Copperback (20 page)

I
pulled out the balled-up clothes so I could fold them and remove the tags. Just
as I finished, the water stopped. I could hear the curtain being opened. I
wasn’t going to be able to sneak the outfit in before he had gotten out. Taking
the clothes with me, I knocked on the door, hoping to catch his attention.

“Are
you decent? I have the clothes for you. I’m going to come in, but I’ll keep my
eyes closed if you’re not.”

There
was no reply. I wasn’t sure if he heard me or was still trying to get himself
together. Closing my eyes, I opened the door, the steam hitting me as I came
in. I wasn’t sure where he was, or if he was still in the tub, drying off.
Putting my hand out in front of me, I moved slowly forward, making sure not to
run into him and knock him – or myself – over. I had only made it halfway
across the room before I could feel his chest, still dripping with water.

“I’m
sorry. I have these for you.” I said, handing them out in front of me, keeping
my eyes shut tight, turning my head away.

“You
can open your eyes, Emily. I’m covered up.” His voice was so light and
inviting.

I
opened them slowly, hoping his idea of covered up was the same as mine. He was
naked, except for the towel wrapped around his waist and tucked in at the hip.
Droplets of water clung to him, running down his smooth skin. Each bead
glistened off his toned body, making him look even more tempting than before.
He was balanced on one foot again; the crutches leaned up against the wall.

“I
– I can leave this – here for – you. I can – wait till – you’re done.” I was so
nervous being around him. I could feel my pulse speeding up again; my breathing
was so quick, I thought I could hyperventilate at any time.

“I
don’t want to wait anymore.” He was smiling, beckoning me to come closer. His
chocolate eyes were hypnotic, and I did as he said.

Running
my hands up his smooth chest, I looped them around the back of his neck, feeling
the bristles of hair across my hands. I could feel him pulling me closer to him,
pressing me against his body, wrapping his arms around my waist. I didn’t care
about getting wet again. The water running off his body was warm as it seeped
through my shirt, making me feel more drawn to him. He leaned in, our lips
inches away from each other. He paused, letting me breathe in, making me feel
more at ease. I knew a brief moment wouldn’t send him into a fever right away.
Just as I was basking in the moment before the kiss, I could hear my phone blaring
the chorus to “MMMBop” from the living room, stunning me for a second, ripping
me away from my thoughts. Words could not describe how much I hated the
pint-sized trio at that moment. I wanted to ignore it, but Job had pulled away,
wondering what the sound was coming from the other room.

“It’s
my phone. Chase is calling. It can wait,” I told him, hoping to bring him back
to the task at hand.

“It
might be important.” He had already lost all focus on what was going on. He was
concerned with the phone call, and wouldn’t pay attention to anything else.

“I’ll
get it, but I’m telling you, this used to be a daily thing. He’s just calling
to see if I will make him dinner, I bet.”

I
walked away to answer the phone, ticked at how Chase had managed to interrupt us.
The song had stopped playing before I got there – I missed the call. Pressing
end to clear my screen, I went to set it down, noticing that there was also a
text message flashing on the phone in red. Yellow was the usual message color,
but red only meant that someone had left it as urgent. I opened it up and
gasped. My hands shook as Chase explained everything I needed to know in just
one simple word:

RUN!

My
whole world had fallen apart with three letters. There was no more time to
enjoy laughing and joking around. There would be no new books to read. The time
I dreaded had come too soon, cutting off any chance of making other
arrangements.

I
was still staring at the message, as though it would somehow be followed by,
“just kidding” or “gotcha!” No message followed, though. I felt dizzy, thinking
about what could be coming that would make him – us – run. As little control as
I had, I tried to keep some semblance of composure so I could tell Job. He was
still standing there, waiting for me to assure him that I had been right about
the phone call. I wanted to. I wanted to lie to him and tell him it was fine
and go back to our embrace. I didn’t have to say anything, though; he could
feel what was in my heart and coursing through my veins – fear.

“We
have to go. You need to get dressed as quick as possible. I’ll get everything
else.”

Even
though my voice was steady, I could feel a lump in my throat, waiting for me to
break down. Shock prevented me from asking if he needed help. I walked away in
a hurry, thinking hard about what I would need to bring. I had already
forgotten what we had been doing before the text. The phone rang again. I could
see the number on the screen, could faintly hear the tune playing, but it was
hard to think of why. Chase was not giving up till he knew we were safe.

“You
have to leave! You have to get Job out of the house now! I’m not sure if you
can, but Derrick is on his way, and it’s not going to take him long to get
there.”

He
was talking, but my mind didn’t comprehend anything he said. Chase was in a
tunnel, and the sound had been turned down. I was still trying to clear the fog
in my brain so I could remember where my purse had been set.

“Emily!
Emily! Answer me! Are you still there?”

