Of course. Washington had developed the blood type cure, and he was working on the blood disease. He’d been one of Harrington’s best doctors. It made perfect, horrible sense that Jodie had been one of his test subjects at some point if she had been at Visage for ten years. Still, it hurt.
“How long has he been here?” Jodie asked. “No. Fuck it. It doesn’t matter.”
She kept walking down the hallway. She took the stairs instead of the elevator down to the floor where she still shared a room with Meghan.
“Jodie, what are you doing?”
“Getting the hell out of here.”
“You’re leaving?” Reyna asked.
“Well, I can’t fucking stay. If that man is a part of Elle, then this place is no better than that hellhole.”
“Jodie, I know Washington worked with Visage in the past.”
“If you knew, then how could you allow this?” she asked. “You were there in Visage, too, Reyna. He was part of that.”
“I know. He’s the one who invented the blood type cure in the first place. He worked with Harrington, but he’s not working with him anymore. He’s not still the person he was before. I have to believe that.”
“Well, you do you, then.”
“If Beckham can change, then Washington can, too.”
“This isn’t about your vampire boyfriend. This is about my life. Ten years of my life. I thought you understood.”
“I do,” Reyna said quietly. “I don’t want to work with Washington. I don’t want any of this. But I want him on our side, not Harrington’s.”
Jodie faced her, stuffing a pair of tennis shoes into a backpack. “That’s the difference between me and you, Reyna. I don’t believe that anyone can change. They’re not on our side. They’re ontheirside. Vampires are ourenemies.”
“They’re not our enemies.”
Jodie snorted. “Theyfeedoff us. They drink our blood. They want to kill us. Nothing changes that. Nothing.”
“Okay,” Reyna said, holding her hands up. “I hear you. We both were put through shit. I’m not telling you to trust Washington. Or to even trust Beckham. It’s understandable that you’d hate them.”
Jodie’s shoulders shook as she clutched her backpack. “I can’t stay, Rey.”
“Seeing Washington fucked you up. It triggered you, and it’s totally understandable. If I saw Harrington right now, I’d want to bolt, too,” Reyna admitted, reaching her hand out for Jodie. “But I don’t want to lose you. You’re my friend. My sister.”
Jodie dropped her head. “You’re all I have, sister. The rest of this…” She glanced up at her. “It’s yours, not mine.”
“What’s mine is yours,” she told her. “Always.”
Jodie threw her backpack down. “He’s a monster, Reyna.”
“I believe you. And I’m sorry for what he’s done. I’m sorry for everything that happened to you. That happened to both of us. But it isn’t any safer out there right now. And I don’t want you to get hurt. Running isn’t the answer.”
“Then whatisthe answer?”
“Take it one day at a time. We’re not going to get through this in a few weeks. It’s going to take a lot longer to recover. Even longer to change the world. You don’t have to forgive him or forget what he did to you. Just don’t leave.”
Jodie chewed on her lip and glanced away. “You and I see the world very differently.”
“That’s okay. As long as you’re still in my world.”
Jodie nodded. “I’ll stay…for now.”
“Thank you,” Reyna said, wrapping her into a hug.
