“Already? Fuck,” I match it, though I wish I hadn’t immediately. “Admittedly, I have little to no knowledge of family dynamics, but that one doesn’t sound healthy,” I say my thoughts aloud.
She looks at me in amused disbelief before scoffing out a laugh, “It’s not. Like I said, we don’t talk anymore. I’ve moved apartments, changed my phone number, email,everything. They still manage to track me down. Though I guess if they’re a part of some super secret international religious extremist group, that makes sense.”
“I wouldn’t talk to someone like that either,” I add my own almonds to the pile in a raise, “but I’ve never been one for close relationships as it is.”
“What about Caspian?” she raises a brow, not looking away from her cards.
I consider how best to respond, the answer to a question I’ve asked and yet never found. There was never a reason for it. Cas just always belonged beside me. He was my best friend who I also enjoyed sleeping with. Heismy best friend who I currently enjoy sleeping with. But it’s not the all-consuming, earth-shattering way I crave Bel.
But that’s all a complicated explanation that belongs only to the three of us, so I keep it simple, “He’s been the only person I’ve cared to keep around long-term. My best friend, myonlyfriend. Until Bel, of course.”
At the reminder of why we’re both sitting around, the mood changes instantly, and I can’t have that. If I let myself sit and stew in the shitstorm around us, I’ll go insane. I’ll lose control of my abilities, and Isla will be drained of all life just in time for Bel to return and kill me for it.
“She’s all I’ve got now,” Isla dejectedly mutters, then turning her ire on me, “And she lied to me because ofyou.”
I silently nod, knowing there’s no argument against what she’s saying. All of this is because of us. I wish that wasn’t the case, but what can be done now?
“I don’t know why I’m bothering to tell you any of this,” she scoffs when I say nothing.
“Well,” I shrug, “you just said you have no one else to tell. You and I are stuck here together, waiting and hoping for a shared loved one to be returned. Makes sense that you’d feel inclined to tell me things you normally wouldn’t.”
Her clenched jaw tells me she’s still furious, but I think I have the key to fixing it.
“Wanna hear about how we killed Sam?” I ask, hoping her secret bloodthirst outweighs her dislike for the situation we’ve created.
Her eyes like up, “Fuck yeah, I do. Did he scream like a baby?”
I recount the tale as she cleans up the hand—that she won— Again—and deals another. Rather than cringe in horror, she soaks up every detail of the slaughtering of that piece of shit. The frozen blood part makes her scrunch up her nose in disgust, but her vicious smile shows throughout it all.
“I’ve thought about it. More than once,” Isla admits after switching to a vodka soda.
“Thought about what?”
“Killing Sam. Or someone else,” she pauses, and I wonder who could possibly be the unlucky fucker she’d like to send packing to hell. “I’ve questioned if I could be capable of it.” I nod, giving her the space to continue, “Of ridding the world of the kind of scum that makes the rest of us live in fear.”
“And now that you’ve pointed a gun at someone?” I ask.
With a crooked half-grin, she tells me, “Now, you know that doesn’t count. I wasn’t going to shoot him, and if Ihad,he would have been fine.”
“He would have been more than fine,” I laugh, “I think he would have dragged you upstairs to-”
“Okay, stop right there!” she shouts, tossing an almond at me, “Do not finish that sentence.”
I can’t help the laugh that escapes me. Her outrage is balanced with the grin she tries to hide behind it. Despite herself, she laughs too, throwing another almond at my face. At least this one I manage to swat away. The humor is short-lived, though, the solemn reason we are trapped here together creeping back in.
“He’s gonna get her back, you know,” I assure her when the silence becomes too suffocating, “Those religious assholes aren’t going to kill her. Not if they think they can use her to hurt Caspian.”
She nods and clears her throat, “I raise you four almonds and a chocolate chip.”
“Wait, wait, wait. What were the chocolate chips worth again?” I ask.
“Ten almonds,” she explains, chewing one she stole from the bag, “Or two craisins.”I forgot about the craisins.
“Shit,” I look back down at my cards, “Am I gonna lose again?”
Slapping down her hand, she grins, “Yeah.”
“Fuck,” I groan, “One more round, then we switch to Omaha.”