I
could see it sitting on the end table where I had left it the previous night, where
I had extracted my phone from just a few minutes earlier.

“I’m
here.”

 I
could hear my own voice, but it sounded distant, like it was coming from
another room. It was too calm. Looking in the purse, I checked for anything I
might need. I had my money and wallet; my ID and credit card. I didn’t need
much. Most of the items were already packed in the trunk. Swinging the purse
over my head and around my shoulder, my eyes searched the room for anything
else.

“Did
you hear what I said? You need to get Job out of the house right now! Derrick
knows he’s there. I’m not sure how, but he was asking a lot of questions today.
I think I might have said something by accident. Are you listening to me?”

“I
hear you. Derrick – accident – need to leave now. I got it.”

The
sound was coming back, and my voice was my own. Shoving the phone in my pocket without
saying goodbye, I felt the shock wearing off and panic taking over. I was looked
around for the keys to the car. It was going to be the only way to get out of here
quickly. They weren’t in the purse, where they should be. I had set them on the
kitchen counter when I came back inside after getting a set of clothes for Job.
From where I stood, I could see them by the door. All I needed to do was pick
them up and check on Job.

I
was only a foot away from them before I felt him rush past me. Job was moving
faster than I thought possible. Clothed and barefoot, he managed to maneuver
around me before I could react. He grabbed the keys from the counter as I
reached for them and was off to the door, flashes of red and white streaking
by. He stopped for a second to look back, giving me just enough time to catch
up to him.

“Give
me the keys, Job.”

I
knew he was planning on taking off without me, and I wasn’t going to let him. I
reached out to take them, but he wouldn’t let go; he held them tight in his
grip. His face had hardened, and a serious look burned in his eyes.

“You
have to stay. It’s too dangerous to come. You can tell him I forced you to keep
me here. It’s just better this way.”

“You
can’t – I won’t let you. I have everything we need. Just give me the keys and
I’ll drive you as far as you want to go.”

I
could hear the pleading in my own voice, as I grabbed for the keys in his hand.
I could feel his other hand pushing me away gently, keeping me from going any
further. I pushed back harder, to make him understand I wasn’t backing down. It
was like trying to push a wall out of my way.

“NO!”

I
felt the pain before I knew what had happened. The sharp sting that ran across
my back and shoulder seemed to bloom from nowhere. I could see the pieces of
wood that had been part of the kitchen chair scatter around me as I fell through
it, hitting my shoulder on the edge of the table. I looked up, stunned,
wondering how I had ended up on the floor. I couldn’t fathom that Job, with one
hand, had pushed me so hard. I must have tripped on something. That had to be the
answer.

Every
breath I took made the stabbing pain more intense, and I finally couldn’t stifle
the cry of pain coming from my lips. I could see Job’s face change. He had been
so stern, and determined to keep me away, but upon hearing me, that anguished
look came back. In just an instant, he was tearing himself up about hurting me.
I waited for him to come back and help me up – say he was sorry and let me go
with him. He turned as if he was going to, and stopped. He was hurting inside
and I knew it, but he wouldn’t come any closer.

“No,”
he said softly, barely audible over the rain outside.

He
turned back and glided out the door, letting the screen shut behind him. I lay
on the floor, surrounded by wood fragments, desperately ignoring the twinge in
my back that wouldn’t let up. I had to make a choice. I could stay here and use
the excuse he had suggested – give in to his request and deny myself the one
thing that mattered most to me. My other option was to pick myself up and go
after him, hoping that I wasn’t too late. Convince him to let me come, and take
the risk of being turned down again. I still needed him.

Adrenaline
took over, and I stood up, feeling the pain in my shoulder and back downgrade
to a deep throb. I ran to the door, looking through the screen. He was fighting
with how to get in on one leg. The crutches were nowhere in sight, probably tucked
in the backseat. He had propped one hand on the wet roof and the other on the
door, preparing to jump up and lower himself in. It would have worked, and I
would never have caught up to him, except for the rain. His hand slipped down
the slick roof, causing him to lose balance. He made an attempt to catch
himself, falling back hard on his bad leg. His weight was too much, and it
crumpled under his body, forcing him to the pavement, the downpour drowning out
most of his screams.

I
couldn’t stand and watch him lying there. Before I could stop myself, my feet
were carrying me to him through the deluge, splashing water each step of the
way, as he pulled himself up slowly. His energy was depleted. Putting my head
under his arm and lifting him up, I leaned most of his weight onto my injured
shoulder, shooting pain down my arm again. It didn’t matter – he needed me. As
I dragged him away from the door, he fought back, pulling in the opposite
direction. He was relentless. He had to know it would be impossible to drive.

“You
can’t drive my car. It’s a stick, and you need your left leg for the clutch.
Give me the keys!” I yelled over the rain, holding out my other hand.

