Chapter Nineteen
Jodie still hadn’t surfaced the next day, or the day after that. Her hangover had to be long gone. Reyna didn’t know why she wouldn’t come out of her room. Or, rather, Meghan’s room.
Reyna banged on the door. “Jodie, open up! I know you’re in there.”
She was still banging on the door when it abruptly opened in her face. She tilted forward and had to catch the doorframe to keep from falling over. Jodie stood there in baggy gym clothes, her hair tied back into two buns on the top of her head.
“What do you want, Reyna?”
“I came to check on you. It’s been days since the club. Why are you still in here?”
“I don’t want to be here at all.” She closed the door to emphasize her point, but Reyna threw her hand out to stop her.
“What happened to make you feel like this about Elle?”
“Are you serious?” she asked. “I was the one urging you to break us out. I always wanted to get out. I mean, did you ever think about whether I had someone else out there?”
Reyna swallowed at the pain on her friend’s face. She had considered a lot about what Jodie must have gone through and how long she had endured it, but she hadn’t wondered about her life before Visage. Jodie hadn’t wanted to share, but Reyna hadn’t pressed. She should have.
“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t think you wanted to talk. But if you have people out there you want to see, I’d help you get them here. Elle went out of the way to get my brothers and soon-to-be sister-in-law. I’m sure they’d do the same for you.”
Jodie gestured for Reyna to come inside. Reyna slipped the door closed behind her and took a seat on a chair as Jodie dropped onto the bed.
“So who is it that you want to find?”
Jodie shrugged. “My cousin and best friend, June. I was living with her in the capital after the economic collapse. Visage had just taken over, and her neighborhood was a test area for blood type testing before it went nationwide. When my blood type came back abnormal, June and I overheard them tell her parents I was going to have to leave, with them. That they had a special program for us. They made it sound like a great opportunity, but we could tell right away it wasn’t.
” Jodie glanced away as she fought back tears.
“June tried to get me out of there. She promised she’d keep me safe.
We didn’t even make it across the county line before we were picked up.
June was taken from me, and I was taken to Visage. I’ve been there ever since.”
Reyna’s hand covered her mouth. “Oh my God, Jodie. How old were you?”
“Twelve.”
Reyna had no words. No words for the life that had been stolen from Jodie. It proved all over again that Visage was the villain of this world. One she was more determined than ever to take down.
“I think we can find June,” Reyna told her.
“No one is going to help me.”
Reyna walked over to the bed and sat down. She placed her hand on Jodie’s. “I’ll help you.”
“Really? And what do you want in return?” Jodie asked in the most jaded way possible.
“Nothing.”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“Well, one thing,” Reyna said with a small smile.
“Oh, here we go.”
“I need help planning a wedding.”
Jodie’s eyes widened. “You’re getting married and you’re just now telling me? Damn, that vamp moves fast. When did he ask you?”
Reyna laughed. “Not me. Though Beckham and I did get back together. But my brother is getting married on Christmas.”
“Like in two weeks?”
Reyna nodded. “Bun in the oven. And I promised I’d help. I thought some normal would do me good. Maybe it’ll do you good, too?”
“All right. If you help me find June, then I’ll help your brother get married in two weeks.”
Reyna held out her hand. “Deal?”
“Deal,” Jodie said, shaking her hand. “Now, tell me all about you and Beckham getting back together.”
…
A few days later, the girls had wrangled Meghan into helping them get the supplies they needed and a facility for Laura’s wedding. She was still pissed with both Reyna and Jodie for going out with Gabe, but she didn’t take it out on Laura. She just sent silent reprimands with her eyes.
“But the dress,” Reyna said.
“Seriously, the dress is the last thing on my mind,” Laura insisted. “If we can pull this all off by Christmas, I’ll be over the moon.”
“No, you need a freaking dress,” Jodie told her.
“You do,” Meghan agreed.
“Where am I going to find a wedding dress?” Laura asked. “I can’t go try stuff on anywhere.”
