I feel strong. Empowered.
More than I have felt since--
Ever.
Chapter 62
I watch Miesha's lips move, but I can't decipher what she's saying. The words are chopped into pieces.
"What is--"
I'm here, Locke. Soon.
If I'm able to hear Kara, she's close. The garage? My bedroom? Jenna's room? She's watching and waiting. I glance down the length of the back porch.
"--are you--"
Just you and me. Together. Always.
"Listen to--"
It won't be long.
"--the matter."
Miesha's voice is getting louder, but I still can't follow her words. I stare harder. Focus on her mouth, her teeth.
Do you love me, Locke? Do you love me?
"Look at--"
Remember. Don't tell.
"--what--"
Say my name, Locke. Say it now. Say it!
I squeeze my head with both hands. "Kara! Kara!" I scream.
Miesha grabs my hands and pulls them away from my head. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
The voice stops. My breaths gallop in my chest. I stare at Miesha. My pulse pounds in my ears. "Nothing!" I hear the wildness of my reply.
She still has hold of my arms. "Look at you. You look like a crazed fool. What is--"
"Nothing, Miesha." I force calm into my voice. "I promise. It was a flashback. That's all."
"All? I can practically see your heart pounding through your shirt." She pulls me away from the house. I don't know where we're headed, but I let her lead me. "Some flashback," she says. "You've never had an episode like that before. Let's not let the others see you like this, especially little Kayla. It would upset her." She leads me down a path and then through a tunnel of overgrown bushes that are waving in the wind. The tunnel opens into a grassy circular clearing with a bench at its center. "Kayla brought me and Dot here this morning. It's a good private place for you to pull yourself together."
I'm thankful there is no sound other than the wind rustling the bushes and an occasional chirp from a hidden bird. Miesha sits beside me on the bench but is silent, giving me the space I need.
After several minutes, she finally asks, "You okay now?"
I nod. "As okay as I can be. Considering."
She sighs. "I wish I could say it was going to get easier."
I wish she would say it too, even if it's not true. "But I'm illegal and hunted. This is as good as it gets. That's what you're saying."