Sleeping Dogs Lie

Chapter Eighteen

Things can't ever be nice and smooth and easy like I want them to be.

If Daniel's got to be high on Snap and rolling around with the Snappers on the other side of the Hex, I'd rather he just stay over there and make it a clean break all the way around. That way, I can make my own arrangements for Freya and be off on my odious "date" with that little douchebag, Aaron. Done, and done.

But of course, it can't go like that, because it never does for me. That would just be way doo convenient.

I had a plan all worked out. Gemma lives downstairs from me, on Sector 4, and I've arranged for Freya to stay the night with her while I go make it look like Aaron and I have something romantic going on. Ick.

Thankfully, Gemma didn't ask any questions about Daniel and me, even though I could tell she has them. I don't think I could bear to try and explain the situation to her. To try and come up with a carefully constructed mix of lies and truth that will make the whole situation seem benign and plausible. Most of all, I don't want to have to lie to cover up Daniel's drug use, which is the real reason why he hasn't been around and can't watch Freya.

The whole thing makes me sick inside. Oh, how I love Gemma for being willing to let sleeping dogs lie. Blue Jumpsuit will come fetch Freya from Gemma's tomorrow morning for school. Couldn't be easier, right?

So when I come home from work to find Daniel sitting on my bed next to Freya as she sleeps, my heart drops about six stories below into the basement of the Hex. I almost can't even look directly at Daniel. But he just wants to pretend like nothing's wrong. Not like he hasn't been around for two whole days.

All I allow him are short, one-word answers in response to all his questions. About my day? Fine. How's work? Great. About Freya? Terrific. Blah, blah, blah...

I run away from him and lock myself into my bathroom to get ready for my hot "date." Dig through my clothes in the closet to find that red dress I snuck out of the Blood Flea House. When I slip into it, it's as figure flattering as I remember it being. Maybe even moreso now, because I get three squares a day here at the Hex, so I fill it out better than I did when I was on the road and the pickings were much slimmer.

There's no way any halfway intelligent human being would see me wearing this dress up to the Kernel tonight and mistake my purpose for being there as anything but sweet, sweet lovin'. Gross.

Good Lord, whoever's sitting up at the Comm watching my surveillance videos must think I'm the biggest slut in the history of the world. Between my "showers" with Daniel, and now this red dress ridiculousness, all the video footage that I'm dancing around on with random boys is going to make it seem like my sole purpose in life is seduction.

I roll my eyes and decide to do something pretty with my hair.

If I had make-up, I suppose I'd put some on, but I don't. Aaron doesn't deserve make-up, anyways. He ought to thank his lucky stars he's getting this hot, red dress. As it is, I don't even have any shoes that'll go with this dress, so I shove my feet into my work-a-day Converse high-tops and call it good enough. Oh well, you take what you can get after the world's ended and everything's gone wonky.

Finally, I let myself out into the bathroom.

"Sheesh, Alecto, I didn't know you'd be that happy to see me," Daniel says with a shy smile.

I almost feel bad, because I know that now I will have to crush him. But then I remind myself of what it is he's been out doing for the last couple of days, and the crushing becomes much easier.