Page 80 of The One Who Won’t Get Away
Nadya slid off the bed, bare feet on the freezing floor.She went to the closet, pulling on a hoodie and a pair of jeans.She didn’t even bother with underwear.“You want company?”
I tried to picture myself there—breaking the news to my parents, explaining how their daughter wound up in a hole in the ground.
“Yeah.I do.”
She nodded, then sat back on the bed next to me, elbows on her knees, hands clasped, then she stood up again to get her phone and started typing.“Greyhound okay or are we riding your motorcycle?”
“Bus.”Otherwise I’d crash and then my parents would have two kids to bury.Besides, I didn't want to risk Nadya's life.
She kept typing.“The earliest one leaves at 11:30 tonight.Is that too soon?”
I looked at the clock.3:15 p.m.
“No,” I said.“Let’s do it.”
She booked two seats, then started packing a bag with the kind of efficiency you only saw in people who’d run before.She knew how to travel light—no excess, just the essentials: a change of clothes, a sketchbook, a ziplock bag with a tiny watercolor kit, a travel mug, two granola bars, a bottle of ibuprofen, and a pair of earbuds.
I just sat there, watching her move, not trusting my legs to hold me.
When she finished, she came back to the bed and ran her fingers through my hair, slow and methodical, as if she could smooth away the knots in my head.“You want to call them now, or wait until we get there?”
My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.“I should do it in person.”
She nodded.“Okay.”
I lay down, pulling the comforter over my face, and tried to remember how to breathe.
We didn’t talk for a long time.Nadya sat at the edge of the bed, scrolling her phone, occasionally glancing over to check if I was still breathing.I was, but just barely.
“I promised Vera I’d stop by for a chat,” Nadya said quietly.“But it can wait until we get back.”
“No.There's enough time before the bus.You should go.”No point in both of us staying here being miserable.
“I don't want to leave you.”
I cupped the back of her head and kissed her, but kept it short.“I always knew the chances of finding Isabella alive were slim.Now I just know for sure.I’m alright.Go spend time with your sister.”
And I might catch up with Sean to talk security.Maybe we could catch someone else breaking into Nadya's apartment while she wasn't even here.He might even agree to feed Meatball while we were away.Just to protect unsuspecting residents from the vicious cat burglar, of course.
