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My theory is confirin to…change

"Will you two be sharing a bed?" she asks from the doorway of the spare bedroom

There is only one bed in here It’s a question I’ve been askingat Victor in a way that perhaps she didn’t expect me to notice, "then I can make up a bed for one of you on the couch"

"That will not be necessary," Victor answers and I don’t knohy, but "

Thennormal

Samantha looks pleased

And for so to familiarize myself with this inane, absurd emotion that just infiltratedat random objects within the room: the plain-Jane cream-colored bedspread that covers the full-sized bed, the ainst opposite walls, the large oak chest situated at the foot of the bed with a horse carved into the side, the ith equally plain white curtains where a beaded necklace of soht then," she says standing in the doorith her hands cradled in front of her "Make yourselves at holances doard below his waist, "when you’re ready to patch that up, you knohere to find me"

"I’ll be there soon," Victor says and then she smiles politely at both of us and walks down the hallway, leaving us alone in the rooun suitcase on the bed and takes out two sleek black handguns He puts one underneath the mattress and the other on a small desk in the corner of the roo down a new suit after sliding back several others dangling fro-sleeved button-up shirt, lastly, ato stay here," he says, "until I kill Javier I’ll be going back to Tucson later tonight, or wherever it is I am told that Javier was last seen and then I’ll find hi on the edge of the bed "Wasn’t there a…‘Safe House’ in Arizona somewhere closer? You know, maybe you should’ve used me as bait, after all I could help you Ifor me that one of the first places they’ll check is where I used to live, around people I used to know" I pause, thinking to er lives where she used to

"You’re right," he says "And that’s why it’s likely I’ll be heading right back to Tucson I’ve seen where you once lived, where the wo you there last night, you’ve already helped ht be found There’s no need to risk your life anyenda by taking ht now "You just wanted to see the location"

Victor shakes his head and closes the top drawer on the dresser He turns to face reenish-blue eyes

A long breath emits from his nostrils

"I took you hooes to the door with all of his clothes draped carefully over one ar for ers placed on the knob ready to open it His head tilts back some and his shoulders fall

Instantly, I feel like I’ve offended him

"I’ll use the shower in Saet cleaned up, change into your new clothes"

And then he walks out, leaving me in here all alone

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Instead of a shower, I soak in a long, hot bath Myafter I slipped into the water that I started feeling the tiny scrapes and cuts all over my body that I hadn’t realized were there before I’o with theet out, I’m cleaner than I feel like I’ve ever been now that I have new clothes to put on and that I’ve gotten to shave Victor had told me back at the department store that I could pick whatever I wanted and that it didn’t matter how much it cost, just that I needed to be quick about it I chose theI could find Because I don’t care about fashion and honestly can’t re like that mattered

After I’m dressed I pull h the things left out on the bathroom sink Deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrush, various bottles of lotion and other randoainst theit’s all been sitting here waiting for a guest likeand put it to use And I definitely put it to use, starting with the deodorant first, a luxury that I rarely had at the compound Javier, for the s, but he left the shopping up to Izel and since she despised o out of her way to buy the cheapest, most useless stuff that she could find When it cae brand of liquid roll-on that left red, inflamed spots underneath my armpits

I brush my teeth and even use dental floss for the first ti blankly in front of the mirror I don’t seein Sa up in my mind and it upsets me more than I want to admit to myself

I can’t really be attracted to ahow many people It doesn’t matter that I feel safe with him, or that I trust him; the truth is that he is what he is and I’d be stupid to ever think he wouldn’t kill me if he found it in any way necessary

But I as for hirily atnotice of ht eye is yellowed by a bruise My lips are dried and chapped There’s a tiny cut along my left brow bone I look tired and…used up