I didn’t laugh. It might have been endearing otherwise, being in the middle of what felt like a raunchy sit-com, but right now the air felt like it was pressing down on me. This place was too quiet and too loud in all the wrong ways, too far from anything I knew, too full of people who seemed built from violence.
But the food… it wasn't bad. A little burnt, a little salty, but warm and satisfying.
They sat down around the rough wooden table with me. Ghost didn’t say grace or look up, just ate like a prisoner: fast, efficient, eyes constantly flicking toward the windows.
Havoc didn’t bother with a fork, just stabbed at things with a knife and tilted her plate like she was a kid playing with her food.
I picked at my food slowly, then finally asked, “How long have you two known each other?”
Ghost didn’t look up, still chewing when he spoke. “Too long.”
Havoc smirked.
“Long enough that I know exactly how to piss him off. See?”
She reached over and scraped her knife along the last piece of toast he was clearly saving.
He glared. “Touch it and, I swear to God, Havoc.”
She took a bite out of it.
“Fuckingferal,” he muttered, pushing away from the table. “Like living with a fucking animal.”
“Sensitive,” she teased.
He stalked off toward the back door, muttering under his breath. The screen slammed shut behind him so hard that it banged twice, and they were alone again.
I couldn’t tell if he was really mad or not, and I tried not to shrink under the silence. Havoc chewed absently, eyes flicking toward me now that Ghost was gone.
“You always this quiet?” she asked.
“Not usually.”
“Then speak.”
It wasn’t a suggestion. It was a command dressed up like curiosity. I took a breath.
“Why’d you do it?”
“Do what?” She looked genuinely puzzled.
“Come get me. Bring me here.”
Havoc shrugged.
“Because he asked me to.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“I don’t need to. Halo could ask me to pick up a fucking monkey on a motorbike and I would.”
I studied her for a moment. “He really means that much to you?”
“He’s my blood. Only person in this whole goddamn world who I trust not to turn on me.”
I looked away, sighing.
“He didn’t say goodbye.”
