“Morning.”
I watched her stand and smooth her hair. Her gaze was alert, but she was acting oddly. I studied her, trying to get a read from our connection or her body language. When that didn’t work, I inhaled subtly. Was she mad? Should I apologize for yesterday?
“I’m going to use the bathroom,” she said at the same time I caught a hint of her shy confusion.
I nodded and stayed where I was, giving her time to sort out whatever was going on in her head. After giving her a two-minute head start, I put my shoes on and went downstairs just in time to see Gabby head into the kitchen.
Gabby sat next to Sam. She stared at her hands as I sat next to her. I didn’t know what to say or do. If she was confused, so was I.
Charlene set loaded plates and a glass of orange juice in front of both of us. I thanked her and started eating. Gabby did the same but with no enthusiasm. Ethan came in to use the bathroom then went back outside. Carlos watched the man closely from the doorway. Everyone else went about their morning as usual, eating and packing up. Gabby didn’t. She ate slowly and didn’t look at anyone. Especially me.
Long after we’d finished and Gabby still toyed with her juice, Isabelle walked in and went straight for the stove.
When Isabelle turned to the table, her determined gaze fell on Gabby.
“I’m sorry about what happened,” Isabelle said.
Gabby lifted her head and nodded. A blast of shame and guilt surged over our connection. She felt shame? For what? It wasn’t her fault she’d been taken. It was mine. I sent a wave of love over our link and felt a wave of love and guilt return. Guilt? I wished Gabby would just look at me and help me understand what was going on.
With a sigh, Isabelle pushed her chair back and stood.
“Come on. Let’s go for a walk.”
When Gabby stood, I stood too.
“No boys allowed,” Isabelle said.
I kept my gaze on Gabby, hoping for a clue about what was going on in her beautiful head.
When Isabelle moved to leave the kitchen, Gabby followed, and I stayed put. Ethan moved Isabelle’s plate to the stove and made a new plate for himself, grinning the whole time.
Watching the clock, I leaned against the kitchen wall and waited. After a few minutes, a random wave of love washed over me. Then a thread of guilt followed. She was killing me.
She walked in a short time later. Her face was still flushed, but she moved straight for me and gave me one of her small smiles.
I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding.
While Isabelle threatened Ethan for eating her breakfast, I led Gabby from the kitchen and out to the barn. Carlos paced in the yard and nodded to us as we passed.
In the barn, I pulled Gabby to an out of sight corner.
“I’m not good at guessing what you’re thinking,” I said.
She grinned slightly.
“I disagree. I think you’re really good at guessing.” She wrapped her arms around my waist and leaned her head against my chest. “You do make me happy, Clay. Every day.”
I hadn’t been sure she’d remember everything. But was glad she did. What I felt for her wanted to consume me, and I knew I needed to tell her.
“Before I met you, I thought I wanted a family, kids. But now...it’s you, Gabby. Just you. You’re all I want.”
“So no kids?” she said lifting her head to look at me.
“I’d love kids. Little pieces of you running around.”
She grinned and set her head back on my chest.
“I want to leave, Gabby. We can’t go back home, but there are some places I know where we’d be safe. Safer than if we stayed here.”
She was quiet for a long time.
“I want kids, too, Clay. Someday. I know what happened yesterday scared you, and I’m sorry for that. But I don’t think I can leave. I don’t think there will be anywhere safe for me to hide. You heard Bethi; they hunt us down. Her dreams, her memories of dying, it’s too real.”
She lifted her head and met my gaze.
“I have to stay and see this through to the end. And I hope we’ll get our someday.”
Her eyes were sad when she said it, and I felt how shallow her hope was. Yesterday hadn’t just scared me. It had scared her too.