“What?” He looked at me suspiciously.
“Promise me that, no matter what, I won’t lose you. That if it comes down to life and death, you will always pick your life over mine.” Gregory opened his mouth to say something, but I put my hand up and in front of me. “Never choose my life over yours. Your life is just as precious as mine. I want us to both survive and live to very old ages. But as I’ve found out, that’s never promised. So promise me that I won’t lose you.”
Gregory was quiet. He captured my eyes and held them captive for what felt like hours. “I don’t think I can make that promise.”
I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall. “Why not?”
“Because for some unknown reason, you’ve wiggled your annoying ass into my life, and I can’t let you get hurt,” he said.
He had such a way with words. “Then we might have a slight problem.” A laugh bubbled up in my chest. I opened my eyes and started laughing. Gregory narrowed his eyes. “We will both be jumping in front of each other. I guess that could work out in our favor though. I jump in front of you, you jump in front of me. Over and over again, and the person coming after us might get bored.” I started laughing harder. It took a few minutes, but I finally controlled my laughter. Gregory was shaking his head.
“You’re crazy,” he said blankly.
“I’m starting to think so,” I said with a smile.
Gregory shook his head again and smiled. “We should get going.”
“Were you going to kiss me?” I blurted out. Gregory instantly froze. I shouldn’t have said anything. “Earlier, I mean. Before the soda spilled all over my pants?”
Gregory rubbed his face with both hands. “Is there any way you will drop this?”
“Nope.”
“It was a moment of weakness,” he said. I could feel the pieces of my heart start to crack. It shouldn’t be cracking, but there it was, cracking. “A moment that won’t happen again. Or at least until you turn eighteen. I’m six years older than you. I shouldn’t be kissing you. I shouldn’t be thinking about kissing you. It was a moment of weakness.”
Gregory stood up and walked out of the room. I guess that was my cue to leave too. So I had to wait three months before he would kiss me again? I didn’t want to wait three months.
Gregory and I entered into the pitch dark and freezing tunnel. Pulling my leather jacket closer, I crossed my arms and sniffed; my nose was cold and running. We’d been walking in silence for over an hour, we didn't want our voices to bounce off the walls. We stayed close to the edge of the tracks. In case anything or anyone came toward us, we could slink deeper into the shadows.
I wished we’d had more time in the room that now lay behind us. We hid the duffel bag, with the extra food and clothes, under a loose floorboard. I wanted to go back, but I knew we had to give Emma a chance. I hated the idea, but I sucked it up. I didn’t want to understand how Gregory wanted The Emma Plan to work, but I did. She could help us tremendously.
I wondered how Aileen knew Emma. Aileen didn’t seem to be a person who had connections here.
I wished we’d found out what had happened to Aileen and Aedan. I hoped Aileen had made it out, but doubt clouded in. I also hoped Jake hadn’t made it out. He would be one less person I’d have to worry about coming after us.
What kept filtering through my mind were my parents. I started to feel a loss, knowing I’d never see Mother again. I hoped she didn’t suffer before she died, but I did wonder if she’d had time to think about the kind of mother she was and if she regretted it. My father was still alive that much I knew. Otherwise we would’ve heard something. And I couldn’t help but think this was his karma. As much as I hated them for everything they’d done to me, I didn’t want either of them to suffer. But I still wouldn’t turn myself in. There was no way Kieran would let my father go if I turned myself in. He was smarter than that. He needed to contain both of us or he wouldn't be the Leader of Lorburn.
“Mia?” Gregory whispered, breaking through my thoughts.
“Yeah?” I whispered back.
“Do you hear that?”
We stopped walking and listened. At first I thought he was just hearing things, but then I could hear it. There was a slight clinking moving closer toward us, slowly but surely. I looked over at Gregory. “What is that?” I whispered.
