way to the RV. I sighed heavily. He turned around once he had reached the front door of the RV and looked at me coolly. “Now, Edie.”
Chapter 17
I cast one sad longing look at Jesse and my family making their way into the modest farmhouse. I really didn’t feel much up to arguing I just wanted to be where Jesse was, even though I knew that would be a bad idea, especially right now. I looked down at my feet as I began to walk slowly towards the RV. I stepped up the two short steps and grabbed the small door handle pausing slightly, hoping this conversation wouldn’t last long. I finally took a deep breath and entered the darkened RV. We liked to keep all the shutters closed during the day as it kept it much cooler without wasting a lot of much needed energy. I was taken aback when Cain suddenly appeared making me jump.
“A bit jumpy are we?”
“Well I mean it is a sort of dark in here, you startled me. You could have at least turned on a light or something,” I said softly.
“Of course I could have turned on a light my naïve little Edie. I could have and wasted more of the gas the generator needs. You do realize the gas will eventually run out as well as the food. We will have to go back out into hell to scavenge for the things we need, and now since you invited someone whom you only know from the internet and their family these things are going to dissipate much faster. Not your most brilliant moment Edie. We should be looking out for our family, Edie, not someone else’s. Why would you do this? What makes this Jesse was it, so special?”
“He’s my friend, Cain. He really is a nice person. If you’d just give him a chance and try to get to know him you might like him,” I said trying to be the voice of reason.
“I don’t want to get to know him, Edie,” he yelled and I jumped again. “You don’t get it, do you? When is it going to sink into your thick skull? It was fine when you wanted to chat with this fellow all day long on the internet, it was fine when you all were best chat room buds, it was fine when he had his life up in wherever the hell he came from and you had yours down here. But things have changed, there is no internet anymore, there are no chat rooms, and the world is not fine. This isn’t virtual anymore, now we have three more people to feed, house, and look after. What will you think when it comes down to your children eating or his? Do you think he will be so nice then? Do you think he will put your children’s needs before his own? Do you think he will put his needs before you, Edie? Because I do. This was a very big mistake and you won’t realize it until it comes to bite you right in the ass. You think you’ve done the right thing by looking out for your friend, I say you just added a whole bucket more of shit to the shit fest we already have,” he said looking at me with disappointment.
I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t put up too much of a fight with Cain . Defending Jesse would only make him question my motives more. I couldn’t say Cain I told him to come here because I love him and I wanted to make sure he was safe that would cause more drama, so I did what I knew would end the argument for now.
“You’re right. I made a mistake, I’m sorry,” I said quietly. He didn’t come to me; he made his way back out of the RV. He paused when he got to the door.
“I really hope you don’t grow to regret this decision. I’ll be out in the barn taking care of the horses if you need me,” he said coolly as he slammed the door shut behind him. I turned away from the door to go and switch on a light when I heard the door open again.
“Cain, please, I don’t want to argue anymore,” I said.
“It’s not Cain,” said a familiar voice as I heard him snap the lock on the RV door, my heart began to pound.
Chapter 18
“Jesse,” I gasped as I quickly turned around to look into his beaming face.
Jane Hunt
Jonathan Maberry
K. Sterling
Tara Fox Hall
James Kakalios
Jacquie Rogers
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley
Elizabeth Moynihan
Shiloh Walker
Mary Balogh