by Mary Ting
Cleo shuffled the pebbles underneath her feet but kept her eyes on the kids dancing. “Over time, he slowly started to open up. He began to trust me. I’m Zen’s daughter. He kind of had no choice. We built a friendship and he even confided in me. We became good friends. I have to admit, Rhett is the type of guy any girl can’t help falling madly in love with.” Her glowing eyes shifted to Rhett. “He’s a perfect gentleman. He’s charming. He’s not just all muscles, he’s smart and brave. I’m not going to lie, Ava. I didn’t know you. To me, you were a ghost of his past. Someone who might be dead. Someone who may never return to Rhett’s life.”
“I understand.” I don’t know why I lied, maybe just to say something. Then I gulped more of the soda, almost all of it.
I wasn’t sure if my words made Cleo turn to me, but she finally did.
“I’m not a threat to you.”
Hell no you’re not. I drew my eyebrows together, my cockiness sidestepped over the boundary for a second.
“You may not believe me, but I assure you nothing happened between Rhett and me,” she went on.
But you tried and you wish it had.
“He loves you more than his own life. And that’s rare to find. Don’t let anything get in the way.”
“Why aren’t you fighting for him then? Why are you telling me all this?” Stupid. Why push it?
She sighed, her chest heaving. “Because I care about Rhett and his happiness. He’s always let me know he belonged to you. His heart belongs only to you.”
I shifted my attention back to Rhett, who had stopped swaying while the kids continued to move around him. His inquisitive gaze homed in on Cleo and me. No doubt he would ask me what we talked about.
“He’s waiting for you, Ava. Don’t let precious time slip away.” Cleo rose and dusted her pants. “Enjoy your days together as if they were your last. We never know when it might be.”
Before she disappeared, I put down the finished soda and stood. Face-to-face, I extended my hand to her, a peace offering.
“We had a rough start. I wasn’t myself when I woke. I’m sorry for the way I treated you. I was upset and I took it out on you. I’m Ava.”
Cleo stared at my hand, and for a moment I thought she wouldn’t take it. But she gripped my hand—firm yet gentle.
“I’m Cleo. And I’ve heard lots of things about you.”
“Good or bad?” I snorted.
“Both.”
Fair enough.
“Thank you for our talk. Thank you for being honest with me.” I released her hand.
“Thank you for listening. Well, tomorrow is going to be a long day, and I’m a bit tired. I’m heading to bed. Goodnight.”
Cleo gave high fives to the children and bid goodnight to the elders and her dad. She and I may never become close, but we had a start. I was grateful she had opened up. It took guts and courage to do what she did. If Rhett had moved on, I would approve of her. But no. I erased that thought glossy clean.
Arms roped around my waist from behind and carried me to the dance area. My squeal became lost to the loudness of the music. When I turned around, I prepared to frown at Rhett, but it wasn’t Rhett’s face that greeted me.
“Oz?” I shoved my fists onto my hips. “First you drugged me, and now you drag me off to dance with you?”
Ozzie’s blue eyes sparkled against the blazing fire and his biceps bulged when he crossed his arms. “You’re still mad at me?” He ducked his head and bit his bottom lip.
Oh, Oz. How could I ever get mad at you? You risked so much for me, too.
He looked so darn innocent, sad, and for his teddy bear size, so small.
The friendship and the love I felt for him, that part that remembered all the laughs, smiles, and heartaches we shared in ISAN, blossomed in the center of my heart.
Ozzie must have thought I wasn’t going to say yes. Raising his eyelashes, he pinned me with his stare. “Do you remember when you hurt my jewels, Ava? You owe me.”
I rubbed a finger under my nose to ignore feeling guilty and slowly, ever so slowly, curled my wicked lips. My cheeks warmed as I prepared for what I’d planned.
“Okay, Oz. You asked for it.” I winked.
His eyes grew wider. Alert. Alarmed. “Ava. I was just joking.”
I danced in front of him, swaying my hips seductively to the beat of the drum. Ozzie stiffened. I bet he regretted asking me now.