Gregory shrugged. He put his finger to his lips and moved in front of me, grabbed my hand, and started walking forward. The farther we moved, the closer we got to the noise. A light ahead of us bobbed up and down. The clinking grew louder and louder. Voices bounced off the walls, along with the clinking. I ran into the back of Gregory as he stopped. Tightly, I grabbed his jacket. We quietly stalked into the shadows and crouched low to the ground as the voices became clearer.
“You think she’s alive?”
“Nah, she’s most likely dead.” The voices belonged to two men.
“How would you know?”
“No one has seen her since Leader Aedan’s house got hit,” the other one said. “She probably was killed there, and Kieran and the men are just lying.”
“I don’t know.” There was a long pause. We could hear the shuffling of their feet. “You gonna join the rebels?”
“Bobby, you know my answer.”
“Still no?” Bobby asked. “Why not? I heard they have great things.”
“I don’t care.”
“So why are we searching for this girl?”
“Maybe she survived.”
Bobby laughed. “You seem set on the girl being dead. Are you doing it for the bounty? It’s a shitload of money. Maybe I’ll get lucky and find the bitch.”
The men passed by us. I inched closer to Gregory, tightening my hold on his jacket. Please don’t see us, please don’t see us, please don’t see us.
“I want to do what’s right.”
Bobby snorted. “And what’s right?”
“I don’t know yet.”
The voices trailed off as the light went with them. My body shook. Kieran had put a bounty on my head? Not very surprising. We crouched until the light, clinking, and voices had completely disappeared. Gregory pulled us up, and we started to move. He slid an arm around my shoulder, holding me close as we walked. His warmth spread through my clothes. Plan B sounded more appealing the further we walked.
By the time we made it to the stairs that led us out, panic started to settle in. We’d be out in the open and anyone could discover us and turn us in. Emma could turn us in. Gregory stopped me before we walked up the stairs. He opened his backpack, pulling out two guns. He handed over a gun, placing the cold metal in my hand. My fingers closed over the handle as I watched Gregory slide his in the back of his pants, his jacket falling over it. I followed his lead, the cold penetrating through my shirt. Before we left the room, Gregory showed me how to use the gun. Sure, I listened intently and watched exactly what he did, but I wasn’t sure any of it would stick in my brain.
Night had fallen by the time we made it out of the station. No one was around. We walked into the darker shadows of the buildings, our progress slow and quiet. It took us a bit to get to the alley, but once we made it, I let my body relax a bit. We looked around, but there was no one there.
“Where is she?” I whispered. I rubbed my hands up and down my arms.
“We might be early,” Gregory responded. He didn’t sound so sure.
I went over and sat next to a dumpster. Gregory followed, standing in front of me. “So what, do we just wait to see if she shows up?”
Gregory looked down at me. “We’ll stay until the sun starts to rise, and then we’ll leave.” He looked back up and around.
I was frozen. I kept wiggling my nose to keep it from running. My ears burned each time a piece of hair flapped by them and I had to blink away the tears that formed every time wind rushed by. We had been there eighty-seven minutes and counting. I’d been bored enough to count. My arms held my knees to my chest, my head leaning on my arms. My toes were fro
zen—I could no longer move them. I wanted to complain, but I didn’t want to waste my breath. I kept my eyes closed. I couldn’t keep watching Gregory search the alleyway. It was too exhausting to watch. He seemed so set on this plan working.
“Someone’s coming,” Gregory finally said. We’d been silent since I’d sat down. I jumped at the sound of his voice.
I opened my eyes and looked up at him. “Is it her?”
Gregory didn’t answer me right away. “Yeah,” he finally said.
Slowly, I untangled myself and stood up. I positioned myself next to Gregory and bounced on my toes to keep warm. I rubbed my hands back and forth, blowing into them now and then. A woman walked toward us, but her face wasn’t visible. Her hood was up, and she faced the ground. Just as she got a few feet away from us, she finally looked up. Her eyes caught mine, and my breath got stuck in my throat. My jaw dropped.
“Emma, you’re late,” Gregory said, not noticing my reaction.
