by Ruth Silver
“That's insane,” Joshua answered, keeping a straight face. “I hit my head in the vehicle, Olivia pulled me out, and the rest, they imagined.”
Samantha nodded. “Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. It's not for me to decide. Like I said, it sounds preposterous, but I also saw the fire, felt the quake when you screamed.”
My face turned ghastly.
“Yes.” My mother stared at me. “I know you've got a secret, one I can't quite explain and I'm not sure I'd want you to. Just do yourself a favor and don't come back here. It's not safe for you both. People are growing afraid of you and it scares me what they might do.”
The butterflies that had been anxiously fluttering in my stomach were now violent as I wiped my hands on my dirty clothes. “Goodbye, Mom.” I gave her one last hug and a kiss to her cheek before opening the door and heading down to the street.
I climbed into the backseat of a military vehicle while Jordan sat up front with Joshua. Josh drove us outside of Genesis, past the walls and out of view of the towers. It wasn't a far drive, twenty or thirty minutes on dirt and grass. We approached the drones and Joshua stopped the vehicle, turned it off, and got out. I did the same, staring up at the huge drones as I came face to face with them. They were massive, and I was frightened to know this is what had destroyed Haven.
“You came in this?” I asked Joshua, already knowing the answer as I stared up at the gray planes. They were twice my size and height. The wingspan was unbelievable. I walked up, my fingers unable to stop themselves from touching the metal. I was transfixed.
“Do you need me for anything else?” I heard Jordan's voice and spun around on my heels. He was waiting to take the car back to Genesis.
“We'll see you around.” I shook Jordan's hand, as did Joshua, saying goodbye.
“Maybe I'll see you both in Torv in two weeks.” He was hopeful he'd get elected from Genesis. “Stay safe,” Jordan called out before he climbed into the driver's seat and took off back in the direction we had come from, Genesis.
“How does this work?” I asked as I stared up at one of five drones in a field of grass. My stomach somersaulted.
“You can cram in and fly with me or have your own drone to fly back in,” Joshua offered.
“I don't know how to fly a drone!” Was he kidding?
“I'll be manning all the controls. You just have to sit back and relax.” He opened the hatch for me to get in. “So what'll it be?”
I didn't have to think about it. “You're flying with me.” There was no way I was getting in a drone on my own. If something went wrong, Joshua knew how to interact with the machine and could keep us both out of trouble.
“Climb in,” he offered, and I did, squeezing in before Joshua joined me on the seat. He closed the lid to the drone as he sat down. We were nestled tight in one seat. “This is cozy,” he teased, pressing the buttons as he turned on the plane. I tensed behind him. “Hold on and relax, I've got it covered.” There wasn't much else I could do but hold on. My arms wrapped around his waist as my legs were positioned at either side of him. “You're squeezing me to death.” He nudged my arm from his stomach, for me to loosen my hold.
“Sorry, just nervous,” I confessed.
“Don't be, I've done this before.” Joshua sounded like a pro, confident in what he was doing. I closed my eyes the moment I felt the drone lurch forward and begin to move along the grass as he turned us around.
“How are we going to get the other drones home?” My eyes opened just enough to peek out the window. When I did, I found myself unable to stop looking. The world was passing by, quicker than from a car, and I felt my stomach sink as the nose of the plane tilted up and we were lifted off the ground.
“Take a look to your left and right,” Josh answered.
I did just that, my eyes glanced out the window, and a few feet behind us I could see the drones catching up. We were staggered in a pattern with Joshua leading the fleet and there were two to our left and two to our right. “You're doing that?” I gasped.
“Impressed?” He teased.
“You have no idea,” I whispered in awe.
CHAPTER 27
Arriving back to Shadow the same day we left Genesis was incredible! The drone had gotten us home in just a few short hours. Everyone who had traveled with us to Genesis had left days ago and was now arriving. Joshua landed the drone smoothly, the other planes coming in to land behind him one after another. He parked the plane in the hanger, returning it where it had been hidden for months.
