Page 38 of Desolation

I hear Elodie laugh and it twitches at the sound. This woman has me wrapped so tightly around her finger. Always has, always will. Reaching the kitchen, I start pulling out more snacks to take to the girls. Can’t have my girl going hungry. Especially when I need her to keep her strength up for later.

CHAPTER 30

ELODIE

Drake and I have come a long way in the last month. He has let me do everything at my own pace, which I love. I haven’t felt one bit of pressure from him, ever. The therapy with Vanessa is helping too. I don’t have to hold onto those feelings that I felt with Dominic, and I’ll be damned if I let it mess up what I have with Drake.

I have never felt so safe in my life as I do now. I think that has been a major reason why I’ve been able to work throughso much on therapy so far. I’m not living in a constant state of fight or flight. Sure we haven’t dealt with Dominic and Aiden yet, but I don’t worry about my daily safety anymore.

Gwen comes often and we have become fast friends, as close as sisters. I’ve seen her and Marco exchange some heated glances lately and I am now texting her about it.

Me: Soooooo, what’s up with you and Marco? I saw that look you two were giving each other in the hall the other day.

Gwen: Hmm? I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Me: Uh huh. Spill it woman!!!!

Gwen: We may or may not have gone out the other night. And one thing may or may not have led to another and I may or may not have had the best sex of my life lol

Me: You and your “may or may not have”. You may as well just say allegedly. You spend too much time at the office.

Gwen: Yeah, Evan said as much the other day and when Marco picked me up to drive me home, he asked me out and I said yes. So here we are.

Me: So when is the next date?

Gwen: Not sure. He said they think they are getting close to the big event and he doesn’t want to make a plan and have to break it.

Hmmm, Drake hasn’t said anything to me. I’m gonna have to check in with him and see what’s going on. I wonder if they got some new information.

Me: When did he tell you that?

Gwen: Just about an hour ago when we were texting.

Ah, ok that makes sense. Drake hasn’t made it home from school yet. I’m sure he will tell me when he gets home. Me, Reba, and Gwen have been gathering supplies for when things finally godown. Online orders of course since Reba and I are still on house arrest for the time being.

Drake hates it when I call it house arrest.“It’s for your safety, not to control you,” he said with a sigh.

I get it, but I am definitely getting sick of being locked in here. I’m ready to do something. Anything.

Telling Gwen I’ll talk to her later, I slip my phone into my pocket just as Drake walks through the door.

Wrapping my arms around his waist, I hug him. It’s pretty boring without him here during the day. I haven’t been able to take pictures either so I’ve been finding busy work to do for the warehouse.

“Any news?” I ask.

“Actually, yeah, we heard they are setting the date and time in the next forty-eight hours so we are all on high alert so we can move out quickly. I won’t be going to work or school the next couple days. Have you ladies gotten everything together that you need?” he asks.

“I think so? We have clothes, mostly just a sweat suit for everyone for now and some t-shirts. We don’t know what any of them will have, but we decided if it was us we would want to be covered as much as possible and warm. We have hygiene kits for everyone, first aid supplies in packs for the doctors and other volunteers. Snacks, water, and a few other things like that. I think we are set to go on everything. I just wish it would get here because I’m going stir crazy being cooped up. Which seems really miniscule compared to what they are all going through right now,” I say with a sigh, feeling guilty for complaining.

“Hey, don’t do that,” he says with a frown. “You went through your own trauma too, for an entire year. Then you came straight here and had to be forced to stay in for your own safety. Yet again, trapped somewhere and not able to leave. I get it and you have every right to be frustrated.”

He’s right, of course, but still. “I know, but I still feel like they are so much worse off.”

“Come on, let’s go talk to my dad and brother and see what’s going on,” he says, squeezing my hand.

I love that he lets me just feel my feelings, and as long as I’m not being too hard on myself, he lets it go. It helps me be able to deal with them better and not dwell too much on the hard stuff. I can work through that in therapy with Vanessa.

As we walk hand in hand down the hall, I marvel at how much my life has changed. The feeling of safety I have, the love I feel from Drake and his family. I will fight tooth and nail to keep it.