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much depth to him。 I was never really aware of him before that。 Oh； well。 He’s too young for me； but
what does that matter here？” She laughed again。 “It’s strange how life and love go on。 I didn’t expect
that。”
“Yeah。 Kind of funny how that happens；” Ian agreed。 I hadn’t heard him return。 He slung his arm around
my shoulders。 “It’s nice； though。 You do know Wes has been infatuated with you since he first got here；
right？”
“So he says。 I hadn’t noticed。”
Ian laughed。 “Then you’re the only one。 So； Wanda； how about some one…on…one while we’re waiting？”
I could feel Melanie’s wordless enthusiasm。 “Okay。”
He let me have the ball first； holding back； hugging the goal area。 My first shot cut between him and the
post； scoring。 I rushed him when he kicked off； and got the ball back。 I scored again。
He’s letting us win；Mel grumbled。
“e on； Ian。 Play。”
“I am。”
Tell him he’s playing like a girl。
“Playing like a girl。”
He laughed； and I slipped the ball away from him again。 The taunt wasn’t enough。 I had an inspiration
then； and I shot the ball through his goal； guessing it would probably be the last time I got to do it。
Mel objected。I don’t like this idea。
I put the ball back at center field。 “You win； and you can sleep in my room while they’re gone。” I
needed a good night’s rest。
“First to ten。” With a grunt； he launched the ball past me so hard that it rebounded off the distant；
invisible wall behind my goal and came back to us。
I looked at Lily。 “Was that wide？”
“No； it looked dead center to me。”
“One–three；” Ian announced。
It took him fifteen minutes to win； but at least I got to really work。 I even squeezed in one more goal； of
which I was proud。 I was gasping for air when he stole the ball from me and sailed it through my
goalposts for the last time。
He wasn’t winded。 “Ten–four； I win。”
“Good game；” I huffed。
“Tired？” he asked； the innocence in his tone a bit overdone。 Being funny。 He stretched。 “I think I’m
ready for bed myself。” He leered in a melodramatic way。
I winced。
“Aw； Mel； you know I’m joking。 Be nice。”
Lily eyed us； mystified。
“Jared’s Melanie objects to me；” Ian told her； winking。
Her eyebrows rose。 “That’s… interesting。”
“I wonder what’s taking Wes so long？” Ian muttered； not taking much notice of her reaction。 “Should
we go find out？ I could use some water。”
“Me； too；” I agreed。
“Bring some back。” Lily didn’t move from where she was half sprawled on the floor。
As we entered the narrow tunnel； Ian threw one arm lightly around my waist。
“You know；” he said； “it’s really unfair for Melanie to makeyou suffer when she’s angry at me。”
“Since when are humans fair？”
“Good point。”
“Besides； she’d be glad to make you suffer； if I’d let her。”
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。
“That’s nice about Wes and Lily； don’t you think？” he said。
“Yes。 They both seem very happy。 I like that。”
“I like it； too。 Wes finally got the girl。 Gives me hope。” He winked at me。 “Do you think Melanie would
make you very unfortable if I were to kiss you right now？”
I stiffened for a second； then took a deep breath。 “Probably。”
Oh； yes。
“Definitely。”
Ian sighed。
We heard Wes shouting at the same time。 His voice came from the end of the tunnel； getting closer with
each word。
“They’re back！ Wanda； they’re back！”
It took me less than a second to process； and then I was sprinting。 Behind me； Ian mumbled something
about wasted effort。
I nearly knocked Wes down。 “Where？” I gasped。
“In the plaza。”
And I was off again。 I flew into the big garden room with my eyes already searching。 It wasn’t hard to
find them。 Jamie was standing at the front of a group of people near the entrance to the southern tunnel。
“Hey； Wanda！” he yelled； waving。
Trudy held his arm as I ran around the edges of the field； as if she were holding him back from running to
meet me。
I grabbed his shoulders with both hands and pulled him to me。 “Oh； Jamie！”
“Did ya miss me？”
“Just a tiny bit。 Where is everyone？ Is everyone home？ Is everyone okay？” Besides Jamie； Trudy was
the only person here who was back from the raid。 Everyone else in the little crowd—Lucina； Ruth Ann；
Kyle； Travis； Violetta； Reid—was weling them home。
“Everyone’s back and well；” Trudy assured me。
My eyes swept the big cave。 “Where are they？”
“Uh… getting cleaned up； unloading…”
“You look like you need a bath；” I told Jamie； rumpling his dirty； knotted hair without letting go of him。
“He’s supposed to go lie down；” Trudy said。
“Trudy；”Jamie muttered； giving her a dark look。
Trudy glanced at me quickly； then looked away。
“Lie down… ？” I stared at Jamie； pulling back to get a good look at him。 He didn’t seem tired—his
eyes were bright； and his cheeks flushed under his tan。 My eyes raked over him once and then froze on
his right leg。
There was a ragged hole in his jeans a few inches above his knee。 The fabric around the hole was a dark
reddish brown； and the ominous color spread in a long stain all the way to the cuff。
Blood；Melanie realized with horror。
“Jamie！ What happened？”
“Thanks； Trudy。”
“She was going to notice soon enough。 C’mon； we’ll talk while you limp。”
Trudy put her arm under his and helped him hop forward one slow step at a time； keeping his weight on
his left leg。
“Jamie； tell me what happened！” I put my arm around him from the other side； trying to carry as much of
his weight as I could。
“It’s really stupid。 And totally my fault。And it could have happened here。”
“Tell me。”
He sighed。 “I tripped with a knife in my hand。”
I shuddered。 “Shouldn’t we be taking you the other way？ You need to see Doc。”
“That’s where I’m ing from。 That’s where we went first。”
“What did Doc say？”
“It’s fine。 He cleaned it and bandaged it and said to go lie down。”
“And have you walk all this way？ Why didn’t you stay in the hospital？”
Jamie made a face and glanced up at Trudy； like he was looking for an answer。
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。
“Yeah；” he agreed quickly。 “Who wants to lie around on one of those awful cots？”
I looked at them and then behind me。 The crowd was gone。 I could hear their voices echoing back
down the southern corridor。
What was that about？Mel wondered warily。
It occurred to me that Trudy wasn’t a much better liar than I was。 When she’d said the others from the
raid were unloading and cleaning up； there was a false note to her voice。 I thought I remembered her
eyes flickering to the right； back toward that tunnel。
“Hey； kid！ Hey； Trudy！” Ian had caught up to us。
“Hi； Ian；” they greeted him at the same time。
“What happened here？”
“Fell on a knife；” Jamie grunted； ducking his head。
Ian laughed。
“I don’t think it’s funny；” I told him； my voice tight。 Melanie； frantic with worry in my head；