The Union

by T. H. Hernandez

  “We talked about me all through dinner,” I say. “It’s your turn to spill. Tell me about your family.”

  “I’m pretty boring. I have three sisters. They’re older and on their own so they stayed behind when we moved to the Eastern Province. I have a dog, Bella, who you met, and both of my parents are engineers.”

  “What kind of engineers?”

  “Structural. They design lightweight composite materials so the Union can continue building upwards.”

  “That’s not so boring.”

  He shrugs. “Compared to you…your life made magazine covers.”

  I cringe at the memory. After the very public revelation that my father is lead singer of Epic Vinyl, reporters camped out in front of our apartment for days trying to get a picture of the mysterious redhead the rocker abandoned more than a decade earlier.

  “What else do you want to know?” he asks.

  “Why did you move?”

  “My parents’ jobs.”

  “Okay, maybe your life is kinda boring.”

  He chuckles, but before he can respond, Jack appears in front of us, his fingers curling in and out in agitated fashion. “What’s up?” Bryce asks him.

  Jack inclines his head toward the corridor.

  “I’ll be right back,” Bryce says to me.

  The guys walk over near the doors and begin a heated discussion. The ambient noise prevents me from overhearing them, but a lot of animated gesturing is taking place. While they to argue, I glance around the car and notice the same hooded-eyed man from lunch watching at me from across the pool. I startle, but suddenly it makes sense. He’s obviously a passenger on the train. He must have recognized us yesterday. I smile and wave. He waves back and walks out of the car, glancing at Bryce and Jack as he leaves.

  A few moments later, Jack storms out, leaving Bryce staring at the floor. He shakes his head and returns to me, reaching down a hand to pull me up.

  “Sorry.”

  “What was that all about?”

  We exit the pool car and start back toward my room. “This was supposed to be a guys’ trip.” He shrugs. “He’s not happy that I’m spending all my time with you.”

  “I’m not sure what to say.”

  He stops and turns me to face him. “I want to spend time with you.”

  “But Jack’s your friend and you guys planned this trip together.”

  “Jack and I have spent most of our lives together. You and I only have eight more days.” He reaches down and takes my hand. When we reach my door, he grips my hand tighter, as if he’s unwilling to let me go. He backs me up against the door and kisses me until nothing else exists. No people walking by, no rocking of the train, just me and this boy, and his mouth hot on mine.

  I sigh and my lips part. Bryce pulls me closer, his tongue brushing mine. My hands wrap behind his neck and we stay locked together, our mouths exploring one another’s, for what could be mere minutes or hours.

  Someone clears their throat, alerting me that we’re no longer alone. I open my eyes to find Jack standing behind Bryce.

  Bryce’s head drops. “I’m sorry, I have to go.” He leans in and kisses me again, his lips lingering long enough to let me know he doesn’t want to leave and enough that Jack clears his throat again. With a heavy sigh, Bryce pulls his face from mine. “See you later.”

  “Uh-huh,” is all I manage to say in response before letting myself into my room.

  9

  Later

  The next few days fly by as only vacation can. Bryce and I spend as much time together as we can squeeze in. In some ways, this feels like one of those old-fashioned summer romance movies Colin is so fond of. Hot, fast, intense, but doomed to end five days from now when we go our separate ways.

  We stopped at the southern tip of the peninsula in the Southeast the other day. Lisa, Colin, and I spent the day lying on the powdery white beaches and dipping our toes into the balmy ocean waters.

  Yesterday was our first stop in the South and the borough we explored was a musician’s nirvana. Colin was in his element as we club hopped, listening to modern music, classical, and everything in between. One band even allowed Colin to sit in and play guitar on a song. He comes alive when he’s playing his music. That whole lack of confidence thing disappears and he becomes a different guy —a guy girls can’t take their eyes off.

  Our next stop isn’t until tomorrow, so Lisa, Colin, and I lounge in the pool car, eyes closed, pretending we’re still on the beach. The piped-in wave sounds and salty-air aromas help complete the fantasy.

