Page 77 of The Tomorrows After You
That voice was always going to have a place. A cautious dose of skepticism was healthy, it’s what would keep me asking questions. But for now, breathing in the scent of Riot’s skin, feeling his fingertips trace down my arm, listening to the unrelenting beating of his heart, an overwhelming sense of calm captured me and I was at peace.
I told him not to but Riot called in sick that morning and we spent the whole day in my bed, only getting up to make some quick snacks before getting back in bed. It was a strange experience. My few relationships had been mostly business-like. We went on dates. We met at functions. Sometimes we’d spend the night at each other’s apartments. But I’d never shirked any responsibilities to stay home in a little love cocoon.
It felt nice. It felt normal and even though I was accustomed to looking down on the morebasichuman emotions, I think I understood what all the buzz was about. Sex with someone you cared about,reallycared about was in a different category of its own. In the past, it had been almost transactional. With Riot, it was soul-shaking and I couldn’t get enough of him. I was like a woman possessed.
“We can’t stay here forever,”Imumbledsomewhere around dinner time.
“Shh…”I could hear the smile on Riot’s lips. Hewrappeda hand over my mouth.“You shush now.”
Wewenton like that for several days, him onlygettingdressedto go to work and me to the grocery store. At nightwe’dtangle ourselves in a blanket,sometimes watchinga movie. Sometimes just watching the stars.
Wewentfor ice cream and I wish I could say Iignoredthe stares as wewaitedin line, hand-in-hand.
But where Riot would shrink away, Irelishedthe critical scowls. Their disapproval onlyfannedmy affection for him. Itmademe hold him tighter, laugh louder, and smile wider.Letthe tongues wag. Riotbroughtme a sense of peaceI’dneverknownand not even Katie Plainbottom’s foul glare could poke a hole in my parachute.
Therewasa part of me thatwishedI could slap the truth in their face. Afterhearingthe truth about Grace Asher’s death, Iwasshook. It didn’t feel fair that Riotsacrificedten years of his life, but Ihadmadea promise I would never say a word. I couldn’t be the one to waste his sacrifice. Thiswasone story thatwasn’tmine to tell.
Melody’s assignmentdriftedin and out of my brain. The truth would absolutely wreck the entire plan for the episode. But a wrongful confession story? That could bedevelopedinto an entire series, if theywantedit to. Remorsetwistedmy insides just at thethoughtof it. Did Ihaveit in me to betray Riot? A month ago, I wouldhavesaidabsolutely. Desperationmadepeople do crazy things. But everythingwasdifferent now. No, my heart couldn’t handle the idea ofbreakingRiot’s trust byusinghis selflessness against him.
Still, something irked me about the story he told me. Something that nagged at the back of my subconscious I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
My brain thought so too because this morning I had woken in a cool sweat from a bizarre dream. I was walking on top of a shallow lake, my surroundings black until I spotted a person standing in the distance. It was Grace Asher, standing still. Her face pale. Her eyes blank, drained of life. I asked what she was doing but there was no answer. Her appearance began to skip like I was watching a film before she started spinning in place. Slowly, at first, then quickened until she was spinning so rapidly she was a blur before the surrounding air sucked me in like a tornado. I never took too much stock in dreams but it left me with a feeling like I was forgetting something.
Before IleftEaston for Godot, Ipouredover all the police records to familiarize myself with the facts. The crime scene, the court case, all of it. But the image of atwirlingGrace Asherateat me all day until I finallysatdown at the little round table in my lanai. Maybe taking another look would jog something.
As I pulled my laptop open, I was ashamed to say I hadn’t so much as turned it on since the night of our date. We’d been so wrapped up in each other that I had let my entire Chimera investigation fall to the wayside.
My computer was dead, so I plugged it in as my thoughts drifted back to the night of our date.
I had been in the middle of sending my mom a video message when the sensation of being watched hit me from behind. Brennan had been sitting in the corner of my room like a goddamn creep.
“Jesus, Brennan! You scared the shit out of me,” I’d said but he just glared in response.
“Do you know how important cybersecurity is to me?” he asked, monotone.
“What?” I narrowed my eyes at him. Riot would be coming by any minute. I hadn’t been entirely forthcoming about the little drone operation Brennan had helped me with. It had been a bust, so it didn’t seem important.
“No devices connect to my network withoutgoingthrough a very thorough scan.”His eyesnarrowedat me accusingly and my neckprickled.“The mediawaspretty relentless when Riot firstcamehome so you can understand why I take precautions.”
Itwasincredible how even-keeledhewasand I don’t know why but itmademe nervous. Isearchedmy memory for anything incriminating that could’ve been on my computer and didn’t think of anything until—
“You read the profile I wrote.”
He didn’t dignify it with a response.
“I don’t like what yousaidabout my brother.”
“Brennan, I didn’t mean it. I was angry. And hurt. I wasn’t thinking straight. I’m sorry. I thought I deleted that document, I swear. No one will ever see it.”
He eyed me with his dead stare and expressionless face and paused for a long beat.
“There were a few questionable emails I came across too. My brother’s name appeared quite a few times. All were sent or received before you arrived in our lives. Why are you here, Nicolette?”
It was the most normal and coherent I’d ever heard Brennan. Like the social awkwardness went to sleep when he was feeling defensive of his brother. His voice was deeper, his accusatory tone cut through me like a looming guillotine.
I opened my mouth but hesitated when I saw Riot pass by inside.
“Can we go outside and talk about this?” I moved to the door, but he stood there, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. I stepped outside and held the door. Finally, he acquiesced. I glanced inside one more time before ensuring Riot wasn’t nearby.
