Only I see that side of her; anyone else would think she’s adding all the information together in her head. She puts up as good a front as I do, but I always know.
Saint rises from the desk, the look he gives me piercing straight through my soul. “You will, eventually. I just need to set their world alight first, and trust me, it’ll fucking burn.”
26
Indie
Will It Ever Be The Same - Young Summer
We’vebeenatSaint’shidden sanctuary for almost a week now, which I’ve been made aware is actually calledThe Pit. I didn’t ask Dawson where they came up with the name; I just took one look around and thought, yep, that’ll do it.
I haven’t seen Saint much. He’s spent most of his time with Rex, huddled around the desk in their meeting room along with Dawson, then disappearing into another for more hushed conversations.
The Pit is concealed within the woodland of Grovewell, a vastly vacant area which sits on Kingstone’s state line, over six hours away from our home.
There’s nothing for miles except the unforgiving weald; the closest piece of civilization is two hours away.
We’re literally in the middle of fucking nowhere, but I can understand the need, seeing as Saint’s operation is highly illegal.
A deep burr of vibrations rattles on the bedside table, my phone screen lighting up with an incoming call catching myattention. I lift it, seeing it’s my mom, and dread settles in the base of my stomach.
Honestly, I’ve been avoiding having to contact her.
She can read me like a book, knows when I’m lying, and sure as hell will know I’m not where I’m supposed to be.
The phone stops vibrating, and my shoulders slacken, but the relief doesn’t linger, because she’s right back on it, this time video calling.
“Fuck,” I mutter, walking over to the door to my room to close it.
Welp, here goes nothing.
“Hi, Mom.” My cheeks pull up to give her my best fake smile as I sit against the headboard of the bed.
“Yes, hello to you too! I’ve been trying to call you for days.”
She looks as exasperated as she sounds. Ever since my attack, her motherly worry grew tenfold.
Little does she know, it’s other people who need to worry.
No one fucks with me anymore.
I attempt raking through excuses in my head, shuffling the pillows behind me whilst I get them in order.
“Sorry, Mom, Gina and I decided to take a couple weeks off instead after I called you, so I’ve been travelling. I’m okay, Mom, promise. I’m so sorry I didn’t call you; I was just caught up in the moment.”
Technically, that’s not a lie, just a twisted truth.
So far, so good.
Her blue eyes instantly soften. “Sorry, honey. You know I worry. You might be twenty-eight, but you’ll always be my baby.”
The corner of my mouth twists to the side. “I know, I’m also your favourite.”
Mom throws her head back, a heartwarming melody of laughter leaving her.
“No, I love you both equally.” She glances over the phone, lowering her voice to whisper, “Your sister’s here,” and adding a wink at the end.
My brows shoot up.
