"I wanna go back to old Prentisstown," I say. And it feels so relieving. "What?" Viola questions with surprise.
"Maybe not old Prentisstown itself, but not here."
She sits up and I can tell she's a bit uneasy.
"Todd, we've barley started–" my heart sinks a little.
"But we will start soon." I squeeze her hand a little.
"The ships'll come and the settlers will wake up and then there'll be a new city. With all new people."
I look away, staring at the side of the tent but not really staring at anything at all, just not looking at her. 'Cuz I can't right now.
"After living in one for a while, I don't think I like cities much."
Then I say one of both the hardest and easiest things in the world for me to admit. "And I want you to come with me." I tilt my head back up, 'cuz now I can look at her again, now that I've gotten that out of the way. I have to follow up quickly tho if I want to stay relaxed.
"And Ben. And Wilf and Jane, maybe. And Bradley, too, if he wants, and that Mistress Lawson seems nice. Why couldn't we all make a town out of it? A town away from all of this." I exhale a little harder than normal. I pause.
"A town far from the Mayor."
Viola's quick to reply: "But he needs to be watched–"
But I'm quick too. "There'll be 5000 new people who'll know all about what he is." Again, I have to look away form her.
"Besides, I think maybe I've done all I can for him. And I'm tired." I breathe.
"I want to go away form here. And I want you to come with me."
There's a silence hanging between us, but before long, Viola breaks it.
"He's in your head, Todd. I saw him there. Like you're connected somehow." I sigh as she says connected. Because it's true, at least a bit, no matter how much I deny it.
"I know. That's why I want to go, I came close but I ain't forgot who I am. Ben reminded me of all I ever need to know. And yeah, I'm connected to the Mayor, too, but I've pulled him away form all this war stuff." Viola squirms a little, not able to keep still.
"Did you see what he did with the crowd?"
"It's almost over," I say, trying to calm her down.
"We'll have peace, he'll have his victory, and he won't need me, even tho he thinks he does. The convoy'll come, he'll be the hero but he'll be out-numbered, and we'll get the hell outta here, okay?" I spit out in a single breath.
"Todd–" comes Viola's worried reply.
"It's almost over. And I can hang on till it is." And I mean to leave it at that. But then I look at her, and that triggers it, the thought I've been trying to avoid. The one that I can't let her hear. I try to quiet my noise, but it's too late. Effing...
Oh, well, I can't resist it now, so I just let it happen. I think about her hand in mine, how soft her skin is and haw she smells, how she's so strong, recovering quick from her infekshun. Then I reach up and go to touch her neck, but I stop and I think about how much I want to take her and…
"Oh, god." I look at the ground again.
"Viola, I'm sorry, I didn't mean–" but before I can finish, she's put the hand on my neck. And that stops me, and I'm as confused as ever.
"Viola–"
But before I have the chance to do anything, I feel her rushing towards me, the space twixt our faces closing. And then she kisses me. My noise swirls in surprise, and as she pulls away, all I can think is I love you, Viola Eade. I love you.