Chapter 22
CHAPTER 22
S itting on a bus that smells like fake coconut next to an anxious, shut-down Marcus is not how I imagined my Monday night going. When Marcus called me at work, I imagined something like us going home, eating takeout from the Chinese restaurant around the corner, then getting cozy and watching something on cable since we never have a night together.
But no. We’re going to Indiana. I’ve never wanted to go there. I’m not even sure where it is.
The driver announces our next stop—Salt Lake City—and the bus growls to life and rolls out of the terminal. I turn to Marcus, who’s staring out the window, eyes jumpy.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on now?” I say, tapping his knee.
He hesitates, and my anger surges. He can’t uproot us like this without an explanation. I open my mouth to say as much when he turns toward me in the seat.
“An immigration officer came to my work.” His voice is quiet and hollow.
I let his words settle in my head, but they don’t make sense. “What do you mean…?”
Marcus’s eyes go to the ceiling. “Some guy walked up to the valet kiosk this afternoon and flashed a badge. Immigration. Said he tracked us down. Tracked us down with our licenses when we applied for work and told me we needed to be in his office tomorrow by 9:00AM or he’ll send the authorities to collect you.”
Blood drains from my face, my hand going to my neck as I stare at Marcus. “We should have used our fake passports,” I whisper. “When we applied for jobs. I can’t believe they found us here. Everything seemed fine. No one asked questions. Why now?” I ask, squeezing my eyes shut. “We were finally getting comfortable somewhere.” I swallow, and my pulse beats in my neck against my palm. “First Nick, now immigration officers?”
“I know,” he whispers. “I’m sorry, Mei.”
“Maybe I should turn myself in. How many more times are we going to have to run?” Marcus grabs my hand. “No. It’s okay. We’ll just…start over again. We’ve done it before, we can do it again.” He talks to our hands now. “I hate this, too, Mei, but it’s the only way. I don’t want to lose you. I can’t.”
“I’ve ruined everything again.”
“Stop, Mei. Please, just…” Marcus swears to the floor. “Let’s just forget it and move on. Somewhere no one will think to look for us. We’ll change our identities and our life. Again. But this time we’ll do it right. We’ll be safe. We’ll use the stuff Guo gave us.” He scoots down, knees against the seat in front of him as he looks out the window, his thoughts whisking him away from me.
I don’t know if I can do this again. But there’s only one way to stop it, and that’s too far from Marcus.
I put my hand on his knee. “I’m sorry. So, so sorry, Marcus.”
He nods to the window. “I know. And I’m not mad. I just…need time to think. And some sleep.”
I watch him, then stare out the window at the desert sliding past us. I want to reach out and dig my fingernails into the hard dirt, slow this bus down, because I’m not sure what’s next. I’m selfishly glad Marcus hasn’t left me. I couldn’t do this without him.
After a few minutes, Marcus’s breathing deepens, and I close my eyes so I’m not forced to watch another life we thought we’d be living fall behind us once again.