“No. I’ll do it.” And he’s off.
He looked angry. I feel bad for making him look for me in the wastelands for two days.
I drag my feet to the bathroom and take my dirty clothes off. I look at my reflection in the mirror for a moment, lost in my thoughts.
“He was worried sick, you know,” says Beet.
My eyes go up, toward her sensors. “He was?”
“He hasn’t slept in two days. We looked for you, day and night. He blamed himself for losing you, even though it was your fault, to be honest. Didn’t your parents teach you to stay put when you’re lost and wait for them to find you?”
I smile. “No. My mom taught me that staying put is the best way to end up dead in our world. Don’t give time for the monsters to find you.”
“She sounds smart,” Beet says.
“She was.”
I turn the shower on.
“Helios,” calls Beet. “Try not to get lost again. Griffin… feels things more deeply than most humans. His genetics make him vulnerable to certain emotions. He blamed himself for losing you and has been walking the edge for the past two days. Let’s not repeat that in the future, okay?”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“I mean that he already cares too much.”
Her words get stuck in my head as I take a shower and put on the fresh clothes that Griffin has left in front of the hatch. There is a long-sleeved shirt. I’ve seen him wear it this week. I bring my nose to the fabric, wondering if it smells like him. All I smell is soap. He must have washed it recently. I feel strangely disappointed.
When I get to the galley, Griffin is making sandwiches. He smiles sadly when he offers me mine.
“You know,” I say without preamble, “you didn’t lose me. I took a dip in the spring, then hid in the cave when the nomads arrived. You couldn’t have known I was still there. And then I should have waited for your return. I’m used to being on my own, so I just rolled with it and didn’t think for one second that you would look for me. I’m so sorry that I worried you. It was really my fault and I’m so glad you found me. I missed you guys. Thank you.” The last words come out a little strangled.
Griffin’s eyes soften. He pulls something out of his pocket and hands it to me. It’s a black bracelet, made of rubber. The same as his.
“Wear it,” he says. “It’s connected to Beet within a ten-mile radius. I should have given you one sooner. We can keep in touch at all times when you’re out of theBeetle.”
“Thanks,” I whisper, holding the bracelet like the precious thing it is.
I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep it. We’re less than a week away from Washington at theBeetle’susual pace. Sooner than later, we’ll have to part ways.
“We’re making a detour north to see friends of mine who live on a farm,” he says. “It will take us longer to reach Washington. If that’s okay for you.”
I nod vigorously. Of course, it suits me.
Griffin leaves me with my sandwich, and I watch his back disappear down the passageway.
“Just kiss him already,” says Beet once he’s out of earshot.
I snort. “I doubt he’ll enjoy that.”
“You might be surprised at what Griffin likes.”
“Why? What does he like?” I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me.
But she ignores my question and stays quiet. Gods damned A.I.
Griffin looks more relaxed as the day goes on, and in the evening, after cooking dinner, I find him asleep on the couch in the living room. He looks so vulnerable and open in his sleep. His two little horns appear out of his dark hair, and I feel the urge to touch them.
I stare for a moment too long before going back to the kitchen and putting his plate in the fridge. He can warm it up later when he wakes up. He deserves some rest.
