immediately reminded me that I was sitting in his lap. “Sorry, Ghost, I didn’t mean to squish you,” I mumbled as I scrambled off of him.
“Hey no hurry, you were okay right where you were.” His voice was deep and I could hear a grin in it as he spoke. I felt my cheeks warm, which only made Ghost chuckle more. “Just a joke, Jude,” he said with a smirk and a shrug. I glanced over at Jude who was staring daggers at Ghost. What the Hell? I ignored both of them and leaned forward until I was hanging in between the two front seat and pulled back the center console, hoping to find something good.
“Melody … what are you doing?” Jude asked, sounding exasperated. I ignored him as I kept searching.
“Aha!” I squealed. I pulled my prize out of its sleeve and leaned forward far enough to shove it into the player. I pushed a button and when the familiar sounds of Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds blasted through the speaker system, I sat back with a small sigh of satisfaction. Ghost flashed me a sad smile, but I could feel the tension seeping out of the vehicle as we slowly drove out of tow n .
I watched our progress through the window as we drove for about an hour, until I couldn’t stomach what I saw any longer. The world was something I didn’t recognize. I had kept myself mostly safe for two long years. It wasn’t easy, but a lot of what kept me alive had to do with the simple fact that not only was I a little more prepared than the average citizen, but I’d also gotten to know almost every inch of the two local towns and every mile of the woods that I’d camped in. The woods were mine. I knew them almost as well in the pitch black of night as I did in the noon day sun. I learned my surroundings like someone who might not have ever planned on leaving the area for the rest of their lives. I sat there watching a world full of death, destruction, and chaos pass by my window.
I realized with sudden clarity that I had bubbled myself off from the outside world, convinced deep down that if I didn’t know what was happening outside of my own personal hell, then maybe—just maybe—it wasn’t really that bad in other places. I hadn’t realized until I was leaving the area I knew so well that I’d convinced myself deep in my own subconscious that when I did finally leave, I’d be walking into some sort of safe haven, some place better and maybe even untouched by all the death, loneliness, and despair that I’d been shrouded in for two years. The realization made my stomach revolt.
“Melody? Are you okay?” Jude’s voice sounded concerned, but I couldn’t seem to answer him. I couldn’t get past the pain in my chest and the ringing in my ears. “Manuel, can you pull over?” I gasped in a breath as fuzzy splotches of gray danced in front of my eyes. I felt a gush of wind hit me in the face as Jude pulled me from the truck and shook me gently. “Melody? Breathe, sweetheart. Ah, hell, this is going to piss you off,” he muttered. A brisk smack across my face brought Jude’s concerned eyes into focus and a stinging along my cheek bone. I grabbed a handful of his tee shirt and jerked him a bit closer as I gasped in a huge breath of air into my lungs. I still felt dizzy.
“I didn’t realize …” I began, my eyes starting to water. I blinked furiously as my head began to clear. Jude’s hand cupped the back of my head and his fingers massaged into my neck as I took a moment. “I don’t know why I didn’t expect it. I’m sorry.” Jude shushed me gently and kept rubbing my neck.
“Don’t apologize, Melody. I would have been more worried about you if all of this didn’t affect you,” he said gruffly. I nodded once and took another long, cleansing breath before I was steady. I glanced up and realized Big Ben had been standing nearby as look out. I let out a tiny not-so-sane giggle and looked up into Jude’s questioning gaze.
“Didn’t mean to go all girly on you at the wrong
“Hey no hurry, you were okay right where you were.” His voice was deep and I could hear a grin in it as he spoke. I felt my cheeks warm, which only made Ghost chuckle more. “Just a joke, Jude,” he said with a smirk and a shrug. I glanced over at Jude who was staring daggers at Ghost. What the Hell? I ignored both of them and leaned forward until I was hanging in between the two front seat and pulled back the center console, hoping to find something good.
“Melody … what are you doing?” Jude asked, sounding exasperated. I ignored him as I kept searching.
“Aha!” I squealed. I pulled my prize out of its sleeve and leaned forward far enough to shove it into the player. I pushed a button and when the familiar sounds of Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds blasted through the speaker system, I sat back with a small sigh of satisfaction. Ghost flashed me a sad smile, but I could feel the tension seeping out of the vehicle as we slowly drove out of tow n .
I watched our progress through the window as we drove for about an hour, until I couldn’t stomach what I saw any longer. The world was something I didn’t recognize. I had kept myself mostly safe for two long years. It wasn’t easy, but a lot of what kept me alive had to do with the simple fact that not only was I a little more prepared than the average citizen, but I’d also gotten to know almost every inch of the two local towns and every mile of the woods that I’d camped in. The woods were mine. I knew them almost as well in the pitch black of night as I did in the noon day sun. I learned my surroundings like someone who might not have ever planned on leaving the area for the rest of their lives. I sat there watching a world full of death, destruction, and chaos pass by my window.
I realized with sudden clarity that I had bubbled myself off from the outside world, convinced deep down that if I didn’t know what was happening outside of my own personal hell, then maybe—just maybe—it wasn’t really that bad in other places. I hadn’t realized until I was leaving the area I knew so well that I’d convinced myself deep in my own subconscious that when I did finally leave, I’d be walking into some sort of safe haven, some place better and maybe even untouched by all the death, loneliness, and despair that I’d been shrouded in for two years. The realization made my stomach revolt.
“Melody? Are you okay?” Jude’s voice sounded concerned, but I couldn’t seem to answer him. I couldn’t get past the pain in my chest and the ringing in my ears. “Manuel, can you pull over?” I gasped in a breath as fuzzy splotches of gray danced in front of my eyes. I felt a gush of wind hit me in the face as Jude pulled me from the truck and shook me gently. “Melody? Breathe, sweetheart. Ah, hell, this is going to piss you off,” he muttered. A brisk smack across my face brought Jude’s concerned eyes into focus and a stinging along my cheek bone. I grabbed a handful of his tee shirt and jerked him a bit closer as I gasped in a huge breath of air into my lungs. I still felt dizzy.
“I didn’t realize …” I began, my eyes starting to water. I blinked furiously as my head began to clear. Jude’s hand cupped the back of my head and his fingers massaged into my neck as I took a moment. “I don’t know why I didn’t expect it. I’m sorry.” Jude shushed me gently and kept rubbing my neck.
“Don’t apologize, Melody. I would have been more worried about you if all of this didn’t affect you,” he said gruffly. I nodded once and took another long, cleansing breath before I was steady. I glanced up and realized Big Ben had been standing nearby as look out. I let out a tiny not-so-sane giggle and looked up into Jude’s questioning gaze.
“Didn’t mean to go all girly on you at the wrong
Similar Books
