“I couldn’t bring her back to the trailer. Not with Roger using me as a punching bag. Plus, I wanted to finish high school so I could make something of myself. I wanted her to have a good life.”
“Maybe that’s what I shoulda done. I don’t know.”
Things would have been so different if she’d done that, but then again, so would I. The person I am now fits into this world. I’m strong and resourceful. Used to working hard. If I’d had an easy life, I might not have made it.
“Maybe you did the right thing.” Darla’s eyebrows shoot up, and I shrug. “It made me strong.”
Footsteps come up behind us, and I turn to find Axl heading our way. He stops when he sees Darla and me standing together. It’s hard to read the expression on his face—he’s always so guarded—but he looks almost like he’s ready to charge over and protect me. From my mom. Which kind of makes me want to laugh.
“You guys get what you need out of the truck?” I ask.
He closes the distance between us and slides his hand around my waist protectively. “We gotta get them drinks down to the camp. Need them cans.”
“I can help.” I turn to Darla and do my best to smile at her. I’m pretty sure it looks as fake as it feels, but it’s a start. “You want to help?”
“Sure thing.”
When I turn to look at Axl, his eyes are wide with surprise. I guess he didn’t expect to find me chatting it up with my mom like we were old friends. Neither did I, that’s for sure.
My arms strain from the weight of the soda cans as I head back down to the hot spring. Axl’s in front of me, carrying twice as many as I am. In front of him, Darla is huffing away, and Winston is just as loaded down as Axl is.
“What’s going on with you and Hadley?” I ask Axl.
He glances over his shoulder at me and frowns, the scar on his chin puckering slightly. “Don’t know what you mean.”
“She was pretty pissed off this morning when I mentioned you.”
“She wants to leave right away so they can get meds, but we told her to wait. She didn’t take it well,” Winston says.
“Jake needs them.”
It comes out harder than I meant it to, but I don’t apologize. I don’t know why I’m so upset, but I am. It’s not like I think Axl and Winston plan on letting Jake die. They just like to be prepared. But Hadley being so upset has gotten to me, and I don’t like her thinking I’m against her. I’m not. We’ve been through so much together, and I want her to know I still have her back. I always will.
“We just want to think it through,” Axl says. “They run off without plannin’ and we’ll never see them again.”
Something just doesn’t add up, but I’m not sure what. “I’ve never seen her that mad. There has to be more to it.”
“Emotions are running high,” Winston says. “I think the close quarters are starting to get to people. Maybe Hadley sees this as way to get some alone time, too. Fresh air, so to speak.”
He makes a good point. Maybe that’s all it is. Hadley needing some time away from the group. Being overly sensitive. It’s not like I can blame her for that.
The stairs come into view, and right away I catch sight of Hadley standing near the bottom. She’s geared up, backpack and all, and looks like she’s ready to head out. Axl swears. He’s going to have to let it go, though. Hadley is a big girl, and he can’t tell her what to do. Plus, she isn’t reckless.
“What’s with all the pop?” Hadley asks as I gingerly follow the others down the stairs. She has her arms crossed, and her green eyes snap back and forth between the four of us. She acts like she’s waiting for us to attack and tie her down so she can’t leave.
“Need the cans.” Axl’s tone is short, and he brushes by Hadley without even looking her way. Not that she’s looking at him, either.
There has to be more to the story than Axl is letting on. Hadley’s pissed over something that has nothing to do with running
“Maybe that’s what I shoulda done. I don’t know.”
Things would have been so different if she’d done that, but then again, so would I. The person I am now fits into this world. I’m strong and resourceful. Used to working hard. If I’d had an easy life, I might not have made it.
“Maybe you did the right thing.” Darla’s eyebrows shoot up, and I shrug. “It made me strong.”
Footsteps come up behind us, and I turn to find Axl heading our way. He stops when he sees Darla and me standing together. It’s hard to read the expression on his face—he’s always so guarded—but he looks almost like he’s ready to charge over and protect me. From my mom. Which kind of makes me want to laugh.
“You guys get what you need out of the truck?” I ask.
He closes the distance between us and slides his hand around my waist protectively. “We gotta get them drinks down to the camp. Need them cans.”
“I can help.” I turn to Darla and do my best to smile at her. I’m pretty sure it looks as fake as it feels, but it’s a start. “You want to help?”
“Sure thing.”
When I turn to look at Axl, his eyes are wide with surprise. I guess he didn’t expect to find me chatting it up with my mom like we were old friends. Neither did I, that’s for sure.
My arms strain from the weight of the soda cans as I head back down to the hot spring. Axl’s in front of me, carrying twice as many as I am. In front of him, Darla is huffing away, and Winston is just as loaded down as Axl is.
“What’s going on with you and Hadley?” I ask Axl.
He glances over his shoulder at me and frowns, the scar on his chin puckering slightly. “Don’t know what you mean.”
“She was pretty pissed off this morning when I mentioned you.”
“She wants to leave right away so they can get meds, but we told her to wait. She didn’t take it well,” Winston says.
“Jake needs them.”
It comes out harder than I meant it to, but I don’t apologize. I don’t know why I’m so upset, but I am. It’s not like I think Axl and Winston plan on letting Jake die. They just like to be prepared. But Hadley being so upset has gotten to me, and I don’t like her thinking I’m against her. I’m not. We’ve been through so much together, and I want her to know I still have her back. I always will.
“We just want to think it through,” Axl says. “They run off without plannin’ and we’ll never see them again.”
Something just doesn’t add up, but I’m not sure what. “I’ve never seen her that mad. There has to be more to it.”
“Emotions are running high,” Winston says. “I think the close quarters are starting to get to people. Maybe Hadley sees this as way to get some alone time, too. Fresh air, so to speak.”
He makes a good point. Maybe that’s all it is. Hadley needing some time away from the group. Being overly sensitive. It’s not like I can blame her for that.
The stairs come into view, and right away I catch sight of Hadley standing near the bottom. She’s geared up, backpack and all, and looks like she’s ready to head out. Axl swears. He’s going to have to let it go, though. Hadley is a big girl, and he can’t tell her what to do. Plus, she isn’t reckless.
“What’s with all the pop?” Hadley asks as I gingerly follow the others down the stairs. She has her arms crossed, and her green eyes snap back and forth between the four of us. She acts like she’s waiting for us to attack and tie her down so she can’t leave.
“Need the cans.” Axl’s tone is short, and he brushes by Hadley without even looking her way. Not that she’s looking at him, either.
There has to be more to the story than Axl is letting on. Hadley’s pissed over something that has nothing to do with running
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