Until We Break (Formerly Wicked, Wild, Wonderful)

Original Edition: Chapter Twenty-Seven

NAOMI HAD SINCE DROWNED I HER OWN TEARS WHEN SAINT FINALLY WOKE HER UP. The basement was dark and quiet. She hadn't even realised it was him until his familiar voice spoke to her, a little lower than a hush, maybe a whisper. "Hey," he said and when she leaned up, his palm wiped her cheek. That's how she knew she had indeed cried herself to sleep. If she was honest, she didn't remember doing it. Of course, she remembered the feeling of pain as something inside of her twisted and the hold of asphyxiation as her throat wrung out whimpers, but the tears themselves were a blur.

But there was a distinct wetness against the boy's hand. "Morning,"

She blinked and her eyes scanned the room. Not a single light was on nor a single person awake. "What's going on?"

He was sat across from her on the floor, one leg sprawled off and another bent upward to support his arm. In the darkness she caught him shift. "Nothing. I was just thinking, we're heading out tomorrow and you're practically a wanted woman now..."

"Am I?" Now she was awake.

"Well, your face is on every light post in Riverside."

Her eyes adjusted to the shadows and she finally saw the whites in his eyes, then, the harmless smile on his face and she remembered where she was. Naomi came out of her sleeping bag. "I still can't believe they did that." She almost said she was sorry but what did she have to be sorry for? Someone needed to be apologizing to her now.

"Oh, parents?" his voice dipped, "the most tricky bastards. They'll act like they don't care then, all of a sudden, they do. Can never tell which side you're getting when."

Quietly, she thought if the boy was speaking from experience. "And just when you do, they switch up," she added.

He scoffed, and Naomi wished the darkness would move away, just a little, so she could see the expression on his face. For a while, they said nothing else and Naomi wondered what Saint's parents were like. Did he have parents? Softly, he said to her, "I'm sorry we were so hard on you last night."

She scoffed. "I wasn't expecting them to do that, you know. I was just as surprised as you. It sounds messed up but I really thought they'd just...forget about me."

The silhouette of Saint's body sank. "Like you said, they switch up."

"Yeah," she drawled.

Another silence. Saint shook his thoughts back on track. "So," he began again, words drawling, "I was thinking, if you're going to be with us, you should to at least look the part."

Naomi's head cocked. "You mean..."

It was clear. His teethy smile, though shadowed, confirmed her thoughts. He stood up. "Let's go."

She couldn't see him very clearly, but Naomi stared anyway. In the dark of the small basement, it felt like they were sharing secrets. She supposed if she told him everything, spilled her guts without ever stopping, no one else was awake to repeat it. The stars would turn their backs and the moon wouldn't shine too brightly on them.

From the shadows, Saint outstretched his hand for her to take.

She took it, and for the first time in a long time, Naomi felt like Riverside was finally on her side.

Naomi carefully and quietly managed herself out of her sleeping bag. Saint had turned away as she slipped into a loose pair of sweatpants and undid her hair. Creeping, she followed Saint all the way to the corridor. But, before she ascended the steps and left the basement, she threw a final look over her shoulder. There was a slight ruffle from a mid-sleep's comfort but everything else seemed dead. Naomi subdued the wild smile tempting her mouth and followed Saint up and out through the trap door.