Joshua opened the lid and climbed out, offering me his hand. I took it, groaning as I stepped from the plane. The movement from air back to land made me momentarily unsteady on my feet. He gripped my waist as I staggered forward. “Careful,” he whispered. “It takes some getting used to.”
“How many times have you done this?” It was impressive.
“I've lost count,” Joshua confessed. “Come on, let's go home. I could use a shower and lunch.”
I wasn't in the house but five minutes when I heard the door. “Who do you think that is?” I glanced back at Joshua as I headed down the stairs. I had been pulling out a fresh change of clothes when I'd heard the door.
“No clue,” he called down to me.
I unlocked the door, pleasantly surprised to see Adelaide standing there with her teddy bear in hand. It had been hand sewn and looked a little worn but she clung to it for life. “You're okay!” she squealed in delight and I bent down, wrapping my arms around her.
“Of course,” I smiled, hugging her tight. “I missed you.”
Adelaide laughed. “I missed you more.” She showed me her bear. “Guess what I named her,” she boasted proudly.
“What?” I asked with an eager smile.
“Olive.” She laughed, hugging me again. “Did you hear there's going to be a parade tomorrow?”
“A parade?” I smiled, glancing behind me as I heard Joshua coming down the stairs. “Did you hear that?”
“Sounds fun,” Joshua grinned, coming to sit on the bottom stair. “Hey there, tiger.” He laughed as Adelaide came over and hugged Joshua too.
“You'll be at the parade, right?” She nodded eagerly. “Please?”
I smiled, “How could I say no to that?” I glanced at Joshua. “I think we have to go to the parade. Adelaide asked nicely.”
Joshua laughed. “Well if we have to, then I guess it's settled. We'll be there tomorrow.”
I shut the door and watched from the window as Adelaide headed home. I felt Joshua's warm embrace from behind as I spun around in his arms.
“How did things go in Genesis while you were cooped up with Craynor?” he asked.
My face paled just thinking of Anita. “He killed the head housekeeper,” I whispered, taking his hand and leaning my face into his neck, finding warmth in his embrace. “Then Craynor told me and another girl, Lisa, to throw her in the trash.”
I felt him pull back slightly. My eyes looked up, seeing his widen in shock. “Wow.” He paused. “Come on,” he insisted, taking my hand as he led me up the stairs to our bedroom.
“We didn't listen to Craynor. Which just caused more problems for us,” I confessed. “We wanted to make a statement, so we burned her body on the front lawn of the property.” Joshua led me to the mattress and I took a seat at the edge of the bed.
“Seriously?”
I nodded, remembering what we'd done. My eyes stared down at the bedspread. “Jaxon helped since I couldn't get the wood to light.” I paused with a sigh. “Lisa and I got caught. I made sure Jaxon got away so that the plan would happen, even if I couldn't be a part of it.”
His hand smoothed over my back in soft circles. “That was brave of you, Olive.”
“Or stupid,” I admitted. “I ran into your father in the mansion.”
“That's not a huge surprise. He does a lot of work with Craynor.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” I wasn't sure if I should confess the reason Anita had been killed. What good would it do if
he wasn't planning on returning to Genesis and seeing his father again? “That reminds me, there's something I want to do and I'd like your help.”
Joshua's forehead creased. “What is it?” he asked. I climbed off the bed and dug around beneath the mattress. “What are you looking for?”
“This!” I pulled it out, showing him my father's journal. He didn't say anything. I didn't expect him to. “I don't want it anymore,” I told Joshua. I shut the lights off and walked down the stairs.
“Where are you going?” I could hear his voice behind as he followed me down the stairs.
“To burn it,” I answered. “I need it gone. I need him gone from my life,” I confessed as I stopped in the kitchen and grabbed a set of matches from the drawer to take outside with me.
“Olivia, do we have to do this now?” He followed into the crisp spring air as I gathered things from around the backyard. I found a metal wastebasket and lit the match, igniting the pages inside. Slowly it burned, the leather seeming to take longer as the pages seared and curled into ash.
