3.76

3.76

   12:00 PM       Darrell S.

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“Nah, I’m having a good time.”

“My piece of crap car really made it that far,” Elias seem surprised.

“Nah, it didn’t make it past Tennessee.”

“You just left my baby?”

“I can get it towed back if you want.”

“Nah, I’m just messing with you. Where you at now?”

“Meridian Mississippi, or close to it. We’ve got a cabin in the woods with a view of a lake.”

“You know you can’t swim. Don’t fall in and make her save you on the honeymoon.”

“I can swim.”

“You can doggy paddle,” he burst out in laughter.

“See, this is that Gemini behavior Charlene is always mentioning.”

“Whatever, I got a date coming over. You aren’t the only one knocking the boots like H-Town.”

“Okay, love you bro.”

“Love you too, and text D’Andre for once. Call the twins, they think you ran away from home.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Talk to you later.”

I spend the next hour watching Destiny read some old books I probably wouldn’t understand while I speak to the rest of my family. Every now and then she’ll scribble something down, but won’t let me see. Mom is upset that I didn’t invite her to the wedding. She’s extra, she would have made it a whole ordeal if she knew. Dad is same as always, asked when Destiny is going to start popping out babies. I understand why he loves Charlene so much, that’s where he gets his foul mouth from. D’Andre was too busy to talk, said he’d text me later. Ivory and Sage are just glad some monster didn’t eat me.

I’m glad we got some time to relax, put some distance between us and everyone who wants to kill us. There’s nothing to do out here, but also nobody to come after us. Has she been on the run like this nonstop? Is that why she can read a map and I can’t? The three days we’ve been out here is probably the longest I’ve been without internet since we got dial up at the house.

“Hey, I want to show you something,” Destiny calls me to the back porch.

“What you got?”

She hands me a powder blue notebook, “this is my diary, or more of a journal.”

“Why are you giving it to me?”

“It’s got contacts in different cities I’ve been to, how to get a hunter’s license, tips and tricks I’ve learned through life. How to make money in a tight spot, best way to kill different things. It’s like a guide book.”

“But why are you giving it to me?”

“Never know when you might need it.”

“I’ll be good once we get the Marsons off our tail.”

“Yeah, but it’ll be hard for you to go back to a regular life afterwards,” she’s not looking at me.

“Hey, are you planning on leaving me here?”

“Nah, that’s stupid. I’m just saying, it’ll be good to have. You never know.”

“Destiny, look at me,” I take her hand. “I’m with you until the end. Doesn’t matter what we have to do. I told you, I’m not letting you go through life on your own anymore.”

“That’s sweet,” she’s still not looking at me. “Just put it in your little space pocket, magic portal, or whatever you call it.”

“Don’t do something stupid.”

“That’s your role not mine,” she forces a laugh.

I send the book to what I like to think of as my pocket dimension, before she gives me a satisfying nod. I don’t force the issue anymore, I just hug her, and don’t let go. She’s not resisting the hug, but I feel like if I let go, she’ll run away from me. I can keep up now, but I know her and I know I’d be chasing her forever.

“You’re so damn clingy,” she mumbles into my chest.

“But you’re holding me too.”

“You make me weak. So damn weak.”

“Nothing wrong with being weak. You just have to be strong in other categories.”

“Alright, let me go. I promise I won’t disappear.”

I don’t press the issue, I know somethings eating at her. I know she’s planning something. I’ve seen the look in her eyes before. I’ve been left behind before. She’s focused on a goal, and she’s going to accomplish it. I just need to make sure I’m right there when she does.