“I got held up.” Her voice came out like sugar; her eyes never left mine. “I’m sorry I’m late. I hope I didn’t worry you guys.”
I couldn’t move my eyes from her. This couldn’t be real. It just couldn’t. My chest tightened and my stomach dropped. My scalp prickled as I shook my head back and forth. My bouncing stopped. Gregory looked back and forth between us, finally noticing my reaction.
“Emma, this is Mia,” he said. “Mia, this is Emma.”
Emma held her hand out to me, but I couldn’t take it. “You’re not real.”
“Mia—” Gregory started, but Emma interrupted him.
“I am.”
I stepped back, shaking my head. “No.”
I stared into the same blue eyes I had known my whole life. Her hair was different, but her eyes were the same. Her nose still had a small crook to it, and her lips were still full and pink. “You’re supposed to be dead.”
Gregory looked back and forth. “What’s going on?”
I ignored him. “You’re supposed to be dead. Not standing here with a different name and…and…” I motioned my hand to her hair and worn-out clothes. “And looking different.”
Gregory looked at Emma then back at me, understanding dawned on his face.
“We should discuss this later,” she said. “We need to get out of here. It’s not safe.” She started to walk back the way she’d come. Gregory shook his head and followed her. I took a deep breath. I could leave or follow her. I followed.
She was alive and well. She had never once tried to reach out to me. To warn me. I had thought she was dead. My parents had told me she was dead. Seeing her up close and personal hurt. She’d left me behind with our parents. She didn’t care about me. She only looked out for herself. How could she have left me behind?
We walked through the deserted streets, the festival nowhere in sight. We stayed to the shadows and crossed into different alleys. I made sure to keep each detail of the way in my head so I could remember how to get back to the station. I shot daggers at the back of her head. Not the real kind, though.
I felt disgusted looking at her. There was no love in me for her. She’d lied and left me. She’d left me with them.
“Get in,” Emma said as we made it to her small hut of a house. I couldn't bring myself to call her Meghan. The name she was born with.
Her place was tiny but nice: there were two couches, a chair, and a coffee table facing a small fireplace. She went over to the fireplace and set a fire. Gregory and I stood next to the door, and I looked around. To the left was the living room, and on the right was the kitchen and in front of us was a hallway. Two doors lined one wall and one door was on the other. Two bedrooms and a bathroom? Hopefully one of those bedrooms had a window. I wanted to have an alternative exit plan.
“I need to use the bathroom,” I said.
Emma looked over at me. She gave me a slight smile and pointed down the hall. I narrowed my eyes at her. “The second door on the left is the bathroom.”
I started walking away the minute she started speaking. I slipped into the bathroom and quickly looked around: a tub, a toilet, a sink, and two doors took up the space. I opened one door, revealing a closet. Quietly, I shut it and went to the other door. A deadbolt was locked at the top, so I unlocked it and opened it. I was staring out at a backyard. I smiled, quietly shutting the door but keeping it unlocked. Just in case. As I flushed the toilet and turned on the water, I looked in the mirror. I was a disaster. Dirt, dust, and mud were caked on my face and in my hair. I needed a shower. Why hadn’t Gregory told me I looked terrible? I shut off the water and headed out of the bathroom.
Gregory was sitting on the couch with a cup in his hand. My sister was sitting next to him, laughing. I narrowed my eyes and cleared my throat. Both sets of eyes focused on me. My sister stood up.
“I know we can’t be here too long,” I said, “but I was wondering if I could take a quick shower. I’m quite a mess.” I waved my hand over myself.
Emma smiled. “Of course you can. I don’t want you guys to think you have to leave. You’ll be safe here.” She moved ahead of me.
I raised my brows but didn’t comment. Like I would believe her. Reluctantly, I followed her as she walked into the bathroom and turned on the light. Pulling out a white towel from the closet, she laid it on the counter next to the sink. “Do you need anything to wear?”
I nodded my head. She left the bathroom and a few moments later came back with a pair of blue pants and a white shirt. “These should fit you just fine.” I nodded my head and waited for her to leave. She just stood there. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you.” Tears sprang in her eyes.