Men whistled as I continued to move freely, dipping my hips lower and lower, as I tossed my hair. I’d forgotten I had it in me to be brazen, at least on the dance floor. Then I ran my hand down the middle of my chest as I waved my body like the undulating ocean.
I moved closer to Ozzie, pressing tightly against him, guiding him to move with me. His stiff body made it difficult to move gracefully, but I managed. Reyna joined us, rocking and running her hands down Ozzie’s back. Sandwiched between two women, Ozzie beamed bright and hot as the fire in the center.
I caught a glimpse of Reyna smiling at me and my heart dove into a familiar place. Reyna and I had been a naughty pair at ISAN. Most peers feared her, misunderstood her. But we got along fine. At least that was what I could recall.
“I think that’s enough.” Rhett’s voice echoed in my ear and he swung me around.
My smile widened farther as I draped my arms around his neck.
Rhett angled his eyebrows as he moved us to the music. “You okay? Did you drink a bit too much?”
“I drank soda.” My lips spread to my ears, but my voice sounded chirpy.
Arching my back, I glanced up at the ruined ceiling. The music, the company, the atmosphere ... I was so happy. Except Brooke wasn’t there. I wanted her to experience this kind of happiness as well.
Rhett frowned. “Who gave you a soda?”
“Reyna.”
Rhett chuckled, his lips curving mischievously. “Unless I’m mistaken, I think you had your first taste of alcohol. Reyna likes to spike her drinks.”
“But I didn’t taste ... oh, but the plastic thing had a cap. So easy to open.”
That Reyna. I let out a deep belly laugh. Rhett did the same.
“Perhaps she thought you needed to loosen up and have fun.” Rhett twirled me like he had at the gala.
I returned to his arms and rose slightly on my toes to be face-to-face with him. “I don’t need to loosen up. I’m high from your presence.”
Rhett gave me the most delicious smirk. “I think you’ve stolen my line. You might be high now, but wait until later tonight.”
“Oh, really?” I tapped his nose and traced his soft lips with my finger. “You have a surprise for me?”
“I always have a surprise for you.” Rhett pressed his forehead against mine, like two magnets stuck together.
I dropped my hand to my side when the music stopped, but Rhett gripped my wrist and brought me back into his arms.
“Not so fast, babe. The night isn’t over yet. We have one last dance.”
Babe.
I liked the sound of that and how it made me feel. The music slowed, and the chilly air warmed. Or maybe it was the way Rhett’s body pressed against mine.
“This is nice.” I nestled my head between the crook of his shoulder and neck.
“I wish you didn’t have to go back. If I had to do it all again, I would have taken Brooke as well. But I wasn’t thinking straight. I fought the urge to take you, but at the same time, I didn’t want to take away your choice. And I probably would have needed to knock out Mitch to take Brooke with me.”
“Or ... I could have punched Mitch for you.”
Rhett cackled, but it only lasted for seconds. “We have eyes on us. Many little eyes.”
I looked over my shoulder to see the eager children who wanted to join us. “I never knew how much you like kids.”
“You mean those little people?” He grinned. “Yeah, they grew on me here. They are the most precious beings on the Earth. They are our future. It is our responsibility to mold them to be better than us.
Besides, I need practice. One day, we’re going to have a family of our own.”
“You ... you think about the future with me and us having kids?” I tried to cover the jubilation in my tone, but I failed miserably.
I swallowed hard. Flabbergasted? Embarrassed. I didn’t know. Then my happiness faltered because I couldn’t have children. The doctors at ISAN had made that perfectly clear.
When the doctors had told me, I hadn’t cared. My survival and getting out of jail had been my main goal. I had no thoughts of the future. Never would I have imagined meeting someone like Rhett, let alone falling in love.
How could Rhett not know that? He had to know the truth. Sooner the better. And that might change the way he felt about me and our future. I would tell him later when we were alone. At this moment, I didn’t want to think about what was ahead. I wanted what I had right now with Rhett.
