Exiled

NINETEEN

The moon is high in the sky, and there's a breeze lingering, softly caressing my cheeks. Mason and Rhett are both passed out in the bedrooms, and Hudson is fast asleep on the sofa. I couldn't sleep, so I snuck back through the double doors, out into the cool night air.

I pull my long sleeves down, curl my hands inside of them, and hug my knees to my chest. The streets and stairs below are deserted, and it looks like a completely different place than it did a few hours ago.

We had a great time after Hudson came back; we went to the cafeteria and ate a fabulous dinner. He took us to the clothing store and bought us a few more pieces of clothing and showed us where we can take our stuff to wash it.

Mason talked him into buying some alcohol, and the three of them spent several hours stumbling around the Pod, laughing and carrying on loudly.

I giggle, thinking of Rhett swaying as I guided him up the stairs. Even intoxicated he caressed my cheek softly, whispered sweet nothings into my ear, and he told me I was beautiful.

"What are you doing out here?" Hudson mutters between yawns.

I didn't even hear him open the door.

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to come outside. I was hoping the cool air would help, but it's really having the opposite effect." I mumble.

He sits down on the platform, next to my chair, and pulls his knees halfway to his chest. He gazes out at the empty streets. "I really hope you decide to stay Dallas. I can help you guys get in good jobs, I'm kind of important around here."

"Hudson, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he replies idly.

"Do you think someone back home knows this place exists?"

He cranes his neck to look at me, eyes wide with apprehension. "I'm, um... I'm not really supposed to tell you that."

"Why not?" I retort quickly.

He sighs heavily. "Eleanor doesn't like talking about those outside of the city. She has a particular hatred for some of them, and maybe one day I can tell you all about it. Just do me this one favor Dallas, if anyone asks you where you three came from, make sure you guys don't tell them where the community is, okay?"

I furrow my brows, utterly confused. Why on Earth would I need to hide where I came from?

"Um... okay. I'll tell Rhett and Mason. Can I ask you one more question Hudson?"

"Yes, but I'm not promising I can answer it," he replies quietly.

"What did they do with Grace and Beau?"

He averts his eyes, staring down at his bare feet. "They have been returned to the area where we found you guys. You do understand that you three won't be able to go back home now, right?"

"I mean, I wasn't planning on it," I say, toying with a thread on the sleeve of my shirt.

"Good, I'd rather have you here where I know you are safe. You really have no idea how happy I was when I found you out there. To know you were safe from..." he stops himself, letting his words trail off into a tense silence.

"From what Hudson?" I pry.

He shakes his head. "Nothing Dallas, just let it go. There's so much I wish I could tell you."

I feel like a scolded child, and I stare at Hudson feeling the heat rising in my cheeks. "Then tell me!" I spat.

He shakes his head again, and meets my gaze, his eyes burning with apprehension. "No Dallas, I can't. Eleanor trusts me, and I need her to trust me. It's the only way I can keep people safe." He pauses. "I've already said too much tonight, just make sure you all don't tell them where we are from okay?"

He stands abruptly and walks back through the double doors without another word. I'm left to sort through what he said, picking through each word, and testing them for their worth.

Suddenly I feel like there are darker things going on here beneath the peaceful rebuilding of a city.

My subconscious screams at me to leave it alone, but my curiosity is pushing me to dig deeper, I need to know what Eleanor is hiding here.