by Melissa Haag
* * * *
A noise woke me. Gabby's stomach. It growled again, and she shifted in her sleep. I smiled and waited for her to open her eyes. The lamp was on, illuminating her features. She looked better. Less pale.
Her breathing changed, a sign she was awake, but she didn't open her eyes. She was thinking. I'd seen her do that many times. Gabby wasn't the type to just shoot out of bed. She liked to take a minute. I figured she used that time to make a plan for her day. She seemed to like making plans and sticking to them.
I gently brushed her hair from her face. She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at me, and my heart swelled at the emotion I saw there.
"Do I say good morning or is it close to good night again?"
Smiling, I reached for her hand and brought it to my mouth. A noise from the apartment stopped me from pulling her into my arms. Frowning, I turned my head and focused. The sound of the apartment door closing barely reached me.
Sam hadn't returned since our last talk. Could it be him? I tensed as the bedroom door opened.
Luke poked his head in.
"Better hurry. You carry her, and I'll grab her things," he said, looking at me.
I didn't hesitate. I leapt off the bed and scooped Gabby into my arms, covers and all. I couldn't believe Luke had understood Gabby. I'd barely understood her.
She squeaked as I lifted her. Blankets covered her face, and she shook her head to dislodge them since her arms were pinned. Her scowl made me grin.
Luke already had Gabby's bag and was cramming her things into it. I turned and left the room, Luke trailing behind me. Moving quickly, we quietly raced through the halls and made it out the main entrance without being seen. I was sure we'd been heard, though.
In the dark yard, the car faced the gate. Luke must have moved it. With a burst of speed, I reached the car and shifted Gabby's weight to pull the handle. The door's loud groan made me cringe and move faster.
I settled Gabby inside and buckled her in. As I moved away, Luke took my place to hand her bag in. She took it as I jogged around the hood, but she motioned for him to wait. She grabbed a scrap of paper from her bag and quickly wrote something. She handed it to Luke with a wave, keeping silent.
Luke quickly closed the door. As he scanned the note, I started the car and slammed it into gear. When I looked back at him, Luke was already on a motorcycle. I took off in a spray of gravel. As I'd expected, the noise brought someone to the door.
The motorcycle roared to life and quickly zipped past us. Luke saluted Gabby with a grin then disappeared from sight.
Sam stood on the porch, his gaze locked on us.
We need to talk to her, son.
She doesn't want to talk.
I waited for a reply, but none came. A relieved sigh escaped me. Gabby didn't notice.
She laid her head back, closed her eyes, and fell asleep. She didn't stir the whole way home or when I pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine. I sat for a moment, watching her.
She still had dark circles under her eyes, she hadn't eaten, and she hadn't told me what exactly had happened when she'd touched Luke. Hopefully, the next time she woke, she'd eat then start talking.