Page 25 of Ramshackle
I frown at the direction of my thoughts and stick the movie in. It’s some dumb comedy that I can’t really remember, so maybe it’ll be enough to distract me for a bit. Once the movie is on the home screen, I hit play to get it started and then work to put together the popcorn and soda for each of us.
After that’s done, I sit back on the couch and stick my foot up on the table where it’s most comfortable, then dig in to my bowl of popcorn. I gave Vera her own so we don’t have to share or bicker about who’s eating more than the other.
It’s not even ten minutes into the movie when it clicks.
Fuck.
We did see this before. But it was so fuckingterriblethat we cringed the entire time. Jokes that fell flat or were just scream-into-your-pillow awkward.
Why the fuck did I buy this movie?
Then a scene happens and I remember Raegan rolling on the floor cry-laughing because of just how dumb it was.
I look over at Vera. She’s facing the screen, but it’s clear that her head is anywhere except the movie. Her half-lidded eyes tell me that she’s either bored or going to fall asleep. Either of which is a high probability for her.
For this movie, I can’t entirely blame her. I just…miss Raegan’s reactions. She was never a quiet watcher. I’d be forced to tell her to shut up half the time so I could hear what was happeningwhileshe asked me what was happening. She’d curl up into me for scary movies. Or push at me and laugh out loud when something was funny to make sure I didn’t miss it.
Shit.
Fuck.
I scrub my fingers through my hair, forgetting that I have popcorn butter all over them, and now my hair is likely worse than a bird’s nest. But I can’t do it. Not without thinking about her.
“Hey, Dane?” Vera scoots closer to me and takes the hand in my hair in hers. I look at our hands between us and then at her. “I’m really happy that we’ve been able to spend this time together. Aren’t you?”
“Uh, yeah. I mean. Of course, I am.” I try to smile at her. Iamhappy that she’s here. Even if I have no fucking clue what to do with fixing whatever GE did to her, at least she’s here, and she’s safe. She’s not withthem.
Like Raegan is now.
“Good. I know we still don’t…agree…on everything, but that’s okay, right? Families don’t have to agree on everything all the time.”
I blink at her in confusion. I hope she’s not actually implying what I think she is. Because I willneverbe okay with her working for GE. She can’t expect that I’d let her go back to that and we would just…hang out after.
She takes my not answering as agreement or at least as not an argument and continues, “But I do think, if you would give it a chance, you could find a home with GE like I did. You could help a lot of people with your gift.”
I pull my hand from hers as anger boils in my gut. Abso-fucking-lutely not.
I stand and turn to leave. She read my notebook.The whole thing, she said. So how could she think I would ever join them after what happened to us on the island? After what happened to her?
I consider the possibility that she didn’t actually read it, but that makes me pissed off in an entirely different way.
“Dane, wait!” She runs after me just as my phone dings in my pocket.
I lift it enough to catch the preview of the text on my screen and then slide it back.
Aiden:Now.
About time.
I pivot away from the dorm hallway and past the training room to the door that leads to the truck bays. I slam the push door open and keep going. She’s still chasing me.
Good.
I make it into the locker room, and when I hear the door catch before it closes and then opens again, I whirl around to face her.
“If you want to make peace, then help us bring Raegan home.”
Vera stops in her tracks, her eyes wide with surprise before her face falls.
