said.
“Hayden had the same, you know,” Jenna said, unpacking the sandwiches.
Livvie’s expression changed. “What do you mean?” she asked.
Jenna paused, then busied herself with getting drinks poured.
“Jenna?”
Jenna turned to face her, leaving the food aside. “I just meant that he understands what you’re going through. They brainwash their citizens in the cities, everyone knows it. And he doesn’t blame you for what you would have become if they hadn’t shot your plane down.”
Livvie searched Jenna’s suddenly flushed face and knew she wasn’t telling her everything. She wasn’t the only one keeping secrets, it seemed.
“Personally, I think you’re just what he needs,” Jenna added, effectively changing the subject. “Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t you come to the kitchen with me today? I am trying a new recipe and Mary, the woman who’s supposed to help, has a sick son. What do you think?” she asked before Livvie could even react to the previous comment.
“Are you kidding? Get out of this place? I’d love to. Let’s go!”
“Hayden’s going to be pissed.”
“Do I look like I care?” Livvie asked.
The two ate their sandwiches as they headed to the main kitchen. It was a beautiful day, a little cool but fresh. Livvie inhaled deeply. It felt good to be out of the house, but more than that, she needed this time without Hayden to look around and plan for her escape.
“So is Mary Billy’s mom?” Livvie asked, not really sure why she cared.
“How did you know?” Jenna smiled.
“I met her; no, I didn’t meet her but I saw her the other day when Hayden was showing me around. She wanted him to have dinner with her. He declined, but I got a strange vibe…” she left off, hoping Jenna would fill in the blanks.
Jenna’s smile grew huge and she looked around. “Funny you picked that up. She’s been hot for Hayden for years now. Poor guy, he was just trying to comfort her, but I think things got out of hand one night, if you know what I mean,” she finished, waggling her eyebrows.
Livvie flushed, feeling suddenly quite warm. “You mean they…did…” Had he done to that woman what he’d done to her?
Jenna nodded. “That’s my guess. He’ll never admit it though.”
Livvie had to check the emotions that tried to creep to the surface at this news. Hayden was her captor, her kidnapper. Who he did that with shouldn’t matter to her. She just was going to make sure it didn’t happen with her again!
“He does seem like a stubborn, overbearing, anal-retentive jerk.”
Jenna raised her eyebrows. “Wow, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Sorry, but when he’s got me collared like some animal and won’t even let me out of the house, my mind has time to come up with these descriptions.”
“He’s a nice guy, Livvie. Really, he has a good heart. A big heart. Besides, I think he likes you.”
“No, he doesn’t, Jenna. I’m his prisoner. I’m the enemy, remember?”
Jenna threaded her arm through Livvie’s. “You’re not my enemy,” she said.
Livvie looked at her and Jenna smiled back, pulling even closer. She didn’t try to disengage her arm, but it felt strange. It confused her that Jenna could be so nice to her, so easy with her as if they’d known each other for a long time.
They walked quietly toward the kitchen. Most people were on foot and the one or two Jeeps she saw were driven by soldiers: men with guns. But it wouldn’t matter if she got her hands on one anyway. The collar around her neck would ensure she’d remain contained on the wrong side of the fence. A part of her questioned exactly what would happen if she did get close enough or even manage to break out, but another part, the part that was opposed to pain in general, didn’t want to test it. She listened to the water in the distance.
“Can we walk by the river? Hayden was going to show me the other day, but Mary interrupted my tour.”
“Sure. It’s beautiful anyway,” Jenna
“Hayden had the same, you know,” Jenna said, unpacking the sandwiches.
Livvie’s expression changed. “What do you mean?” she asked.
Jenna paused, then busied herself with getting drinks poured.
“Jenna?”
Jenna turned to face her, leaving the food aside. “I just meant that he understands what you’re going through. They brainwash their citizens in the cities, everyone knows it. And he doesn’t blame you for what you would have become if they hadn’t shot your plane down.”
Livvie searched Jenna’s suddenly flushed face and knew she wasn’t telling her everything. She wasn’t the only one keeping secrets, it seemed.
“Personally, I think you’re just what he needs,” Jenna added, effectively changing the subject. “Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t you come to the kitchen with me today? I am trying a new recipe and Mary, the woman who’s supposed to help, has a sick son. What do you think?” she asked before Livvie could even react to the previous comment.
“Are you kidding? Get out of this place? I’d love to. Let’s go!”
“Hayden’s going to be pissed.”
“Do I look like I care?” Livvie asked.
The two ate their sandwiches as they headed to the main kitchen. It was a beautiful day, a little cool but fresh. Livvie inhaled deeply. It felt good to be out of the house, but more than that, she needed this time without Hayden to look around and plan for her escape.
“So is Mary Billy’s mom?” Livvie asked, not really sure why she cared.
“How did you know?” Jenna smiled.
“I met her; no, I didn’t meet her but I saw her the other day when Hayden was showing me around. She wanted him to have dinner with her. He declined, but I got a strange vibe…” she left off, hoping Jenna would fill in the blanks.
Jenna’s smile grew huge and she looked around. “Funny you picked that up. She’s been hot for Hayden for years now. Poor guy, he was just trying to comfort her, but I think things got out of hand one night, if you know what I mean,” she finished, waggling her eyebrows.
Livvie flushed, feeling suddenly quite warm. “You mean they…did…” Had he done to that woman what he’d done to her?
Jenna nodded. “That’s my guess. He’ll never admit it though.”
Livvie had to check the emotions that tried to creep to the surface at this news. Hayden was her captor, her kidnapper. Who he did that with shouldn’t matter to her. She just was going to make sure it didn’t happen with her again!
“He does seem like a stubborn, overbearing, anal-retentive jerk.”
Jenna raised her eyebrows. “Wow, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Sorry, but when he’s got me collared like some animal and won’t even let me out of the house, my mind has time to come up with these descriptions.”
“He’s a nice guy, Livvie. Really, he has a good heart. A big heart. Besides, I think he likes you.”
“No, he doesn’t, Jenna. I’m his prisoner. I’m the enemy, remember?”
Jenna threaded her arm through Livvie’s. “You’re not my enemy,” she said.
Livvie looked at her and Jenna smiled back, pulling even closer. She didn’t try to disengage her arm, but it felt strange. It confused her that Jenna could be so nice to her, so easy with her as if they’d known each other for a long time.
They walked quietly toward the kitchen. Most people were on foot and the one or two Jeeps she saw were driven by soldiers: men with guns. But it wouldn’t matter if she got her hands on one anyway. The collar around her neck would ensure she’d remain contained on the wrong side of the fence. A part of her questioned exactly what would happen if she did get close enough or even manage to break out, but another part, the part that was opposed to pain in general, didn’t want to test it. She listened to the water in the distance.
“Can we walk by the river? Hayden was going to show me the other day, but Mary interrupted my tour.”
“Sure. It’s beautiful anyway,” Jenna
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