Page 20 of Malcolm

“Come,” he said, continuing forward. “We need to get our seats before there aren’t any.”

She nodded, following behind him, humming. He swallowed around the lump in his throat; the smoggy scent in the air made it all the more real that he was back. The ball of nerves he’dignored until now was flaring up inside of him. He would soon be facing the music and the faces of those who’d betrayed him when he’d only been trying to do the right thing.

Eliza

She could tell something was bothering him, but she wasn’t sure she should ask. Ever since they’d gotten their seats on the train, and he’d ordered her a sandwich and a coke, he’d kept his troubled gaze on the passing view of rolling hills. She could tell they were getting further and further from the human world. The city views suddenly went up in smoke, and they saw nothing but forest and nature.

Her eyes landed on a set of black-and-white unicorns that ran wild along the side of the train. Taking a bite of her sandwich, she couldn’t help wondering what Malcolm's story was.

Everyone had a story, some a bit harder to swallow than others. She’d grown up living a life with chapters filled with things she would much rather forget, and sometimes, when she looked back, she couldn’t believe those chapters were actually her life.

Even now, when she thought back to the fear she’d felt sitting in the cell, waiting night after night for someone to come for her, every night wondering if it would be her last, those paragraphs were there, but it was like a filter covered the memory so that it wasn’t as harsh or as mind-numbing as it should be.

Lifting the sandwich, she took another bite. Eliza wanted to forget all of the bad things, but she couldn’t. If she wanted to bring justice for Ashe and the others, she couldn’t just hide away from the monsters that went bump in the night.

“Do you want my other half?” She lifted the other half of her sandwich out to Malcolm; whatever he’d been thinking about must’ve been a lot because he looked at her blankly for a second as if he’d forgotten where he was.

Awareness slowly came to his gaze, and he gave a short head shake. “Thank you, but no.”

She didn’t back off; she pushed it into his hand. “Eat. There’s no point in thinking too hard about it. There isn’t anything you can do now anyway. Just worry about it once we get there.” He fumbled with the sandwich before finally taking it.

She took a sip from her coke, “When I was locked in that place, all I spent my time doing was thinking about any and everything.” She didn’t look at him.

He looked away from her. “It’s the first time you’ve mentioned your time there.”

“I think you know why that is,” she said, taking another bite of her sandwich, “Talking about it won’t change what happened or that, unlike many of those other women, I’m free.”

“Do you regret it?” he asked.

“Regret what?” She knew what he was asking but pretended not to understand.

“Being here and alive?”

“Should I? Because I don’t, survival is about luck and strength. Some of them were better off dying; since the ones who didn’t are now mindless dolls.” Her lashes fluttered as she averted her eyes. “I’m alive and have full control of myself. I’m not some mindless weapon killing innocent people. I won’t regret it, not for a single moment.”

She could feel his gaze on the side of her face; she wondered what she looked like in his eyes. Her words had been cold, but they were the truth. Her life had had many obstacles, but she had never regretted living through them. She wouldn’t start now. Yes, she hated that she’d fallen into such a hell like experience,but now she was out, and she had every intention of using her newfound strength to find the fucker who’d orchestrated the entire thing.

“You’re stronger than me.” Malcolm's words caused her to whip her eyes to his face. He was smiling, and damn if that didn’t highlight his handsome features. He looked from her to the land, “I’ve been feeling nothing but regret and guilt as we make our way to my home. I continually wonder how they will receive me. I was once one of them, but now…I’m an outsider.”

“You are what you want to be,” she said, finishing her sandwich. “If you want to be an outsider, be that. Either way, I’m here with you. You’re not alone.”

She felt his hand cover hers, and she felt her cheek heat at the immediate sensation of comfort that came from touching him , It always threw her off.

He wasn’t looking at her. Instead, he ate half of her sandwich in three big bites and leaned back; they watched the scenery pass together.

Both of them were lost in thought; one worried about the future, and the other worried about her past.

Malcolm's Return

Malcolm

“The stop ahead is for us," he said as he reached for the cord hanging down. Grabbing it tightly, he pulled it down.

“Oh, shit.” Eliza fell against him, her arms wrapping around his waist. He could feel the press of her chest against his back, and he bit back a curse. He’d been doing so well so far, but the sensation of her curves against his back had him imagining all sorts of things once more.

He couldn’t ruin his chances now; she’d just told him about what had happened to her, finally opening up to him in the very way he’d been patiently waiting for. He tightened his reins on his wild wolf and patiently waited for her to take a step back, but instead of letting go of him, she leaned around him and exclaimed loudly.

“That’s a freaking compound.” She looked up at him. “You own a small-sized city.”

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