Page 62 of The Tomorrows After You
No fucking way…The man flipped the woman over and moved aside. It was Nicolette, a bit younger, but it was most certainly her.
My heartstopped. My stomachclenchedand hot ragecoursedthrough my veins, lighting up every limb and every space inside my chest.
“Who did this?”Jeremy fucking Blackwellsaidover the loudspeaker.“I demand to know whoputthis in there. We do not treat our citizens this way!”
HepulledNicolette into him,holdingher head against his chest and I don’t know whatmademe angrier; the fact that Nicolettewasbeing publiclyhumiliated, or that Jeremywasactinglike a phony goddamn hero. Hegraspedher face with both palms andwhisperedsomething. Hestrokedher hair and Iwantedto pull him off stage so helandedon his ass of a face. He didn’t deserve to touch her hair.
“Turn it off! Someone turn it off!”heexclaimed heroically.
A bustle of peoplefumbledat the A/V booth. Katieputa hand on my chest.
“Ry, you can’t let her stay with you anymore. You’re so close to earning a respected space back here. You can’t be associated in any way with that woman. Look at that!” Katie jerked a hand in the direction of the screen, which wasstill fucking running.“That is despicable, and she’s never going to be accepted here. I know you felt bad for her and it was generous to let her stay but shehas to go.Ry!” Her small hands shook me. “Riot, are you listening to me?”
But I wasn’t listening to her. I wasn’t listening to the horrifiedtsksin the crowd. And I sure as hell wasn’t focusing my attention on the screen.
No, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the hopeless expressionfrozenon Nicolette’s face. The round littleothatformedon her lips. Her eyeswerelarge, unfocused,pointingto some undetermined spot in the distance.
My chestconstricted. Her heart visiblyshatteredbefore my eyes and I would rip my own heart out to stop hersufferingright now.
My body coiled. Every muscle tightened. An eternity passed before the video cut from the screen and the entire fairgrounds was dead silent.
Nicolette shoved Jeremy away from her. He stumbled back, confused.
“Riot, please tell me you’ll make her leave. She can stay anywhere,”Katiehissed.
Nicolette’s bleary eyes blinked before floating in my direction. Katie grabbed my face and yanked my attention away.
“You can’t afford to beassociatedwith her, not anymore. Not after this.”
Katie’s eyes were fierce. The hair on my arms stood up. Her hands were hot on my cheeks and I still couldn’t concentrate on what she was saying. “Riot!” she yelled.
A split second. That was all I gave to consider what she said. What it meant.
Katierepresentedthe only thing Ihadhopedfor over the past dozen years; a pathway back to being the man peoplerevered. The man theylovedandwantedaround. A man peopletrusted. Iconsideredwhat it would be like to walk away from that. Choose a different, directionless path. No promises. No guarantees. The dangerswereendless but sowerethe possibilities.
When Ipulledmy focus away from Katie, itwasjust in time to see Nicolette run down the steps and take off behind the stage. When shedisappearedfrom my eyesight, Iknewtherewerenever two options.
Not even fuckingclose.
Therewasonly ever oneendingfor me since the day Nicolette stormedinto my life. Regardless of what shechose, I would choose her. If she walked out of my life tomorrow,I’dspend the rest of my dayschasingthe colors shepaintedmy heart. My heart. So wretched andwrecked, Iwasn’tsure why it stillbotheredto keep beating. I would chase the color of her beauty. Her danger.I would spend the rest of my lifeshieldingthat vibrancy from the deep unkindness that seemed to follow it.
I took a breath and pulled Katie’s hands from my face. Her confused expression fell.
“Thank you for everything, Katie.”
I didn’t wait. I didn’t look back. Not one moresplitsecond before turning to run after Nicolette.
My neck shivered with the fear that maybe Ihadhesitatedtoo long. Isprintedin the direction sheranbut didn’t catch any glints of that obnoxiously perfect blonde ponytail. Ikeptmoving through the vendor booths, still empty fromgatheringat the welcome presentation, until Iheardthe familiar clanks of metal and chimes.
I paused a few yards short of my vendor booth when I spotted Nicolette violently trashing the scattered pieces. She swept the table with both arms, knocking everything to the ground, before stomping on the wooden crate that she had brought to help decorate the space. WhenI noticed the way she had made the booth come to life with the extra touches, I was floored.
And now everythingwasin pieces on theground. I didn’t care about the art. Itwasmadeof metal, it would be fine. I could rebuild all of them in a day if Iwanted. I understood her fury, I just hoped she didn’t hurt herself.
I approached her with caution, like a wild animal. Visceral, throaty screams rumbled from her chest, as if caught inside her body, refusing to erupt from her mouth, unwilling to make it real. Once the table was clear and there was nothing left to throw, she came to stillness. Her shoulders rose and fell rapidly with exhausted, breathy pants.
Her eyes fell downward, landing on theGodot Family Field Daystank top that all the committee members wore. I stood, stunned, as she yanked the neck of the shirt, splitting it down the middle, tearing it from her body like the Hulk.
She balled it up and shoved the wad of cotton in her mouth and, finally, let out the most desperate, heartbreaking scream I had ever heard from a human.
