“Reese,” I say again, unsure of what’s happening right now.
She stops pacing and slowly turns around to face me. “I’m sorry, I—“
“It’s okay.”
“No, I don’t know what happened,” she says.
“You’re tired and you could use several more hours of sleep,” I explain as the only form of explanation I can come up with.
Another knock on the door startles her again, her eyes wide as she looks back and forth between the door and me. “We’re coming. We’re coming!” I shout at the door.
“We?” I hear my mother’s voice, as well as the hostility.
“I’m a grown man, Mom,” I say, loud enough for her to hear.
I place Reese’s pile of clothes down in front of her as she scurries to get dressed; probably way more embarrassed to hear my mother’s voice than I am. For the number of times I was forced to hear JJ giving it to her each night after they spilled the news of their relationship, she can think whatever the hell she wants to think right now. Although, I think part of the sound effects from her and JJ were to piss Dad off, considering he was forced to live in our basement for a while after he dropped himself into the center of Chipley. He may have been buddy-buddy with Jackson Crownwell, but clearly that didn’t give him the freedom of his own housing. It was our basement or a shed. I always believed that was Mom’s primary reason for leaving Chipley, but it never made sense why she would leave me, too. I gave up trying to understand it all. I’m guessing I’ll most likely be buried with my unanswered questions.
Reese is completely dressed by the time I get my boots tied and she moves behind the wall, away from the door’s view. Opening the one barrier between us, Mom stands before me in a typical mother stance with her arms folded across her chest and her tongue pressed against the inside of her lips.
Of course I smile because I can’t resist, and what other choice do I have right now? “We were kind of tired. Sorry for oversleeping.”
“What are you thinking?” she asks, poking her head in to look around the corner.
“Um,” I press my finger to the bottom of my chin, hoping to appear pensive. “I’m thinking I wanted to spend what could be my last night with my girlfriend.” The term seems like it’s not enough to label our relationship with after what we’ve been through, but it’s what I want her to be.
“Girlfriend!” she laughs. “You’ve known her for such a short period of time.”
“If you’ve come here to insult me, you can leave. If you’ve come here to ask me to save your ass, then lose the attitude and accept Reese for what she is to me.”
Mom takes a step inside, but only up to where I’m standing. She leans forward, bringing her mouth close to my ear. “I hope you are at least using protection. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”
“What is protection?” I ask her, loud enough to make this an official scene.
She presses her palms up against my chest, pushing me out of the way. “The two of you need to be smart about whatever you think you’re doing right now. We don’t have proper medical care and we certainly don’t have the resources to care for an unplanned child. So if you are going to take part in a sexual relationship, be smart about it. I’ll bring you some condoms, son.” While I know she’s trying her hardest to embarrass the shit out of me, it’s not working. However, in truth, I probably should have been more careful last night. And by the look on Reese’s face, she’s thinking the same thing.
Mom looks between the two of us and shakes her head. “Let’s go.”
She walks far enough ahead to give us the freedom to at least whisper. “I’m sorry about last night. I wasn’t thinking,” I tell Reese.
“It’s okay,” she says, looking down toward her feet.
“Do you think we have anything to worry about?” I wish I didn’t have to ask this. I shouldn’t have to ask this. Why would I not think this through?
“I haven’t had my, you know,” she pauses and tucks her hair behind her ear, “in more than three years.” I shouldn’t feel relief after hearing this, but I do. “I don’t know much, but I’m guessing that would remove any worry for what you’re thinking.”
I take her hand and squeeze it against my stomach as we continue following Mom. Two patrols are waiting for us in front of a door at the end of the hallway. Before we reach them, Mom turns around and takes my arm, pulling me into her. “Please be safe.”
You’re throwing me into the middle of a cannibalistic loony bin, Mom, I think to myself.Why bother with the well wishes?“What’s the plan?” I ask her.
“Get them to respect you and prepare them. When you think they’re ready, we’ll let nature take its course. You and Reese will have a place here to stay once you’re done and you will be taken care of.” That’s all I wanted to hear.
“Ready?” I ask, turning to face Reese.
“Okay,” she responds quietly, clearly not ready for what we’re about to face, especially after trying so hard to get away from these people.
The patrols hand us bags and the weapons we were promised. “There are enough instant meals to last a month between the two of you. There is iodine for water and enough ammo for you to do what you need to do,” Locke says.
“A month?” I laugh. “We’ll be back today.”
We both pull the bags over our shoulders and the patrol hands me a belt with holsters for the knife and pistol, before helping Reese secure hers.
The doors through the white control room we first arrived in open up into the dark tunnel that leads up into the broken down house masking Chipley’s one true exit and now entrance.
“It’s different this time,” I tell Reese.
“I know,” she agrees.
