Page 20

Chapter twenty

Nora

Nora smiled when she walked in, seeing no customers, or Paul, in sight.

Anna quickly came around and gave Nora a side hug, around her stomach. “Oh Nory. There you are. Haven’t been here for well over a week. Making me get nervous and itching to check on you, and I hate traveling. Being pregnant makes me nervous about everything lately though.”

Nora sent a concerned look down at Anna’s belly, even bigger than it was the last time they were in. “Aw Anna, don’t want you to worry about me. Not like you really can travel either.”

She forced a smile as she took in Anna’s tired eyes. I’m glad we visited . I feel awful that she worries about me so much.

“Where have you been?” Anna asked, settling back down on her chair behind the counter, the metal seat dinging as she shifted her weight.

“Just did a visit to the mall. Got some good stuff to trade this time too. Rain and haze kept us away mostly though.” Nora averted her gaze as she added the last part only in her head. Oh, and I also found an android that is sort of changing everything. She glanced back guiltily at Anna, itching to tell her. How can I not tell Anna what’s happening?

But Anna took the problem away from her once she sent Tilly into the back area to see the other children, lemon lollipop in her mouth. Anna leaned over and gave a sly grin to Nora. “And when were you going to tell me about the hunky dude you found?”

Nora’s heart beat wildly and she sputtered into the tea Anna had made her. “Huh?” Fear raced down her spine. How does she know? Max? Do others know? Already?

In answer, Anna pointed to a closed-circuit camera feed next to the register. The camera was salvaged from long ago and repaired. The half-cracked camera screen displayed a hazy picture of the outside, where Nora’s hover sat parked. “Saw him get out with you on here when I heard the motion alarm go off. You forget we got these installed a few months back after the looting problems we had? All the gang scum coming up here flooding the place until we paid double the dues to have them enforce order.” Anna turned and muttered under her breath, “Freaking extortion.”

Nora had forgotten and relief flooded through her. She sat frozen in the chair. Should I lie? She shifted in the seat, guiltily, a lie already on her tongue as she looked at Anna’s friendly face.

Anna awkwardly leaned over her belly on the counter, her curled brown hair swaying. “He is so handsome, Nory. Where did you find him?”

I don’t have to lie. But I don’t have to tell exactly the whole truth . . . yet . Nora knew she would tell her someday, and soon, but not at this moment. Her eyes flicked over to the door that led to the baking area where Paul’s loud, angry voice was muffled into background noise. Paul can barge in at any moment. I’ll tell her for sure when he’s nowhere around. She went with a half truth. “Found him at the . . . mall. When I went scavenging. He was . . . he was there.”

Anna’s eyes grew wide and she chuckled as her small fist hit the counter in emphasis. “Shit, there’s another person crazy like you living in that wasteland? And he isn’t off his rocker? No wonder you two hit it off! Where’d he go now?”

“For a walk . . . I wasn’t ready to bring him around and introduce him.”

Nora’s face was feeling hot from blushing when Anna turned to her and patted her hand. “I get it. New relationship. You don’t need to look so scared, Nora. I’m happy for you as long as he treats you right. Makes me feel better about you being out there all alone.” Anna leaned in closer, her voice dropping. “He does treat you and Tilly okay, right? Because I know Paul can be an ass, but I can ask him if he ever doesn’t . . . you know who he is and what he used to do . . .”

Nora sputtered at the mention of Paul. No. No way. She didn’t ever want to owe any man here a favor or be involved, especially not one like Paul that had used violence, used being a hired gun in the gang, to earn the bakeshop and status he now had . “No, no. It’s all fine.”

“Tell me then, Nory.”

She put a strand of hair behind her ear. “His name is Simon and he’s great. It’s just new and I’m . . . shy with it all. It’s different having someone.”

“I hear that,” Anna said, rubbing her pregnant belly. She added a second later, a sly grin on her face, “Can I at least say hi?”

“I guess that’s fine, once he comes back.”

Anna scoffed. “You guess.”

“Yeah.” Nora laughed as Anna rolled her eyes skyward. If only she knew . . . She struggled to keep a grin off her own face. “Don’t you start, Anna.”

Anna barked out a laugh back and Nora relaxed a bit after that, steering the conversation back to Anna and things happening in the town.