Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him turn to me. “You’ve never seen the ocean?” he asked, like I’d told him electricity was witchcraft.
I shook my head and decided I wasn’t going to feel any shame about how little I’d seen and done. “No. We’ve always lived in small towns in the middle of nowhere.”
“Why?”
“It’s easier to rent a house in places people don’t want to live. Cheaper too. There are always job openings.”
“I thought you were a translator.”
He’d been paying attention. “But only for a few years, since I graduated.”
“They have colleges in small towns?”
I tried to groan but coughed. “No. You can get a perfectly good college degree online. I did.” My grandfather had told me it would be safe to do it under my legal name, and it had. We had been so lucky that the cartel hadn’t figured out we had changed our last names until now.
His voice was low. “First job?”
Was he really asking me questions about myself? “Not even close. I started working when I was fifteen to help my grandparents out. Their savings and social security benefits really weren’t that much.”
I saw him glance at me.
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter where you live. I was just wondering.” I pursed my lips and focused on the bright stars over our heads. So free. So beautiful.
If I could have felt envy toward a star, I would have.
“Hey,” I said, “I wanted to tell you thank you for everything. Whatever happens from now on, even if I die tomorrow from some freak accident, or if I get that sick again, thank you for this. I used to dream about doing something fun, whatever the hell that really means. It’s been a fucked-up one, but it’s still been an adventure. I got mystery, drama, angst, explosions, kidnapping, and a grand escape…. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you thanks.” I’d almost had a panic attack taking a shower, but every great adventure left some scars. I had a bunch of scratches that I was pretty sure were going to leave their mark too.
So there was that.
I’d raced for my life withThe Defender.We’d agreed to befriends.Who else could say that?
“You’re not going to die,” he snapped.
“You don’t know that. I could get bit by a black mamba while I sleep. That would be my luck.” Which reminded me that I should check under the covers to make sure there wasn’t some hidden scorpion in them.
“There’s no black mambas here, and nothing is going to happen to you,” he said, and I could tell without looking at him that he was rolling his eyes.
It was almost enough to make me smile. He really wasn’t heartless, was he? “I hope you’re right.” But I still wasn’t holding my breath.
“Of course I’m right.”
“So you think.” I sighed. I wasn’t sure how much worse things could get. We were already starting off in the shitter. Hopefully it would be the good kind that composted and made things better though.
He turned toward me. “How many times have I told you nothing is going to happen?”
“A lot?” I rubbed my throat with a wince as I glanced at him.
His look was dirty.
I couldn’t help it. “Are you sure we’re safe here? That we’ve gotten far enough away?”
I got another dirty look.
It almost made me smile, and even though I felt like garbage, the urge to mess with him rode me hard. “Why are you in such a good mood now anyway? Because we’re somewhere?”
“What makes you think I’m in a good mood?”
“Because you’re talking to me.”
