Play Along

“He does what he says.” She stands. “Let’s go eat lunch.”

I stand on the spot, I don’t want to go anywhere with these girls.

“You coming?” The red head smiles as the other two walk out the door in and down the corridor in front of us.

“What’s your name?” I ask.

“Angela.” She smiles shyly. “What’s yours?”

“Roshelle,” I reply.

She links her arm with mine as we walk down the corridor. “Look, I know this isn’t ideal, but just bide your time and then leave. If you try to run you will regret it.”

My scared eyes hold hers and somehow I feel like this girl is not so bad.

“For some reason Mac is protecting you. Take it. I wish he protected me,” she adds.

“How did you get here, doing this?” I whisper so that the other two girls can’t hear us.

She shrugs. “A string of bad decisions.”

I watch her as we walk.

She shrugs. “I live on the ship most of the year. I’m safe here, the boys look after me.”

I swallow the taste of disgust in my mouth. “Do you sleep with all of them?” I ask without thinking.

“I sleep with two of them.” Her eyes drop to the floor. “I care about the two of them. It’s not conventional but the three of us are happy.”

My eyes hold hers. I can’t even get my head around this kind of lifestyle. “So the three of you have group sex?”

She shrugs. “Yes, and one on one.”

I look at her as my brain misfires. “Sorry.” I shake my head. “I’m just so not used to this.”

“I know.” She smiles and takes my hand in hers. “That’s why he—” she cuts off mid sentence.

I frown as we walk into the common room. “What do you mean?” I ask her softly. “That’s why he what?” I whisper.

“Mac is…” She pauses for a moment. “Different.”

For some reason I like this gangbanger. She has an honest quality about her.

I glance around. “What’s his story?” I ask.

“Who, Mac?”

I nod.

She shrugs. “I don’t know. He keeps to himself, but when he first arrived—”

“When was that?” I interrupt.

She narrows her eyes as she thinks. “I don’t know. Maybe eight months ago.” She pauses as if contemplating telling me the next piece of info. “There was talk that he was an AWOL marine.”

My eyes widen.

“But I don’t know if that’s true because it came from Chelsea.” She leans in to whisper so nobody hears.