Sam rocked her foot, shaking not just her chair but the entire patio. I placed my hands on my stomach, feeling a little sick from the motion.
“You okay?” Sam asked.
“Yeah.” I forced a smile. “Nerves or hunger… I’m not even sure.”
“Tell me if you need anything. I’m here for you. Always,” Sam said, popping to her feet. She ducked and bobbed to the side as she squinted at two figures coming toward us. “Looks like they’re back.”
I held still, watching the two blurry figures as they came into focus. It was the first time feeling any amount of relief since what happened in the town to the north. It wasn’t enough, though.
“Hey, hey!” Dorian said with a big smile. He held up the bucket he was carrying. “Back for more?”
“We need to talk to you,” Sam said as she walked toward them, swinging her arms.
“Did I do something wrong?” Erik asked, his eyes darting to mine.
I shook my head. “No, no. Nothing like that.”
Everything that had happened burst from Sam’s mouth like a pipe bursting. Erik’s expression didn’t change, but Dorian’s mouth dropped open.
“This just keeps getting worse,” Dorian said, shaking his head. “You think you know people. Were they locals?”
“How would I know that?” Sam snapped.
“We wouldn’t know,” I said, my voice pillow-soft.
Dorian set down the bucket and started pacing. “You’re right. Yeah. Sorry.”
Erik’s eyes scanned the area. He looked nervous. “I think we should get inside.”
18
Erik walked around, lighting candles. Sam and I sat side by side on the couch, watching him move around the room.
Dorian moved from window to window. He stopped, turned to us, and laughed.
“At least it’s not something spearheaded by my dad.” The laughing faded. “None of them were my dad, right?”
“I don’t think so,” I said, barely remembering what Dorian’s angry dad looked like.
I wouldn’t have been able to pick anyone from the town to the north from a lineup either. We made it out of there with our lives, and that was really all that mattered to me.
Although we did have to worry about them coming for us. We were outnumbered, and they were armed… they could get anything they wanted.
My fingertips glided side to side on the plush couch cushions. The soft texture reminded me of the stuffed bunny Dott always carried with her wherever she went.
Erik sat down in a chair and gripped the armrests. He focused on a spot on the floor before he cleared his throat.
“I really think you both should stay here,” Erik said, sucking in a quick breath. Sam opened her mouth, but he held up a finger. “It’s safer here. I have deadbolts, the
