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“No,” he moaned.
“I’m starving. Aren’t you hungry? You can stay here. I’ll make something quick.”
“Breakfast in bed? How did I get so lucky?” He threw a wink at her as she tossed a T-shirt on and headed toward the kitchen.
She brought back eggs and toast with a glass of juice and set it on the nightstand beside the bed. He caught her up on everything that had happened during his mission. Until now, he hadn’t wanted to relive those moments, but she made him feel safe and cared for. He tried to ignore the pain that was clear on her face, knowing he could’ve died.
“What are you going to do? What is Jameson’s plan?” she asked between bites of toast.
“Jameson wants to fight.”
“But you don’t?”
“Ali…” He took her hand in his, running his thumb over her knuckles, over her wrists where the metal bracelets had once been. He’d given this a lot of thought. From the moment his body had hit the ice-cold water of the river, he’d been done fighting. Maybe that made him a coward, but Rysburg had slowly stopped feeling like home. It no longer felt like a place worth fighting for. At some point home became a person…the person sitting next to him in bed. “I just want to get out of here. With you.”
She dropped the toast. “Where will we go?”
“I’m not sure. I know there are other towns out there, but Rysburg has conquered every one we’ve come across.” He shifted uncomfortably. He had conquered. He had helped destroy their neighbors. “We might have to travel quite a ways.”
Ali smiled at him. “I’d follow you anywhere.”
***
Chapter Twenty-Eight
It was quite the adjustment for Ali to move in with Nik. She went from being an unknown prisoner to the woman who had stolen Nik’s heart. Every time she walked through town, she could sense people’s eyes on her, sizing her up. It was no secret that Nik was attractive and all this time he had remained a bachelor. Who was the strange woman who had finally broken through his icy exterior?
Nik had explained to her how rare it was for a prisoner to assimilate into their population. That explained the wary looks she got as well. It was like people were waiting for her to snap and use her newfound freedom to get her revenge. They didn’t trust her.
Eli was speechless when she told him what had happened, his face frozen in shock. He didn’t believe it was possible to earn their freedom and up until a few days ago, neither had she. She could sense a longing for his own freedom even though he maintained a stern defiance. He loathed Rysburg and she couldn’t blame him. His experience here had been much worse than hers.
She hadn’t told Eli that Nik was going to escape with them. That he was helping them. She didn’t want to tell him until they had a solid plan in place. She didn’t want to get his hopes up prematurely.
The house was quiet when she walked through the front door. Nik was working an extra shift today, so she had the place to herself. She pulled open the drawer she kept her clothes in and added the new pairs of pants and shirts she had just bought. She didn’t own much in this home, but she was used to it. Even in Andus, she hadn’t owned many things outside of the necessities.
She wasn’t even sure she wanted to make this feel more like home. Nik’s admission had stuck with her. The idea of leaving Rysburg and starting over with him was a dream she couldn’t shake. She pictured a life where they started as equals, chasing their own ambitions and supporting one another. A child or two. She didn’t want to raise a child here in Rysburg, but someplace else? Maybe. Escape was feeling like a real possibility.
Ali organized a set of thread and needles she’d bought. She thought it might take her mind off things if she took up a hobby. Something to do in her free time now that she had options outside of staring at the ceiling. Sewing reminded her of her mom. She set some wood in the fireplace and sat down. Grabbing an old pillow from the couch, she practiced her embroidery skills to kill time.
When Nik walked through the door later that night, she had just started cooking dinner. His cheeks were pink from the cold and his eyes glistened. He always smiled when he came home to find her. Always wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head. He was so domesticated; it warmed her heart.
In the evenings, they lay together in bed and talked about anything and everything. Tonight was the same. Nik fluffed a pillow and propped his head on his hand, turning to look at her.
“I’ve been thinking,” she started as he rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “About what you said. About leaving here.”
“Go on.”
“Are you sure? Are you sure you want to give this up? Your home…I know what it was like to lose Andus.”
“Ali, you had people you loved. Andus had positive memories for you.” He shook his head before continuing, his eyes filled with sadness. “There isn’t anything keeping me here. I…I don’t want to do this anymore.”
She didn’t have to ask to know what “this” was. The violence. The raids. The thieving. She saw his true heart and knew this role wasn’t meant for him.
“I think we need to leave soon. I don’t want to get caught up in whatever war is coming.” She didn’t want him to get caught up in a war. “I think I’ve had enough violence to last a lifetime.”
“Me, too.” He sighed heavily. “I sometimes feel like a monster. The things I’ve done…I told myself it was to protect Rysburg, but I don’t think that’s true anymore.”
“You’re not a monster.” She stroked his arm.
