Page 53 of Rescuing You

“I’m fine.” She opened the refrigerator and took out the only food in there—the leftover hummus, which Michael must’ve stowed after she’d gone to bed the night before. “It’s nothing.”

“Is it, sister? Have you seen a doctor?”

“I will when we’re safe.” Jasmine pulled a cracker from the package, dipped it in the hummus, and ate it.

Leila didn’t appreciate her sister’s cavalier attitude. “It might be something.”

The door opened, saving Jasmine from having to answer.

“My friend’s working on a plan to get us out of here,” Michael said. “I spoke to him a few hours ago, but I wanted to update him on the whole…twin thing.”

“That’s important?”

Michael shrugged. “Could be. More information is always better than less.” He didn’t pair that remark with any knowing looks. “He said we should be ready to move around noon. We need to eat and pack our things. Since you two were seen last night, I went out this morning and got you both new abayas and head scarves. There’re also shorts and T-shirts to wear under them. It’s going to be hot. Is there⁠—?”

“You were seen too,” Leila said. “What if they followed you?”

His smile—if it could be called that—was patient. “I was careful. Is there anything you need before we go? It’ll be a long journey.”

Jasmine shook her head, but Leila said, “Maybe something for nausea?”

“It is nothing,” Jasmine said. “Please don’t worry.”

“It’s not nothing.” Leila couldn’t help the frustration lacing her words.

Michael didn’t step into the argument, just lifted a paper shopping bag from the floor near the couch, which he carried to the counter, pulling out a bottle. “I don’t know if it’ll help. My dad’s a doctor, so I texted him this morning. He suggested this.”

Jasmine took the medicine and read the label. “It is⁠—”

“Do not say it’s nothing,” Leila snapped. “It’s obviously not.”

Jasmine smiled, barely flicking a glance at her. “I was going to say that it is kind of you to worry.”

“It’s not just that,” Michael said. “There are times we’ll need to be quiet. We can’t have you giving us away.”

Her twin’s smile faded. “I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll try it. And also, lemons help when I add the juice to water.”

“Good to know. I’ll take care of that.” Michael shifted to Leila. “How about you? You need anything?”

“Food?” Leila asked.

He pulled more packages out of the bag. “No more MREs, I’m sorry to say.”

“Very sad. I was so looking forward to…what was it? Meat, I think?”

He lifted his gaze long enough to smile. “There’s no telling what’s in those things. I looked for haggis⁠—”

“You wish to poison us?”

He chuckled. “I got more protein bars and bottles of water. Hopefully, this’ll tide us over until we’re in Turkey.”

“And then?”

Michael left a couple of protein bars out, then started transferring what he’d bought into his backpack. “One step at a time.”

Leila didn’t like that answer. “It is not easy to get from Turkey to Europe, harder now than when I did it ten years ago.”

He didn’t look up. “I’m aware.”