  “So...” Lisa interrupts a long stretch of drowsy silence. “If you could change one thing about Union life, what would you choose?”

  Colin groans. “Stop, Lisa. We’re on vacation. No more school.”

  “No,” I say. “It’s an interesting question. I’d make community service mandatory.”

  Colin opens one eye and looks at me, incredulous.

  “I’m serious. I’m not against people paying taxes, but I’m tired of the wealthy buying their way out of their entire commitment, as if they’re too important to be a part of society. I’d change it so they could only pay five percent in income taxes instead of ten and have them do two hours of community service each week.”

  “Right, like that would ever happen.” Colin laughs. “Can you imagine Montreal Anderson scrubbing hospital toilets?”

  “It’d do her a world of good. Volunteering creates a better understanding of what other people’s lives are like.” I roll to my back and prop myself up on my elbows. “She wouldn’t have to scrub hospital toilets, but I’ll bet she’d be a lot nicer if she spent some time with sick kids or the elderly.”

  Lisa gives me a thoughtful look. “I see what you’re saying. Everyone should contribute time as well as money. I mean if they can.”

  “Exactly. Force them to see beyond their own narrow scope of Union life.”

  After another hour of lazing around the pool car, we head back to our rooms to change for dinner. Food is followed by a movie and then across the corridor to the rec room. Sometime after midnight, Bryce find us and pulls me in for a quick kiss before joining us in a game of darts. Lisa, Colin, and I are wicked good. With all the hours hanging out in clubs waiting to see Colin’s band, we spent our time learning to play then refining our skills at the dartboard.

  Jack arrives in the middle of our third game, and I groan inwardly, sure he’s here to drag Bryce off again. Much to my surprise, he hangs out with us instead.

  “You think you can teach me how do that flipping throw you do?” Jack asks, Lisa, his smile tipping up one corner of his mouth.

  Colin scowls and stalks off to play skee ball.

  Lisa beams and stands behind Jack, shifting his shoulder with her hands. Her trick isn’t really so much about accuracy as it is showing off, so while Jack gets the hang of flipping the dart, it never hits the board.

  After Bryce and I soundly defeat Lisa and Jack, Jack grabs Bryce’s sleeve and drags him to the corner. Bryce’s body is tense, his hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans. But there is no wild gesturing this time.

  A few minutes later, Jack leaves and Bryce returns to me. “I need to talk to you about something. Can you meet me for breakfast in the morning?”

  “Yeah…is something wrong?”

  His face relaxes and he shoots me a quick grin. “Naw. Not wrong. I…we’ll talk in the morning.” He kisses me briefly before going after Jack.

  Colin rejoins us, all moody and sullen, but quickly warms up as we play air hockey and shoot some pool. Before long, it’s nearly four in the morning.

  I’m not sure what time I’m having breakfast with Bryce, so I call it a night, or more accurately, a morning, and head back to my room.

  I startle awake a little before seven and tumble out of bed, stumbling into the bathroom to brush my teeth. Rushing to dress, I yank on a pair of jeans and a top and I run my fingers through my hair, trying to get it to cooperate. A knock disrupts my process
, and I stuff my feet into my flip-flops on my way to open the door.

  Before I can say anything, Bryce’s arms are around me, his lips landing on mine, and I melt like ice cream on a hot summer day. I wonder if I’ll ever get used to this rush whenever he kisses me. I hope not.

  He takes my hand and leads me into the corridor, closing the door behind us. We walk to the café without speaking. After ordering, we take our drinks and scones over to a table by the windows. Bryce takes a sip of coffee and set his mug down, then picks up my hands, running his thumb absently over my knuckles.

  After a minute goes by without him saying anything, I lower my head and peer up into his eyes. “You wanted to talk about something?”

  He lifts his head and the sadness swimming in his gray eyes sends anxiety to gnaw a hole through my stomach. “I had my whole life planned out. Knew where I was going and what I was going to do.” He pauses and licks his lips. “I’m crazy about you, Evansville. You’re all I can think about.”

