Beyond (Simon Snow Series)

7

                                          BAZ
           I look out the back window to make sure no one's following us, and when the coast is clear I turn back towards Snow. He's looking at me with a smile. How does this make him so ecstatic? Is this the only thing left that makes him feel he can be so bold?
          Not that I'm complaining, of course.
          Snow looks down at my leg and frowns.
          "You're bleeding," he says.
          I shrug. "I've bled before."
          He bites his lip, shaking his head. "But... "
          His head falls, his gaze now on his hands, fidgeting in his lap.
          Before he can continue, Shepard interrupts him. "Who was that? What was that? Why is someone always trying to kill you guys?"
           "I'm not sure who that was," Mrs. Bunce replied. "Or why they're always after you three."
           "Four," Bunce says, and her mother nods.
           "What was that thing? Why was it trying to kill us? How did it change its appearance like that?"
           I ignore him.
          Simon starts again. "That's the second time in a week."
           I take his hand now. "I'm okay. And besides, it's not like I can just drink up some extra blood." He finally smiles at me. These days I've had to resort to jokes to get him to look at me like that. I smile back, but he turns his gaze back down to the seat.
          When he looks up at me I catch his eyes with mine. He nods, and that's how we stay most of the ride. His hand in mine, both of us staring at them like schoolgirls holding hands for the first time.
          And I guess I'm a way, we are. We're learning how to do this... again. And that's okay. I'd wait for him. I'd wait for us, however long it takes. I'd wait until my dying breath. I'd wait forever.