involuntary yelp escaped at the way her leg flashed a white-hot dagger of pain. She sucked it back in, denying her body’s reaction.
“You could have killed yourself.”
She softened. He’d been worried about her. “It was easy. I have no idea how that boy lost his head. The one you told us about. I would have had to try to hit the wall.”
“Damn you, Ria!”
“No, Benny. Stop!”
She ducked her head away from his rage. His elbow connected with her ribs. Her reflexes had gotten slow.
“The NDT is not going to see it that way. If they see this video, we are screwed.” He stepped closer again, fists at his sides, his eyes narrow slits. Ria backed up, shifted sideways to protect her cut leg. She was pressed against the cold metal of the garage door, could feel the faint vibration of it behind her, an echo of her own adrenaline-fueled heart racing.
When the slap came, she was ready. Now she remembered how to hold her breath and tears. She was one step out of her body by the time the second one connected.
He grabbed both her arms, squeezing tight, shaking her, rattling her.
“You’re in violation of your contract, Miss Victoria Marie Williams. You can’t take unnecessary risks. You can’t do whatever the hell you want. You belong to the NDT.”
As he let go, she blinked to refocus. His fist was inches from her face, his teeth clenched. She braced herself. Her old friend Fear whispered sweet nothings in her ear.
Finally, he stepped back. He was done. His hands opened, and he flexed his fingers. The way he always did when the rage had dimmed. Her own fingers stretched and then folded inward. Her chipped tooth felt rough under her tongue.
Thirty-Nine
Everything hurt more in the morning. Her jaw was tender, and the back of her head, too. Most unfamiliar was the cut on her leg. Ria had been aware of it all night, in the background of her sleep. Every time she moved, she felt the burning sting of the skin flaps tugging against each other under the mish-mash of crisscrossed bandages; but if she stayed in one position too long, it throbbed with a dull ache. She’d ripped open up the largest organ of her body. It had to hurt. Besides, hurting was easier than thinking.
She pushed the thought of Benny’s visit into the darkest part of her brain. She couldn’t think about going to the NDT. With him. It was too confusing, too many unknowns. It was like she was back trying to learn algebra—mixing numbers and letters had never worked for her. Each one on their own was tricky enough.
Instead, she concentrated on getting ready for caving. She wasn’t going to miss the overnight trip. Not for pain, not for anything. She might never have another chance. Besides, it was the only way to skip the constant replay of last night. She’d convinced herself she and Benny could start over, fresh, with new rules, but last night felt too familiar. It was an echo of too many other times she’d screwed up.
She showed up at the Talley’s house with her backpack, but it held only her toothbrush and shammy towel. She’d told her parents she was spending the night with Maggie. They didn’t know enough to doubt her.
Other gear was lined up in the garage. It was clear she’d missed a lot of planning.
“You need to carry your sleeping bag. Here’s your share of water to carry.” Cotton handed her a gallon jug.
He divvied up the other items between them. A first aid kit, extra batteries, ropes and straps, food bags. More than reasonable precautions.
“I think I’ll drink all the water now so I won’t have to carry it,” she said, placing her heavy backpack on her shoulders. Then, to the horrified look on Cotton’s face, “I’m joking.”
“Where can I put my makeup?” asked Flutie. “I have my hair dryer packed already. But I was hoping whoever brought the microwave could . . .”
“You are not amusing,” said Cotton.
“He stole hours of my life last night telling me what I could and could not bring.”
At the gate, Mr. Talley made them pose for a picture, all weighed down, and shiny clean.
“I can’t wait to see the before-and-after. You might not recognize us,” said Ria.
“It’s still good to have documentation of clothing and appearances before taking a risky journey. In case we go missing,” said Cotton.
A pained look crossed Mr. Talley’s face. But then he forced a smile. “Stick together.