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For Jayne, that was quite a declaration. And I believed her.
Chapter Ten
Itook Jayne’s arm and headed outside. We didn’t need to be trapped in the house with all of the male energy. In fact, I was pretty sure there was about to be a lot more of it, since they were supposed to be meeting to discuss my vision. I looked over my shoulder as a group I didn’t recognize arrived. I didn’t think they had a wife, but then again, I’d been sort of out of it and hadn’t seen all the pairings.
“They were mean to me. But don’t worry, because most of that has been handled. They know I’m not going to be messed with again. We have an understanding.”
She nodded. “You would be able to deal with that better than me. Sloane, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to make of these men. I stay in my room alone all day. I don’t want to talk to them. They’re…not for me. They wanted Caroline.”
That was true. “And I think that bothered you, then. I think it bothered you before you knew they were yours.”
“I won’t lie. It did. And I can see Caroline from my window. Her guys are talking to her, but I think that mine would have been so much happier with her.”
I sighed. “Jayne, Caroline has her own issues. I don’t think it’s all peaches and cream over there, either. Plus, I’m not sure how or why we’re paired with who we’re paired with, but clearly there is a rhyme and reason, so you’re supposed to be with them. I’ll tell you what Mama told me right before I left there.”
She covered her forehead with her hand. “How are they? I didn’t even ask, because I’m a selfish bad person.”
“You are none of those things. You’re wrapped up in this, as you should be. Besides, they’re all fine, exactly the same. Nothing has changed at home, and that is beautiful in its own way.” How I saw my mother and father might have changed, but it didn’t seem relevant to tell Jayne. “Mama told me to make them be good to me, to do better than she had done in that regard.” Jayne winced, so I knew she understood as well as I did what she meant. “And so, I’ll relay that to you. Make them be good to you, Jane-y. If anyone can do that, you can.”
She let out an audible breath. “Okay. I’ll start today. Also, I hear you have saved all of us, so thank you.”
“Oh, my vision? It’s not like I can control them and…”
“Sloane,” Hannah’s voice boomed out toward us in a shriek, and Jayne giggled as Hannah ran full speed toward us and threw herself at me. I caught her and we hugged tightly.
“I thought you left, too.” Jayne patted Hannah on the back. “Where have you been?”
She groaned and pulled back. “Trying to get to know my silent husbands. It’s not going well. You came back. Thank you for pulling me into your dream. It was so good to see you.”
Jayne put her hands on her hips. Right then, she looked like Mama. “You pulled her into a dream and not me?”
I stared at both of them. “Well, first of all, I didn’t know it was real. Second, it’s not like I can control it. I don’t know what I’m doing except having visions that suddenly hurt so badly, I need to be held and kissed afterward lest I die.”
Hannah sighed. “Yes, I’ve heard that it really stinks. I haven’t had one yet, not since the ritual. Then again, of course I wouldn’t, because I haven’t left Hawkseye. Everyone knows that no one has visions in Hawkseye outside of the ritual.” Jayne and I both stared at her and she rapidly blinked. “You ladies didn’t know that?”
“No,” I said then laughed. “Why is that?”
“I don’t know, but that’s how it is. So, we’re all visionless while we’re here.” She shrugged. “How bad was it, exactly? And how am I supposed to get comfort from a bunch of guys who don’t speak to me?”
I shook my head. “Oh, don’t look at me, ladies. I think we’ve come to sort of a passive agreement to get along as long as certain things are met, and they did take care of me when I was hurt from the vision. I’ll admit, there was some kissing. There has been here and there. But I don’t know that I understand them or how to make them treat me nicely, as Mama told me to do. I’m just… figuring it out.”
“Ladies,” Caroline ran over in her singing voice. “Are we talking about our husbands? Because I’m so confused. And I’m so happy the four of us are back together. Doesn’t it feel better when we’re together, too?”
I blinked. It really did, actually. “Caroline, your husbands seem to like you. He chased you down when you went outside.”
“Well…I wouldn’t call it like me, per se.” She frowned. “I mean, honestly, I think they’re not quite sure what to do with me. I’m not sure what to do with them, either. I like to sing, and I like to dance. I’m well-read, or at least well-read enough, but they aren’t really interested in my interests. They’ve spent a lot of time discussing their horses and some plantings they have back home.” She sighed. “They do follow me around. Like right now, they’re watching. Aren’t your husbands watching?”
I looked around. They didn’t seem to be. They were in the house. As we stared at Caro’s husbands, they finally walked inside to join the other men who were, I imagined, plotting the demise of the flying creatures who were coming for us.
“Ladies?” Carissa approached us. “I wanted to say hello. Apparently, we are all to live through the night tomorrow because of you, Sloane. Well done. You are making quite a scene with how powerful you are. It will be interesting to see what happens next. Take care of yourselves.” She smiled as she passed us by.
I didn’t love talking about other people behind their backs, but I waited until she was far enough away to be out of earshot before I addressed the other three women. “She seems so lonely. Do you think she would hang out with us, if I asked her?”
“I tried.” Caroline frowned. “A couple of times while you were gone, I tried to befriend her. She wasn’t interested. If she’s lonely…I think she wants to stay that way.”
Was that possible? Could someone want to stay lonely? Most people fell for Caroline’s charms. It was hard not to, since she was just so friendly. I frowned. Maybe I would try with Carissa, too. She was older than my Mama, but that didn’t mean she didn’t need friends. What will my life look like, after I spend it doing this? Over and over again?
I shivered, thinking about it. Would it just be the same thing, rinse, wash, repeat forever? Would the guys and I circle each other in the uncomfortable we sort of like each other and there is attraction, but it’s awkward thing we were doing?