“Maybe you could,” Reyna said, jumping up and looking around the small office space they’d commandeered for planning purposes.
“What do you mean?” Laura asked.
“Just think about it. We have connections. We could get her somewhere discreet to try on a dress.”
Meghan’s withering look was enough to say that it was a bad idea. “I don’t think so.”
“Don’t be a party pooper, Meghan,” Jodie teased.
“I don’t want to cause anyone trouble,” Laura said. She scooted back in her chair. “We can make do with what we already have.”
“If I could get you out and to a wedding dress shop without anyone the wiser, I would do it. But it’s a risk. Visage saw Laura when we got her out with Brian and Drew. Do you really want to risk her being on their radar?” Meghan asked.
“Seriously, don’t even worry about it.” Laura stood and pushed the notebook she had been writing in away. “I have a dress with me. No one needs to go out of their way for this.”
Laura scurried out of the room and to the bathroom. They could hear her heaving into the toilet. She’d had the worst morning sickness already. Well, more like all-day sickness. She was throwing up constantly, but Meghan said everything seemed normal.
Meghan sighed. “I’m going to check on Laura.”
As soon as she left, Jodie tilted the front two legs of her chair off the ground and leaned backward. “I hate being so confined.”
“Run it off in the gym.”
“I hate running.”
“Well, you need to find something to let off steam.”
Jodie kicked her feet up on the table. “Maybe I just need to get laid.”
Reyna laughed. “Maybe you do.”
“Maybe I’ll see if Tye is interested.”
“Tye?” she asked with wide eyes. “Have you even talked to him since the rescue?”
Jodie winked. “I’m about to.”
“But you don’t even know him.”
“Sex is a release, Reyna. Doesn’t have to mean anything. If Meghan didn’t have such a stick up her ass about this whole Elle thing, I’d see if she’d be down.”
Reyna grinned. “I kind of love you.”
“You, though,” Jodie said, tapping Reyna’s nose once, “are not my type.”
“Well, thank God.”
“No hard feelings.”
Jodie sauntered from the room. Reyna could do nothing but laugh. At least the wedding planning seemed to have lifted her spirits. Reyna stretched her arms over her head, releasing the tension in her back and shoulders. Laura reappeared from the bathroom, looking pale, Meghan at her back.
“I’m going to go lie down,” Laura muttered. “I feel awful.”
Reyna hopped up and gave her a hug. “Do you want me to walk you?”
Laura waved her off, already halfway out of the room.
“Is she doing okay?” Reyna asked Meghan. “I know throwing up is normal, but it’s a lot.”
“She’s fine. Baby is fine. I’m giving her some nausea medicine once it comes in, and that should help.”
Reyna relaxed. “Good.”
“Have you thought any more about working in the lab with Washington and me?” Meghan asked. “I know you got upset when he asked, but your blood could save lives. And we can always use an extra pair of hands.”
Reyna sighed and chewed on her lips. “I want to be useful, Meghan, but does it have to be in that way?”
“No. I suppose you could work in the cafeteria or clean or something. But it seems like a waste.”
“You understand why I have an issue with donating my blood and seeing it used in any way?”
“Yes, but this could be for the greater good.”
Reyna glanced away and then back. She had an idea. “Look, I’m not sure I’m ready yet, but I’ll think about it if you help Jodie.”
Meghan groaned. “I’ve been trying to help Jodie. She’s even less receptive than you are.”
“Well, she was gone a lot longer than I was. Have you looked into if she has any family left?”
“We did when she first got here, but we couldn’t find anything,” Meghan admitted. “I would love to bring more people into Elle if it helps Jodie. Loved ones always help.”
“After what she went through, she’s a cynic. If you could help her find her family, I think it would go a long way.”
“All right. I’ll look into it again, and you think about the medical wing.”
As if she had a choice about where she could be useful.
“I’ll think about it.”
Meghan tugged her into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. You and Jodie both.”
“Me too,” Reyna whispered, finally feeling as if she was starting to have a place here. Maybe not the one she had wanted, but finally something.