Joshua didn't say anything but he did stand beside me. I imagine he didn't know what to say. I didn't blame him for it. We'd both thought Gavin was different, a better man than he'd been. It was the closure I needed after visiting Torv.
“I wish I could burn memories as easily as you can burn the journal.” His voice was soft, almost accusing, as I turned to face him, dropping the book in the garbage. It was still on fire and the flames licked the pages, erasing the past.
“What memories would you want to destroy?” I couldn't imagine he had a terrible childhood. He had two parents growing up, and both seemed fond of him.
Joshua sat down on the back porch step and finally, a moment later, I followed, sitting down beside him. “Tell me,” I whispered, nudging him. I wanted to hear what was on his mind.
Joshua sighed, reaching for my hand. “There were things I saw, witnessed as a child that I didn’t quite understand.” He explained, “My father used to sneak out at night past curfew. I always wondered why. I couldn't fathom where he would go. I think he was having an affair.” I understood the weight of his words: it was illegal. It was one of the reasons Anita had been killed. People didn't have affairs in Genesis. As it was sex wasn't spoken about. Though just because it wasn't spoken didn't mean it didn't happen. I knew my parents conceived me naturally and though I'd never seen them hold hands or kiss, I understood what had transpired for me to have been born.
“Do you have something of his you want to burn?” I offered, giving a faint smile, doing my best to make light of the situation. I knew it sucked. “No,” he whispered, glancing at me. “I keep thinking about what Douglas and your father said. That my mother had intentionally chosen you to marry me.”
“Josh,” I sighed, feeling a heavy weight in my chest at the reminder of what we'd been through together.
He looked at me slowly, shaking his head. “I just feel…betrayed.” His voice was a mere whisper. “She lied to me.”
I ran my hand down his back, keeping him close to me. His body heat helped warm me, and I knew he wanted the comfort as well. “We've both been lied to.” It didn't make it feel any better. “I'm sure your mother thought she was doing what was best for you.”
“No.” Joshua glanced down at the ground. “She did it for you. She was more concerned about the rebel alliance and being a leader than what her actions would do to her own son. Doesn't that bother you at all?”
I hadn't quite thought of it like that. I chewed on my bottom lip, wishing there was something I could say that would make it better. “People don't always live up to the standards we set for them,” I reasoned. “Maybe she did this for you too? She found a way to buy your freedom,” I offered. In the end she had paid dearly for it with her life.
“Maybe.” Joshua didn't sound so convinced. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. “I just hate being lied to.”
I nodded weakly. “So do I.” It was something we had in common. Something that troubled us both. Our families had betrayed us, whether they intended to or not.
CHAPTER 28
I changed the next morning into a short cotton dress that hugged my breasts and fanned out over my hips. The dress had a floral print of pink and red cherry blossoms and though I'd never worn it before I knew it would look good. Surprisingly, Cate had made it for me, and brought it by the previous evening. As much as I hated her when we first met, she had grown on me.
“Wow, you look…” Joshua smiled, glancing me over as I noticed he wore slacks and a dress shirt. I hadn't asked him why he dressed up today. I didn't have time as I felt his lips find mine, and his hand rested on my lower back. “We can't be late,” he breathed against my lips, pulling back as he took my hand and led me out the front door.
“Late?” I asked, knowing we had another twenty minutes until the parade was supposed to start. “Don't be silly. We have plenty of time,” I emphasized as we stepped outside and already on our street I saw a mass of people lining the curb from our house down to the city center. “What's all this?” I asked, knowing it had to be more than just Shadow’s population. There were too many here to be only from our town. Only now did I see how much Cabal had changed, with Shadow allowing guests from around the country to visit.
Joshua didn't answer me. He held my hand and led me down to the curb before going down on one knee.
“Joshua?” I asked, wondering what he was doing. “Come on, get up, you're going to get dirty.” I tugged at his sleeve, only to see him shake his head no. He had the biggest smile on his face. My eyes widened as I saw his hand slip into his pocket as he pulled out a vintage ring; I had no idea where it had come from.
