“Just a little fuzz.”He ducks his head, almost shy, which is strange because Jag isn’t shy about anything.
“Do you have to shave it like Dad?”
“Not yet.”He taps my hip.“Turn around.”
I shift on the blankets, scooting to sit between his bent knees with my back to his chest.The tent is so small our legs fold in weird angles.
“Why don’t you have a house?”I ask.
His huff caresses the top of my head.“I can’t even get an apartment.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t have credit.Can’t use my real name.I’ve killed a lot of bad people.I need to live close to your foster home and be able to pack up and move on the fly.Besides, I sleep with you most nights.”
He lifts my hair off my shoulders and smooths out the tangles, careful not to pull where my scalp still hurts.When the strands are separated, he begins to braid, threading the pieces better than I can.
I don’t care about the blood trapped under his nails.
I don’t care if we live in a box or a tent.
I only care about the big, strong hands in my hair.
“We’ll have to leave by morning,” he says.
I knew that already.“Where are we going next?”
“Texas, I think.It’s warmer there.”
The thought of traveling with him again, hitchhiking, hiding behind dumpsters, and sleeping in abandoned places should scare me.But it doesn’t.
It’s freedom.
It’s us.
I wish we could go back to California and see the cemetery.I haven’t been there.Ever.Jag says it’s too dangerous.
“Tell me about Mom and Dad.”I pat his knee, feeling the sudden stiffness there.“I can’t picture them right anymore.I used to.But it’s blurry.”
“Dad had curly brown hair.”His voice is choppy, like there are knives in his mouth.“He worked with his hands.An electrician.And he was good with computers.He smiled a lot.”
I close my eyes, trying to remember.
“Celeste, our mom…” He clears his throat.“She was pretty, almost as pretty as you.”
My cheeks burn.
“She had long, blond hair.Just like this.”He finishes the braid down my spine, and his hands tremble just once near the end as he ties it off with a rubber band from his wrist.“She sang really well.All the time.”
I wait for more, but that’s all he says.
“Why did they die?”I lean back into him.
“They were in danger.”He hugs me from behind, holding me tight.“Real danger.And they tried to shield us from it.None of it was your fault, and you don’t need the details.Not tonight.Not ever.”
“Are we in danger?”
“As long as I live, I will keep you safe.That’s my job.”
