“Okay.”
“I’ll get you some towels and show you the bathroom in case you want to shower. Make a list of toiletries and things you need. We probably have some stuff around the house, but I can order anything you need.”
“You don’t need to make a fuss. I don’t have any money to repay you.”
“I’m not expecting repayment.” He turns to leave. “Oh.” Turning to face me again, he holds out his hand. “Give me your phone.”
I pull it from my back pocket and hand it over to him. He swipes the screen, looking through my settings, then powers it off.
“He wasn’t tracking you, from what I can tell.”
“He never had to. I was always with him.”
“I noticed. It took me a while to get close to you at the club.” He smiles, but it’s faint. “We’ll get you a new phone. If you need anything, just come over and knock. If I’m not in my room, I’ll be downstairs. Are you hungry? Thirsty?”
“No, I’m okay for now.”
“You can breathe now, Rue. I’ve got you.”
Carnage leaves the room and I sink down onto the cushy bed, bouncing a bit. This might’ve been a decision made out of pure desperation, but so far, I think it’s turning out okay. Carnage is at least respectful, and I doubt he plans to climb into my bed later and do bad things. That alone is a relief.
I don’t know where my life is going to lead me next, but at least I’ve got a little space to think about it.
I’ll figure it out. I always do somehow.
CHAPTER 8
Carnage
I swearI hear soft knocking coming from somewhere, but every time I perk up to listen it’s gone.
Tap, tap, tap.
There it is again. I sit up slowly, blinking in the darkness, tensing as my bedroom door opens. Rue peeks inside.
“Um, hi. Sorry to wake you. Can I come in?”
“Yeah, of course. What’s wrong?”
He enters the room, lingering by the door and staring at the floor, dressed only in his briefs.
“Rue? What’s wrong?”
“It’s stupid.”
“Tell me anyway.”
He sighs. “Sometimes I have a hard time sleeping in new places. There’s so many sounds and stuff. I was wondering if I could sleep in here. I don’t mind being on the floor, I’m just having trouble being alone.”
That’s not what I was expecting. “Yeah, you can sleep here.” I flip the bedding back, then realize too late that I’m naked, as I usually am when I sleep. It’s dark enough in here that Rueprobably didn’t notice, but I don’t want to seem like a creep. “Give me a sec.”
“Oh, of course.” Rue turns away. “Sorry to be a bother.”
“You’re not.” I grab my sweatpants from the foot of the bed and tug them on. “Okay.”
Rue turns and glances up at me. I can just make out his expression in the bit of moonlight brightening the room. He looks shy and scared and I hate that.
“The bed is big enough for two.”