“Olivia,” he began, staring up at me as he took my hand. “We've known each other since we were children.” He gazed up at me with adoring eyes. “I knew I first loved you when I watched you play in the sand beside me. It wasn't a crush.” He shook his head. “I've known all my life you were something more to me than I should have ever felt. Should have desired. I was terrified that day last May when I thought you would marry another man in Genesis. We've been through so much together, you and I. You've given me more than I could ever ask for and you've given Cabal more than they could have dreamed. I want you in my life for all of eternity, Olivia. I love you. I can only dream of our future together, but I don't want it to be a dream. I want it to be real.” He whispered, “Will you, Olivia Parker, marry me?”
“Yes! Of course!” I laughed, pulling him to my arms as I wrapped him in my embrace and kissed him. I heard a shout of excitement through the crowd and glanced sideways to see Adelaide jumping up and down. “Weren't we already engaged?” I whispered with a smile into his ear.
“I had to be sure,” he answered before another grin broke out onto his face. “I have one more thing to ask you.”
“Seriously? That wasn't enough?” I laughed.
“Will you marry me today?” He grinned and I felt his forehead come to rest against mine. “Please, say yes,” he whispered and I felt both of his hands in mine.
I nodded and mouthed a simple, “Yes,” as we kissed again. “What do you have planned?” I asked, realizing the parade wasn't just about our homecoming and all that we'd done, but somehow had turned into a wedding as well. I didn't mind it. If there was anyone I wanted to celebrate with, they were here.
“Come on.” He took my hand and walked towards the city center as the crowd behind us followed.
“Josh?” I asked, wondering what else was planned. I was beyond nervous. I felt his hand give mine a squeeze. As we turned onto the city center I saw the town and the floats for the parade. They were elaborate. I didn't know how they'd made them. I didn't ask. It was beautiful nonetheless.
“Come with me,” he told me, leading me towards the front of the parade. I was grateful for the noise and commotion going on around us. The excitement made me bubble with anticipation as I practically danced my way to the front. I nearly doubled over laughing,
seeing Chancellor Collins in a powder blue suit. It wasn't his style or his color, but he wore it proudly. I wonder who dressed him, Cate? She had been upset with the punishment months ago. I wouldn't put it past her finding a way to get even.
Joshua and I walked over to the Chancellor as he began the vow exchange. I'd never seen a wedding, not outside of Genesis. I didn't know what to expect, but I also didn't care. All that mattered to me was that Joshua and I would be together forever. Nothing would tear us apart. Joshua had slid the vintage ring onto my finger. I didn't ask why he did that. We must have read one of the same books on the shelf that portrayed marriage in a different light.
The ceremony was short and sweet. Simple. Collins led us to the west side of town where there was a large blue and white pole reaching two stories, with eight pastel ribbons tied to the top. The ribbons were gorgeous in shades of pink, purple, blue, green, yellow and white. We each took a ribbon, Joshua and I standing beside each other, holding hands as Elsa, Cate, Adelaide, Aidan, Hazel, and Mason joined in. Music erupted and we danced, twirling the ribbons on the pole, as a celebration of our marriage. I couldn't ask for anything more perfect.
“I have one more surprise,” Joshua teased, leading me towards Aidan.
“You do?” I couldn't imagine what else he had planned!
“It's only if you want to go through with it.” His voice was serious and I couldn't help but give him a peculiar look. “I want us both to have rings, the same ring, bound to each other for eternity.”
“Okay. I'm not sure I'm following,” I admitted, glancing at Aidan. He gestured for us to follow him and I did inside the science center. Seeing the familiar building and the smell of antiseptic made my stomach turn. I trusted Joshua though, implicitly.
“I'd like us to get ring tattoos, identical ones.”
I smiled weakly. “I'd like that.” I didn't ask if it'd hurt. Something about this place, everything hurt in here. I nodded slowly. “What do we have to do?” Aidan led us to a room on the first floor, offering us each a seat. I sat down first, though gestured towards Joshua. “You can get your tattoo first.” I wasn't quite sure what a tattoo was but was willing to try anything once.
