Page 77 of Monster's Edge

“Come in,” I tell her.

She jiggles the doorknob.

“It’s locked.”

She doesn’t call me an idiot or a dumbass, which I appreciate. She never would. Georgetta is the one person who has known me basically forever. She’s also the one person who understands the situation I’m in. She’s living here, too, after all.

Scurrying over, I hide myself behind the door, unlock it, and step back as the door opens. The door blocks me from view of anyone who might be walking in the hallway. Georgetta steps inside and closes the door behind herself before looking me up and down.

A look of sadness – or maybe it’s compassion – comes over her face.

“Are you okay?”

I nod, but we both know that I’m lying.

“It’s okay if you aren’t,” she tells me.

“It’s just kind of a weird situation,” I admit. “I never thought I’d be getting married to someone I didn’t choose.”

“It’s okay to feel angry.”

“I’m not angry.”

She watches me carefully. Then Georgetta turns and walks toward the wardrobe that’s against one wall. She opens it and rustles around until she pulls out a pair of silk pajamas. She brings them over to me and holds out her hand for my towel. She’s offering me a trade. I accept.

Dropping the towel from my body, I hand it over to her. Georgetta has seen me naked a thousand times, so I’m not embarrassed for her to see my body. Normally, a girl like me would feel at least a little bit shy, but I don’t.

“I’m getting married tomorrow.”

“I know.”

“Are you going to be at the wedding?”

I really, really hope she says yes. I really, really want her to be there. Georgetta is the only person I have on my team. She’s the one who saved me from Mr. Ricci and my father, after all. She almost took a bullet for me.

“Of course,” she says as I slip the pajamas on. She turns and walks to the bathroom. After she hangs up the towel, she comes back. “I wouldn’t miss your wedding, but I did have to pull some strings to get there.”

“You did?” What kind of strings, I wonder? Did she have to do sexual favors for someone?

“Yeah,” she chuckles, but offers no more information. “I’ll be there, though.”

“Thanks.”

“Yeah.”

The two of us just sort of stare at each other for a few minutes. I just really, really don’t know what to say to make this less awkward. It’s not like either one of us can time travel to the past and make this stop. We’re both basically trapped in this terrible future with nowhere to go, and I don’t know what I could possibly offer to her to make it better.

“Georgetta? Is Ian going to kill my father?” It’s a question I haven’t dared to ask out loud before this moment. Now that the words are out, though, I can’t bring them back.

“I don’t know,” she tells me, and I think I believe her. I don’t think Georgetta would lie to me about something like this. Not when she knows it’s so important to me.

“But you think he might?”

She starts pacing back and forth, wringing her hands. “Look, Rose, the thing about your dad is that he’s got a lot of secrets, and he’s got a lot of people who do things for him.”

“You must know why Ian hates him, though,” I point out. “If anyone knows, it’s you.” Georgetta was with my dad for many, many years. Even though the two of them were not technically business partners, my dad has always had a bad habit of sharing secrets around women. There’s a part of me that wonders if Georgetta knows more than she realizes.

“Your dad and I were never...we’re not...” She sighs. “Look, I shouldn’t be talking about this with you.”