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“Later.”
We’ve left Shelby at home, asleep in her rocking chair, under a blanket. The wall of her baby room has a nice shade of blue on it, and Meggy and I considered our jobs done. If Shelby had any trouble with it, she could tell Stan to fix it, you know, as he’s the father and all and he doesn’t have to push out a baby through his penis.
We have headed to Meggy’s apartment, to freshen up. And I had the feeling Meggy didn’t want to be alone right now. I couldn’t really blame her for that. She actually got abducted by a stranger, all alone, not knowing whether she’d live or die. Me? I just went along with some crazy plan, knowing I was relatively safe and I’d be out that same day.
“So,” I begin while we’re getting the paint off our bodies with some wet wipes, “how are you holding up?”
She sighs, cleaning the paint of her nose while looking at herself in the bathroom mirror of her tiny apartment. “I don’t know.”
“What don’t you know?”
“Well, one minute I’m doing fine, next I’m scared of my own shadow. It’s like nowhere is safe anymore, unless I’m with someone else, because my mind seems convinced there’s safety in numbers.”
I hum in agreement.
“Kellan’s been the best,” she continues with a lovesick look on her face. “He’s here every chance he gets, but we need some space every now and then, you know? I’m not the easiest person to be around with twenty-four seven.”
I snort, ready to make a quippy remark, but before I can do so the doorbell rings, and I startle. We’re not expecting anyone, right?
When I remember that Meggy isn’t a hermit just like I am, and she actually has a lot of friends, I relax a little. The red-head moves from the bathroom to answer the door. Throwing away the wipes I used to clean up, I let myself fall down on her couch, intending to just live my best life.
“No,” I hear Meggy say, and all my alarm bells go haywire. I quickly get up and make my way to the front door. My little firecracker of a friend is getting right in the face of a woman I don't recognize. She has long gray hair that surrounds her face. It’s when I see her green eyes and what she says next that put the pieces together and figure out who this is. It’s the same peculiar green eyes both Jonah and Kellan have.
“I just want to talk to him,” she says.
“He’s made it clear he doesn’t want to talk to you. Stop harassing him. Stop showing up everywhere he goes. Just stop it.”
Something comes over her face, giving her a cold look, and I wince. Her eyes then fall on me, and while they may have the same color as Jonah’s eyes, the similarities end there. She doesn’t have any of his kindness he possesses.
“You’re Jonah’s girl,” she says.
“How the fuck do you know that?” Meggy spits out, finding her fighting spirit back.
“Oh, I’ve still got some contacts who know exactly who both of you are.” Her voice sounds mean, like Disney villain mean. “They’re keeping a close eye on both of you.”
A shiver runs down my spine. That’s basically a threat, right? And that’s an admission she’s in contact with criminals? Do we report this to her parole officer or something? How do I get this number? Crap, why is it that I can remember the license plate number of my first boyfriend, but not important stuff, like how do I figure out how to contact the number of the parole officer of the mother of one of my four boyfriends?
“Please leave,” Meggy says before she throws the door in Jonah’s mom’s face with a bang.
“He’ll talk to me eventually,” she says through the door.
My limbs are shivering and I don’t even know why. I’m starting to think that this string of unfortunate events is one that will never cease to exist, and horrible thing after horrible thing will keep continuing to happen.
Meggy gets her phone out, her hands also shivering, which somehow makes me feel better because I’m not the only one who is scared by this situation. The other person picks up immediately.
“She was here again,” Meggy says without introduction. I can hear the tones of a male voice at the other end of the line, and I think it’s Kellan.
“No, Mor is here with me, you should stay at work. I’ll just go with her or something, and I’ll meet you there after?”
The voice talks again.
“Love you too,” she says before she hangs up. Then she turns to me, forcing a smile on her face that doesn’t reach her eyes. “So yeah, when you were wondering how I was doing… Kellan’s mom has been harassing me, and that lady is scary. She looks like she learned how to make a shiv during her time in prison, and she freaks me out. So I’m extending girl time and we’re going to your place until Kellan comes to pick me up?”
I grab Meggy, part of it to comfort her, part of it to calm myself down. “Sure thing babe, let’s go.”
Gil is at the house when we arrive, cleaning the windows as he stands on a little set of steps. His face lights up when he sees us coming.
“Hey, brought in a stray?” he asks as he climbs off of the steps and gives me a kiss on my nose.