“Of course I do. Every single day.”
I closed my eyes when he kissed my forehead with such reverence. Soaking in his love, I memorized the feeling and locked it away. Then I waved at the children, an invitation to join us.
They rushed around Rhett and me. We laughed and danced, having the time of our lives.
Live, Ava. Enjoy every second of these moments.
Ava
Instead of taking me to his tent as I had expected, Rhett ushered me to the truck.
“Where are we going?” I belted my seat belt.
Rhett cranked the engine and met my inquisitive gaze. “Our home.”
“We have a home?”
My voice spiked higher, and I straightened my spine. Shocked. Bewildered. The sincerity of his tone let me know his words were not in jest.
I swallowed and asked again when he didn’t answer. He was too busy concentrating on not hitting the truck behind us when he backed up.
I couldn’t recall us having a home together, no matter how deeply I dug through my mind. How was that even possible? We couldn’t leave the ISAN compound. I let the question fly with the wind as I eagerly waited.
He gave me an up-to-no-good smirk and seized my hand. “All I’m going to say is, you’re going to love it.”
Then he let go of my hand, leaving something crinkling inside my fist. Something bumpy covered with a silver wrapper.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.”
I found the slit and tore through it. “Chocolate?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Oh, Rhett. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had one?”
He snorted and nodded. “I do, babe. We were both locked up in ISAN, remember? But I never forgot you telling me how much you wanted one.”
I stared at the chocolate in my hand, drooling. It had been so long, I had forgotten what it tasted like.
“But how? I mean, you can’t grow chocolate, and food trucks don’t usually carry sweets.”
Rhett scratched the back of his head. “I actually bought one when I went to the city.”
“You didn’t—?”
“Steal? No, of course not. The sensor would go off. It’s a long story, but I have a significant amount of 4Qs. I’ll explain later.”
I nodded and respected his wish.
“Are you going to eat it?”
My heart warmed from his thoughtful gesture and I savored the first tiny bite.
I moaned and pushed back into my seat. Then I allowed myself another bite. “Rhett. I need more.” I moaned again.
He chuckled. “If you continue to make those sounds, I’ll buy you tons.”
My face sizzled hot, realizing how I sounded.
Rhett drove us on a lonely, dark road, nothing but pitch black on either side. An eerie chill snaked down my back. I looked up to the sky to distract myself. Only the crescent moon and the stars kept us company.
Headlights from Rhett’s truck lit our path. So peaceful. I imagined Rhett and me as a couple, taking a road trip and going back home. For now, I could pretend.
“Are you going to explain why you never told me Zen knew my father?” I knew the answer but figured I’d throw that question at him anyway.
Rhett slid his hand from mine and gripped the steering wheel. “You know why. You want me to say it? That I didn’t trust you?”
He massaged his nape with his other hand. His nervous tic. No doubt he felt guilty for not trusting me. I wouldn’t have trusted me either.
I shrugged. “I understand why you did what you did. I just wanted you to know that.”
He flashed a glance at me and focused back on the road. “Thank you.”
“You always had my best interest at heart. I know that, Rhett.”
He took my hand again and kissed the back of it. “Ask me anything. I’ll be honest.”
I glanced out the darkness. “What happened to Cleo’s mom?”
Rhett pinched his eyebrows with his thumb and forefinger. “Cleo’s mom died when she tried to run away with Cleo. They shot her and accused Zen of experimenting on his daughter and brought Cleo in to be tested. Zen had no choice but to let them. He had been told she was the property of ISAN. Can you believe they actually used the word property? Anyway, Cleo didn’t have the special DNA. She wasn’t taken to the ISAN compound. She was free to go.”
I crinkled my nose as acid filled my mouth. “My dad experimented on his children. Maybe Zen did it, too? I mean, yes, ISAN told me I had special DNA, but they couldn’t detect more from me.”
“Zen didn’t. He promised he didn’t. He swore to Cleo he hadn’t. I believe him.” Rhett’s voice rose defensively.