  I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. I’m not sure what I was expecting him to say, but not this. On the one hand, this fits with our whirlwind vacation romance, but on the other, it’s too intense, too soon.

  A shadow crosses the table and I glance up to see Jack. Annoyance burns through my chest, building to something much stronger. I press my lips together to keep from saying something I’ll regret.

  “We need to go. Now.” Jack turns to me, his shoulders dropping as he scratches the back of his head. “I’m sorry, Evan. This is important or I wouldn’t be here.”

  Bryce scowls. “Can you give us a minute?”

  Jack nods and walks out of the café but waits just outside the door.

  Bryce stands and pulls me up, his hands circling my waist. He kisses me slow and deep, leaving me breathless. In the restaurant, with all these people around.

  When he speaks, his voice is soft, but hoarse, as if he’s in pain. “I-I think I’m in love with you.” Then he releases me without another word and walks out to join Jack.

  I stand in stunned silence, my fingers reaching up to touch the lips he just plundered. Bryce Vaughn is in love with me?

  We barely know each other, but my heart races whenever he’s near, I count the minutes until I’ll see him again, and I smile more when we’re together. Maybe this is what it’s like to be in love.

  This revelation settles over me like a soft, billowing sheet and I realize I’m smiling. I wonder how long I’ve been smiling.

  We pull into the depot shortly after noon. Lisa and Colin were slow to drag themselves out of their rooms this morning, but they met me for lunch and now we’re heading out to explore.

  The buildings here are missing the bright colors and whimsicality of the Southeastern Province and the formality of the Eastern. What they lack in color, they make up for in rustic charm. They’re constructed of natural materials, giving them an earthy vibe. Most are adorned with window boxes, hanging planters, and arbors covered in climbing vines, creating an alluring combination of raw beauty.

  I breathe in deeply, letting the clear air fill my lungs, a small smile tugging at my lips.

  “Why are you so chipper today?” Lisa asks, narrowing her eyes in my direction. “Aren’t you tired? We were out so late, or early, or…whatever.” She flicks her hand.

  I weigh the pros and cons of spilling what happened this morning with Bryce, but I’m going to burst if I don’t tell someone. “Bryce said he’s in love with me.”

  Colin raises his bushy eyebrows and Lisa squeals, crushing me in a hug. “How did he tell you? Was it romantic?”

  “I don’t know. Kinda, but also kinda odd, like he was conflicted about it.” I replay our brief interaction.

  “Maybe he wants to stay in the Western Province with you,” Colin says.

  “I don’t want him to give up his dream for me. That’s weird, right? Who rearranges their life for someone after only a week?”

  “You could go with him,” Lisa says. “After you spend the summer with me, I mean.”

  “Are you kidding? My parents would completely unravel.” I run my hand through my hair and let out a sigh. “This is all happening way too fast. No one is moving anywhere for anyone. We need to see what happens over the next few days. I don’t want him to stay in the Western Province for me and I’m not going to move up to the Northwest for him.”

  “Ev…” Lisa ducks under a low branch while Colin and I walk around it. “You set out on this trip to find your place. How do you know it’s not up in the Northwest if you don’t go?”

  To my surprise Colin doesn’t tell her she’s crazy. “You could stay with me up there. I already have a place lined up for the end of summer.”

  “And do what?”

  “Come with me to the conservatory.”

  “No. You know I’m not going to go into music.”

  “Look, I know you have issues with your dad—”

  “Eddie. Not my dad. He may have spawned me, but that was where his involvement ended.”

  “Whatever. But with your heritage, you’d get into the program.”

  “Okay, first, I don’t want a music career and second, like I’d ever name drop my sperm donor to get ahead.”

  “Fine. Just don’t rule it out until you think about it.”

  “Yeah, thought about it. No.”