I pointed to the shower. “I should probably get showered.”
“Of course,” she said. She looked me over for another long second before turning and shutting the door behind her.
Turning the shower on, I undressed quickly, and dove under the hot spray. I let the water fall over me, taking away the dirt and grime. I wished it could take away the fear. I was terrified. And angry. For years I wished to see my sister again, I cried for weeks after she was dead, but finally getting that wish terrified me. It felt wrong. And now she’s here, alive. What kind of person faked their own death? I didn’t believe she was here to help. It felt more like a trap.
I shampooed and conditioned my hair and loaded my body with soap. Once I was all cleaned, I shut the water off and wrapped a towel around my body, drying off. I dressed quickly and rummaged through the drawer until I found a hair band and I pulled my hair up into a bun and tied it.
I walked out of the bathroom, the steam following me. Gregory sat alone in the living room. He met my eyes and smiled. “You look fresh and clean.”
I glared at him. “I am. Thanks for not telling me how gross and disgusting I looked.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I knew you’d find out eventually.” I rolled my eyes at him before walking over and sitting down next to him.
“Where’s Emma?”
“She had to step out. She told me I could shower after you.”
I looked him up and down. “Yeah, you should.”
Gregory poked me in the side, causing me to laugh. He left, and I was left alone in my dead sister’s house. I sat in the living room by myself for ten minutes and counted.
Gregory finally walked out, all shiny and new. I smiled at him as he sat down next to me.
“Has she come back yet?”
“No,” I said. “Gregory, I don’t trust her.”
He searched my face. “Honestly, I don’t either.”
My eyebrows rose. “Really?”
“There’s something off about her.” He raked his nail against a spot on the couch.
“Yeah,” I said. We sat in silence for a few minutes, lost in our own thoughts. “When did she leave?”
“When she came out of the bathroom. She said she had to get something.”
I didn’t like that. “There’s a back door.”
“I know. I checked the bathroom. I
presume you unlocked the door?”
I smiled at him but didn’t say anything. The front door opened, and Emma came through holding two large paper bags.
“I got some food. I figured you guys must be starving.” She walked over to us and started emptying the bags. She pulled out baskets of fried chicken, cups of mashed potatoes, and rolls, along with a few bottles of orange soda. She handed over the baskets, and we all started eating. I wasn’t about to give up free food. I moaned in delight as I bit into the chicken.
“We should start talking,” Gregory said at last. I looked over at him and glared.
“I agree,” Emma said. “We should talk.”
I looked over at Emma. “So, let’s talk.”
“How are you doing?” she asked, searching my face.
“I’m fine.” I just wanted this over with.
“How did you and Aileen talk?” Gregory asked.
“She helped me escape those horrible people years ago, and we stayed in contact ever since,” Emma said. “My parents got what they deserved. Aileen told me about Mia needing help and I told her I wanted to see you, Mia. I thought you would want to be safe.”
“How could I be safe with someone who abandoned me?” I asked.
“I’m so sorry I left.” Tears swam in her eyes. “I never wanted to leave you behind, but Aileen said she could only get one of us out.”
“So you decided it would be best to leave me behind?” Anger bubbled up in my chest.
“I didn’t want to leave you,” she said, “and when I heard you were in trouble, I knew this was a chance for me to help you.”
“And how exactly are you going to help me?” My body shook from the anger.
“You can stay here.” She stood up and paced. “I have enough room.”
“If you haven’t noticed, there are people after me,” I said dryly.
“I know, but they won’t get you here,” she said excitedly.
I narrowed my eyes. “How can you be sure?” Gregory asked.
“I know some people, and they’ve promised to help,” Emma said. “We have so much to talk about. How your life was when I left. What my adventure was like getting a new life. How you endured this trip. How you two—” she waved her hand between me and Gregory “—met. I want us to become sisters again.”
The Divide (The Divide Series Book 1) Page 26