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Itseemed like I was constantly running late to the motel. I used to be on time, conscious of appearances.
Now, I didn’t care about anything except my sisters and Mila. And today, I had an important mission to accomplish before I went and saw Mila. After I had said goodbye to my sisters, making sure they were occupied in the small kitchen, I snuck into the hallway. I grabbed my supply bags from their hiding place under the loose floorboard, and left.
Before I had entered the motel, I snuck around the back where an old shed stood. Once it might’ve stored a lawnmower, maybe a snowblower.
Now it would hold the supplies that would keep my sisters and Mila alive while they escaped.
I had devised a plan.
A plan I was fairly certain would work, so long as everything fell into place. I was excited to tell Mila about it, to see her face light up when she realized there was a chance we might all get to be happy.Free.
I pulled my mask over my face and stepped into the motel, ignoring Brother Dogberry’s gloating expression as he unlocked the door for me. He didn’t say anything, but I could feel his grin at my back the entire length of the hallway. Finally I turned and scowled at him.
“Do you have a problem?”
“No.” His slimy smile grew and I wanted to punch his teeth out. It probably wouldn’t have taken much, as brown and rotten as they were. “Then why are you smiling like a goddamn clown?” Dogberry pissed me off.
It had only gotten worse since the situation with Mila, but I still attempted to contain my irritation. Dogberry shrugged. “Seems like your girl is a troublemaker. She’s in the office with Brother Brutus right now.” I closed my eyes and sighed. “You’re fucking kidding me.”
“Nope,” Dogberry chirped. “God, I bet she’s a fun one. I can’t wait for a turn with her.”
“Shut your goddamn mouth, or I’ll shut it for you.” Dogberry was headed in the right direction for a black eye, and I would have no problem explaining to Luke exactly why he deserved it. But first I had to deal with Mila. “Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?” I ignored whatever weak excuse was going to come out of his mouth next, and marched across the common room toward Luke’s office.
I knocked on the door, not bothering to wait for an acknowledgement before I entered. “If it isn’t the man of the hour,” Luke greeted me. He was holding court behind his desk, a pleased-looking Laura on one side of me and a pissed Mila on the other.
“Laura here was just telling me she has reason to believe you and Mila have a relationship outside of the Ceremonies. I’d love to hear your side of it.”
Well, shit. I was almost positive we hadn’t been caught. I’d been careful, covering my tracks. We barely acknowledged each other in public. So I decided to play it off, laughing.
“Oh, yeah? And what makes her think that?”
Laura’s smile dropped. She had obviously thought she was going to catch us off guard, tripping us up enough that we’d play into her hand. Maybe she had nothing after all. Luke tipped his head toward Laura. “Your evidence?”
Her eyes widened slightly. “Uh… I saw you two come back into the basement together after the raid. God only knows what you were up to while you were gone.”
“You mean when Mila got lost, and I had to make sure we were hidden from the cops?” I crossed my arms over my chest, looking at Luke as if this was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. I ignored my racing pulse, convincing myself I was in control of this situation.
Not Laura. Not Luke.Me.
“Anything else you’d like to add?” Luke smirked at me as he addressed Laura, and I wanted to breathe a sigh of relief. He was just toying with her, playing the game.
“Mila just seems way too comfortable here for a girl in her first month.” Laura huffed, and I half expected her to stomp her high-heeled foot. This time, my laugh wasn’t faked.
“I’m sorry, but the basis of your argument is that Mila is too comfortable here?” Her weak argument was my saving grace. “Did you ever consider that she’s just grateful for a roof over her head and food to eat?”
Even Luke’s smile grew broad. “You have to admit the absurdity of such a statement, Laura. Isn’t that what anyone could hope for? To be immediately comfortable with the cause?” Mila remained silent. I wanted to reach out to her, to look her in the eyes, and ask her what she was thinking. I wanted to kiss her troubles away, one by one. What was running through that beautiful mind of hers?
“But… but… but...” Laura stammered. I knew girls like Laura, before the Collapse. Girls who were used to getting their own way. Girls who broke when anything differed from the status quo.
Luke narrowed his eyes. “Laura, you’re dismissed. Next time you have concerns, make sure they’re valid. I don’t need my time wasted.” I offered Laura a small wave, and she glared at me as she walked by.
Bitch. Luke turned his attention to Mila, who still hadn’t looked at me or spoken. “Mila, you’re dismissed as well. You can wait for Brother Prospero in your room.”
I watched her out of the corner of my eye as she nodded and raced out of the room. I really needed to talk to her. But Luke was looking at me expectantly, and I knew I needed to finish this conversation first.
“Please tell me you believed none of that Snake Charmer’s story.” I rolled my eyes for emphasis, trying to play up exactly how absurd I thought Laura’s explanations were. Little did she know, she was more right than she realized.
“Of course not.” Luke laughed. “I saw both yours and Mila’s dedication to the cause earlier this month. Besides, the Choosing is in two nights. Even if there was something extracurricular going on between you two, it would have to end then. I can’t imagine any man being okay with his female being impregnated by someone else.”