He
unwillingly handed them over and let me help him to the passenger side. After
he was in and the door was shut, I ran back to the driver’s side and turned on
the car, listening to the pathetic engine turn over and come to life. I was
thankful that, even with the rain, the car hadn’t stalled, leaving us stranded.

The
air kicked in, left on from the previous trip, making the cold rain freeze to
my body. I shivered as I put the car in first and took off, turning on the headlights
as I entered the street. Each time I shifted gears, I could feel the dull ache
in my shoulder blade. It wasn’t as bad as I had first thought – at most, it
would be sore and bruised for a few days.

Once
I had gotten the car up to gear, I turned off the cold air blasting us from the
vent, and changed it to heat. I couldn’t help but look out the rear view mirror
every few seconds to make sure no one was following us. My nerves calmed as we
left town, headed away from Dubois – away from Big Run. The worst was over, and
we were going to be okay. I had come down off my adrenaline high, and was able
to look over at my passenger to see how he was holding up.

He
was cramped in the seat, with his knees drawn up from lack of leg room.
Shivering as badly as me, he hugged his body with his arms, rubbing the cold
away with his hands.

“Pull
the lever under your seat to move it back. It’ll let you spread out more.”

He
reached down and found it, letting the seat slide back as far back as possible.
The movement caused him to tighten up, head back, grunting at the roof of the
car.

“How
bad is it?”

“I
should be asking you the same,” he said through clenched teeth, changing the
focus to me.

“I’ll
be fine – doesn’t even hurt.”

I
was scared that he had set himself back again. He had been doing too much all
afternoon. I had pressed for him to keep going out of my own selfish reasons –
insisting he come upstairs with me. It had meant so much to him to be able to
stand and hold me – to kiss me without feeling like an invalid. I felt guilty
for letting him get hurt.

The
heat was pumping at full blast, warming me through the wet clothes. His hands
had stopped shaking enough that he moved one across my shoulder. Just his touch
sent the pain down my arm again, and I reacted accordingly. He pulled his hand
back at the sudden jolt.

“I’m
sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just – I thought…”

 Glancing
over, I could see that he was back to his internal anger again. He was going to
spend the rest of the night beating himself up over it. He had pushed too hard.
In trying to protect me, he did the exact opposite. I had no idea how far we
had to travel, and I didn’t want to sit with him if he was going to be
miserable the whole way.

“Don’t
worry about it,” I said. “I know why you did it. It didn’t stop me, and I’m
fine now.”

“But–”

“I
don’t want to talk about it. One more word and I’ll pull over and kick you out
of the car.”

With
my sense of humor, I was working on bringing him out of his depression. It
wasn’t the evening I had planned, but I still wanted to make the most of what
we had.

“So,
any idea where I’m supposed to go?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Far
west – Dugout Canyon. I don’t know where it is. I just know they talked about
in the camps. We can find somewhere else, if you want to.”

I
would go anywhere with him, if he would let me. It was the adventure I had been
looking for – the escape I had sought for years. I had no idea it would come
from a stranger who would become such a big part of my life, dragging me from the
shell I was hiding in and helping me feel again.

“To
Dugout Canyon it is – wherever it may be.”

“Sure,”
he said, with as little enthusiasm as possible.

As
much humor as I was trying to put back into the situation, Job had begun to
suck it back out. He was done torturing himself, but was still being somber. I
couldn’t pull him from whatever he was feeling. It was bugging me.

“Alright,
what is going on? I thought you would be happy we got out safe. We are both in
one piece. No one is following us. We can get to this canyon and there should
be lots of your people there. What is so wrong with that?”

“I’m
scared.”

He
really was. He couldn’t hide the fear in his eyes. For the first time, he was
anxious over something other than me. There was still something he was hiding.

 “I’m
confused. Scared of what?”

He
had come alive again, but not the way I wanted. He was upset at my constant questions.
I could see he didn’t want to talk about it, but I had already triggered
something in him.

“To
see them, Emily. To see the looks on their faces. To know I don’t belong
there.”

He
was falling apart. His vulnerability was showing. I reached my hand out to take
his, but he pulled it away. He didn’t want comfort. He wanted to be left alone.
As much as I wanted to give him that, I needed to know what was really
upsetting him, so I could help.

“Why
don’t you belong? Are you a Vesper and didn’t tell me? Did you do something
wrong? I need to know, so I know where to go, unless you want me to drive until
the car falls apart. I’ll do that, if you really want me to.” I was still trying
to lighten the mood with humor. I clearly should have stopped.

“Don’t
ever say that again! I’m not a Vesper.” There was a hiss in his voice just
saying the name. “I was rejected by them. I was a Sayner, and I was sent away.
My life was the military. I protected my people. I never disobeyed an order in
my life, including the last one I was given.”