Page 60 of The Wild Beneath

“Are we in some kind of fortune cookie now?” Evan squints at the lines on the paper.

“Stop it,” Annie says.

Ruth chimes in. “I think he’s saying you should listen to me.”

Annie leans closer to see the drawing from Walker’s vantage point. The overlapping sections of the lines resemble DNA’s double helices.

“Ruth is a guide, but you can’t lose track of your own line, either. You have to slow down. You’re here in this place right now.” He circles a few more intersections. “Even if your lines are overlapping for a period of time—­even alongtime—­they can move apart. Or come back together. There’s nothing incorrect about that, if you’re listening for your own pattern.”

“Should I be taking notes?” Evan picks up his bowl and starts eating in earnest.

Walker doesn’t seem to hear him. His gaze is off to the left; that crease between his eyebrows again. “We have to be careful. Sometimes what wethinkwe want gets in the way of what we know we have to do. That’s hard.” He places the pen down as if he’s explained everything that needs explaining.

“You’re saying that we don’t all necessarily need to do the same thing,” Annie summarizes.

Walker looks out the window. “I’m saying... as long as we follow our own instructions, we don’t need to worry.”

“How do we know the instructions?” Annie is intrigued.

Evan is exasperated. “We need to stay practical, okay? And that means sticking together. Splitting up is not an option.”

Annie looks at Ruth. “If Evan takes you for a transfusion in the meantime, we’ll have more time to figure the rest out.”

“I haven’t given you any reason to think I’m not okay right now. There’s no need to panic.” Ruth leans back in her chair.

“You’re breathing fast when you walk. You’ve been sleeping more,” Annie argues. “Don’t downplay it. Haven’t we kept enough secrets?”

Evan sets his bowl down. He studies Annie’s face, then Ruth’s. “What secrets?” he asks.

Ruth straightens her posture. Annie clamps her mouth closed. She isn’t ready to get into this with Evan—­the disorienting fact that she has no idea who her mom really is and at some point, she was psychotic.

“Nothing,” Annie says. “Never mind.”

“Well... yes, coming with me next week will buy us some time,” Evan says. “We’ll figure out what to do long-term after that.”

“I don’t want to risk you getting sicker,” Annie says. “Please.”

Ruth refolds her napkin into a square. “I’ll think about it.”

Evan places his palms on the table. “Seems to me like it’s settled,” he says. “And I can’t keep my eyes open any longer.” He yawns and stretches his arms over his head. “Is it okay if I crash on your couch?” He’s lying down before he receives an answer, and within a few minutes, he’s fast asleep.

Chapter 22

Annie is pulled from slumber by the sound of screaming. But when she opens her eyes, she can no longer hear it. She sits up and throws a hoodie over her faded Hale’s General Store T-shirt. She checks on Ruth, who’s still sleeping. By the time Annie’s in the kitchen, Walker and Evan are already on the porch. Henry is there, gesturing at the water.

“If there was a way to put it out of its misery...” Henry says, as Annie arrives outside.

A gust of wind hits the side of the cabin and thwacks the screen door closed behind her. “What’s going on?”

“There’s a whale stuck off my bow,” Henry says. “It’s been circling the boat all night. Looks like it’s caught on something at the bottom.”

“I can see her.” Walker trains his eyes to a spot next toGalene. “She’s definitely stuck.”

“Where is it?” Evan asks.

“Starboard side.” Walker’s already down the stairs, striding out to the bluff.

“What are you doing?” Annie asks.