Page 11 of Say You'll Stay

“It’s okay.”

“Thanks for saving my ass.”

There it is again, that gentle look he doesn’t know what the hell to do with.

“The most violent thing I’ve ever done before all this was kicking the washing machine when it shook too much. Now I’m the one shaking,” she jokes, holding a hand out so he can see the tips of her fingers vibrate. “It feels like all of this can’t be real. What’s happening out there…I keep thinking it has to be some awful nightmare.”

He nods. “I was out hiking when it happened. Didn’t get back until the shit already hit the fan. Thought it was some kinda joke at first, dunno how it would have been, but I blamed Wade for a second there like he did it all himself.”

Cole snorts at the memory, shaking his head.

‘The fuck did you do!’ he yelled at his friend as a reporter on TV ran screaming down main street.

‘Appreciate that you think I got all this power, but if I did, I’dbe using it to win the lotto and getting laid by a long line of pretty redheads,’ Wade scowled.

“Might not get a chance to blame him for anything else ever again,” he continues. “I didn’t leave him a note. He won’t know where we went.”

“You think he could go to the safe zone on his own?”

He fiddles with two crackers, making a little tent on the clean tabletop. “Maybe, but he hates the law more than me, so he might go the opposite way.”

Her frown tugs at those pink lips he catches himself staring at. “We’ll start leaving notes from now on if we have to keep moving. You could still see him again, Cole.”

She’s not wrong, and he has no plans to give up, but his perspective is starting to shift toward what’s really important. At the moment, Wade is a slim hope with no leads, but Olivia and Lucy are right here in front of him. It’s only logical to put them first from now on and that’s what he intends to do.

“Rest here a while?” he suggests.

“Okay. We’ve got two blocks less to go than when we start again.”

Part of him is ready to rush forward and find out what lies ahead, and the rest is sounding the alarm on how dangerous it could be if the safe zone is overrun. They can’t live in this diner, though. A few hours’ rest, that’s what they’ll take, and then push on, hoping their destination turns out to be a blessing instead of a curse.

Chapter 4

Olivia hardly recognizes the person staring back at her in a dirty bathroom mirror.

The bruises on her skin have turned mustard yellow and the split lip is healing, but that’s not the surprising part. It’s the fact that she still looks pregnant.

Ninety percent of her body seems untouched by the new life that grew inside her, but her stomach is still distended like Lucy never left. She runs a hand over the coveted purple fabric she’d been so eager to wear, turning in the mirror, looking for any minor changes, and coming up empty.

It doesn’t matter, she scowls. She’s not trying to impress anyone. She’s aware she’s not desirable, pregnant or not, and that’s a good thing. If anyone tries to touch her, she’ll crumble where she stands. She convinced herself she could please Cole if she had to. She would have followed through if it meant survival, but she’s relieved it doesn’t. The idea of being close to anyone like that makes her skin crawl.

Jason would already be pawing at her mere days after giving birth.A man has needs,he’d say, and she’d appease him one way or another or risk the consequences. He wouldn’t give a shit that she’s miserable, and she is. She told Cole she’s not overdoing it, but that’s a lie. The ache between her legs isconstant and throbbing, like a deep bruise. She is bone tired, and crippling cramps hit her at random intervals. Her uterus put a lot of effort into creating the perfect baby bubble and now it has to revert to normal again.

She braces on the counter when a fresh wave of pain has her wincing and fighting the dizziness she’s been ignoring. At least Lucy is healthy. In desperate need of a bath, but chubby for her small frame. She sleeps peacefully on the counter, oblivious to the crumbling world.

They could both use some cleaning up. She’d sell her soul for a shower to clean what paper towels have missed, and Lucy is on her way to diaper rash if they don’t find wipes or consistent running water. Already she’s failing as a parent. Maybe they’ll find a baby store when they get moving again, and that’ll be soon if Cole’s anxiousness is any indication. Much as she’d like to curl up in a corner and sleep here for the next few days, they’re lucky they made it this far. Waiting might be suicide.

Olivia washes herself as best she can in the bathroom with the bottle of water he gave her, uses the other half to clean Lucy, and then spies the towel dispenser in the reflection. It’s an older pull type with a cloth loop running through it. That’s a germ magnet on a good day, but there hasn’t been anyone here in a while. The white is actually white, not a stain in sight, and beggars can’t be choosers.

She pops open the metal cover and yanks the fabric off its roller, pleased to see that it’s twice as long as she expected. It wraps around her shoulder and under one arm twice, wide enough to make a sling that’ll fit Lucy. She can’t go hands-free, not secure enough, but it’ll ease the strain on her arms.

When she emerges again with the newly crafted sling holding her baby, Cole spots her project from where he’sstretched out on a booth.

“You McGuyvered a baby holder,” he says, throwing her own joke back at her.

“Took a page from your playbook.”

“Looks good. Smart.”

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