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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN le petit mort
⋆*✧･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:
BEING IN A CAR with Luther Hargreeves was predictably awkward. Because he knew the way to Vanya's farm, he was driving. Nadine was in the passenger's seat, tapping her fingers against her thigh as she watched Dallas pass by in a rush. She no longer felt openly hostile around Luther—it was clear he had changed—but still, being alone with him dredged up those unwanted memories yet again. And, to make matters worse, it was completely silent. The radio in Luther's car was broken, so Nadine didn't even have music to occupy her swirling thoughts. Instead, she could focus on nothing but the sounds of their breathing, the steady rumble of the engine, and the occasional blink when a turn signal was required.
After about twenty minutes of this, Nadine finally decided to speak. They'd crossed into the countryside now, so instead of the hustle and bustle of the downtown, all around them were open fields and the occasional cow or horse. It made the world feel big.
"So," she began, "Vanya told me you came to the farm a few days ago, to apologize to her."
Luther flipped on the left turn signal. "Yep."
"How did you know where she was staying?"
"Oh, it was a total coincidence." Luther turned onto a new road. It hadn't been paved for a while, and the entire car jolted as it ran over a set of potholes. "A man she's staying with left his wallet at the bar I was working at. He was drunk, and when I kicked him out, he must have dropped it. When I went outside to give it to him, I saw Vanya picking him up. She drove off before I could talk to her or return the wallet, but luckily, I now had his address. That's how I found her the first time." He looked at Nadine. "She really doesn't remember anything?"
Nadine shook her head and balled her hands into fists. "It was a surprise to me, too. When I met her in the cornfield, she didn't know me. She... thought I was someone else. The woman she's nannying for, I think."
Luther snapped his fingers. "Oh, I think I know who you're talking about. She was there in the barn, too, when I spoke to Vanya. Thinking about it now, I guess I can see a few resemblances between you two. You've both got blonde hair and blue eyes, and the skin tone's about the same, too. You're a bit taller, though."
"That's... nice," said Nadine. What exactly was she supposed to say to that? "It just sucks that she doesn't remember us. Or, you know, remember the whole 'end of the world' thing."
"Yeah... why didn't you tell her about that?" Luther asked. "When she was in my apartment, she didn't know that she was the one that blew up the Moon. Why did you keep that from her?"
"Wait, you told her?" Nadine's mouth dropped open. "Holy shit, no wonder she left. Why on Earth would you tell someone who barely remembers her own name that she was the cause of a fucking apocalypse?"
