Page 66 of Deviant

“Maybe you should give it some serious thought. You have a good eye and an even better head on your shoulders. I need people like you in my team.”

“Is this a serious offer, or are you just pulling my chain?”

“Have you known me to joke around?”

“Dad isn’t that funny. If he says he’s got a job for you, then he does,” I add excitedly, praying that this is enough to distract her from her plans tonight.

Nora takes a full minute to consider what my dad is proposing before replying, “Tell you what, Hank? Ask me again after the Harvest Festival. No use making any plans if I won’t be here to follow through with them.”

Our faces fall at Nora’s words.

While my father’s enthusiasm dims because of her reasoning—no use in making plans if The Scourge is going to kill you in the end—my heart falls to the pit of my stomach because of her steadfast determination to see her plan through.

“Then I believe we have ourselves a date. After the Harvest Festival, come and see me so we can discuss your future. Though I already know you’ll make a great deputy.”

“We’ll see, Hank. We’ll see,” she replies and glances over at me, her eyes immersed with secrets.

My dad picks up on it, too, and frowns, completely misreading the intention in her eyes.

“Do you girls have anything planned for tonight that I don’t know about? You know the rules. No boys in the house when I’m not here.”

“Yeah, we know. We’re just going to stay home and have an early night. Maybe watch Attack on Titan or something,” Nora explains in the hopes of easing his mind.

“Attack on what?”

“It’s an anime, Dad. Nora is all about Mikasa and Eren these days,” I add with a nervous grin.

“I have no idea what any of those words mean, but if it keeps you girls at home and out of trouble, then I’m all for it.”

“Now that that’s settled,” I begin, handing him a paper bag. “I packed your lunch, and before you ask, yes, it’s tonight’s lasagna. I also included an extra Tupperware for Bobby since I promised him a home-cooked meal, too.”

“Of course he did, the mooch,” my father laughs. “When did you see Bobby, anyway?”

His question catches me off guard, and my mind goes blank for a second.

“I saw him in town earlier. Anyway, he mentioned he was doing a double shift, so I thought it would be nice for him to have some lasagna as well.”

“Okay, Junebug. I’ll share, but only because I’m so full that I won’t be hungry anytime soon.”

After he checks his weapon into the holster and pats his pocket for the keychain I stole earlier today, he waves us both goodbye.

“Be good, girls. And have fun.”

“Oh, we will.” Nora winks, gaining a little chuckle from him.

Once the front door closes and we hear his car drive off, an eerie silence befalls the kitchen.

I stare at Nora, her teasing smile no longer visible.

“It’s a good job. Being deputy, I mean,” I instigate when she makes no effort to say a word after five minutes.

“And maybe, in another life, I would have taken it in a heartbeat. But not in this one.”

My jaw clenches shut as I turn my back to my best friend and begin washing the dishes.

“Hey, hey,” she says, wrapping her arms around my waist and placing her chin on my shoulders. “Don’t be angry with me. Not tonight, okay?” She lets out a tiny sigh when I continue to madly scrub the pan as if trying to scrub the lunatic plans out of her head. “This plan will work, Roe. Trust me, okay? I know what I’m doing.”

I drop the pan into the sink, turn around, and blurt out, “You mean the plan where you’re purposely trying to get yourself killed?” I cross my arms over my chest in anger.

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