“Okay.” I moved onto my next question, but this one infuriated me. “Why didn’t you tell me about Mitch?”
“The Mitch situation is complicated.”
“You mean he’s complicated.”
Rhett smiled in agreement. “To make a long story short, we were invited into ISAN, never had our DNA tested like you. I’m sorry I lied, but I had to wait until you were ready to hear the rest. My father, Amos, supposedly signed us up before he disappeared.”
“What?” My voice rose in shock.
“Yes. He disappeared. The strange thing was, he transferred a significant amount of 4Qs directly into our chips a week before he disappeared, as if he knew something would happen to him. Mitch and I decided to sign up with ISAN, thinking we would find some answers. My gut feeling tells me ISAN knows what happened to Amos. Mitch feels the same. That’s why he will stay on course. We can trust him. His way of doing things might not be agreeable, but he gets the work done.” He paused momentarily. “Most of the time. Maybe not the way I would have done it. Regardless, he’s not all that bad.”
Learning about Mitch and what he had been through, and what he had done for the team, softened my attitude toward him a fraction. Although, he still had to earn my trust.
As we drove along a winding road, Rhett shared—or I should say, reminded me—of his life before ISAN. It still hurt that his mom had never come back for him, but he also wondered what had happened to her.
My instinct told me there was more to the story. Perhaps some memories were too painful and better left unsaid.
Solar lights placed on the road haphazardly caught my attention. Burned down and crumbled homes lined the once beautiful neighborhood. Rhett pulled over and parked by what had once been a mansion. After I got out, he grabbed a flashlight and guided me up a trail by the hand.
“Where are we? I thought you were taking me to our home?” I planted my hand on a dusty armchair to keep from tripping over a wrecked cabinet.
Rhett shifted his large duffle bag over his shoulder and ascended two stories. “You’ll see.”
I climbed over broken sofas, their cushions torn to shreds, and photos of a family—a father, a mother, and two daughters. Those smiling four in the photo could have been my family. This could have been our home, our happy times.
I envied whoever had lived here, and I didn’t even know them. I hoped they had escaped and lived in the city.
I ducked to avo
id a wooden beam and scrambled over pillars and splintered doors. I finally stopped under the arching ceiling, where vines snaked like beanstalks.
“Are you here to pick up something?” I surveyed the perimeter with my map in place—natural assassin instincts—and tapped the Taser at my waistband to ensure it was still there.
Darkness engulfed us, except for the stunning night sky through the damaged roof, as if Rhett and I were the only two in the world. Far off in the distance, the twinkling lights glowed through the big, busted-out window. I inhaled the cool air, released the stress I held in my chest, and soaked in the peace and quiet.
Rhett dropped his bag and dragged a beat-up metal trash can closer. After retrieving a lighter from his front pocket, he lit the inside of the can on fire. Red and orange flamed just enough to keep us warm. Then he extended his arms wide.
“Welcome to our home. I love this spot, the view, and the peace. Sometimes over the last few months, I wandered off by myself when I needed to be alone or to think. It’s not perfect, but I’d like to think this might have been our home. I imagined us married with kids.”
Rhett visited here often. It was no wonder this room looked in better shape than the others.
I slipped my arm around Rhett’s waist and laid my head on his shoulder. “This is perfect. It’s been a while since I called any place home. I’ve learned home doesn’t have to be a physical place where you eat and sleep, but where your heart is. Home is where you are. Home is where we are.”
At my words, he snaked an arm around my shoulder. Rhett and I held each other, gazing into the marvelous view until he opened his bag and extracted two blankets. He pushed a fairly clean-looking mattress from against the wall to the ground, tucked one blanket over it, and laid the other on top.
“People lived in this neighborhood. Even with destruction and lack of power and running water, families refused to leave. This was their home after all. People finally abandoned the town months back to seek jobs in the city. Bandits raided this house and stole the mattresses, so I dragged this fairly new one up here from another, smaller house.”