  Disappointment colors his features but he lets the subject drop. What surprises me most about this whole conversation is that neither one of them asked me if I’m in love with Bryce, as if it doesn’t matter or it’s a foregone conclusion that I am. No matter what I feel for him, I won’t drop everything to move somewhere for a guy. That’s crazy. That’s my mom. She would have done anything for Eddie if only he’d wanted her. I refuse to be that girl.

  “The two provinces aren’t that far apart. I can visit Bryce, or he can visit me. Plus, we can video chat and text. He’s not going to alter his life over a girl he barely knows.”

  We walk up a short flight of stairs and down a narrow alley to a wisteria-covered footbridge, making our way to the other side of the shopping district. Luckily, they drop the subject of me and Bryce drop for now.

  After winding our way through the borough, stopping in shops, and sipping iced coffee at a sidewalk cafe, we stumble upon a restaurant with tables on a wooden deck overlooking the ocean four levels below us. Potted trees covered in small white lights create a twinkling canopy as dusk approaches. After placing our orders, I excuse myself to use the restroom, the hostess pointing around the corner.

  As I wash my hands, I study my reflection in the mirror. The humidity hear turns my red curls into a frizzy mess. I run my wet hands over them, attempting to tame them before heading back to rejoin my friends.

  I take two steps before an arm is thrown around my waist from behind and someone jerks me backward into the shadows between the buildings.

  Shock leaves me immobile for a few precious seconds. Then I suck in a breath, reading for a scream. A large, rough hand clamps across my mouth before even a whisper escapes.

  Terror slides down my spine while my mind whirls, attempting to make sense of what’s happening. I twist to break the hold of the arm around me, but he’s too strong. My nails claw at the hand over my mouth in vain.

  I kick back with my foot back, seeking a shin, a knee, or his groin, but the jerk lifts me off the ground so the little leverage I had is gone.

  “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” a gravelly male voice hisses in my ear. “Personally, I don’t care but I promise you want the easy way.”

  His voice slices through me, like tiny razor blades. I’m pretty sure I don’t want this any way, easy or not. While my brain struggles with my next move, instinct takes over and I thrust myself forward. My left foot hits the ground and I bring my right one up, driving it onto his instep with all my strength.

  He howls before unfurling a string of profanity and loosens his grip on my waist. It’s just enough for me to twist around and stare into closely-spaced
beady eyes set into a long face. My hands reach for his face, ready to claw his eyes out, when I see the man standing behind him — the man with the hooded eyes.

  “Here, use this,” the hooded eyes man says, handing a cloth to the man holding me.

  Beady Eyes places the rag over my nose and mouth. I wrench my head to keep away from the sweet acidic odor. Terror crawls through me, stealing my ability to think. The instinct that magically appeared before, abandons me now.

  Lightheadedness spills into the corners of my brain and I hold my breath, but it’s too late. As I try to fight the heaviness climbing my limbs, my eyelids slip closed.

  Book 2 - The Ruins

  “Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope.”

  ―Charles Darwin

  10

  Darkness

  My eyes flutter open to complete darkness, my brain cloudy. My shoulders ache and my arms are numb from sleeping on them. When I try to sit up, the moments before I blacked out come rushing back, filling me with dread.

  My hands are tied behind my back, so the best I can do is roll to my side. I strain into the darkness to make sense of my surroundings. I’m inside something that’s moving. It’s too dark to make out anything, so I rely on my ears. A train. But not the L-Train, nor a commuter train. Maybe a cargo. My pulse throbs behind my eyelids and I fight the urge to vomit.

  Shit, shit, shit. Tears fill my eyes, but I can’t afford to cry. I need to figure a way out of this mess. Lisa and Colin must have looked for me when I didn’t come back. That only provides small comfort though, since I have no idea where I am or how they’d find me.

  None of this makes any sense. The only kidnappings in the Union are due to custody disputes. Maybe Eddie had me kidnapped. Except that’s completely crazy. If he was going to do that, why wait until I’m almost an adult and already on my way to see him?