Chapter 95
Clementine:
I ignored his comment and focused on the bag. “Ian, we weren’t supposed to take it with us,” I reminded him again.
He rolled his eyes while continuing to stare at the stuff and then pulling out small juice boxes and offering me one.
It was so hard to find food in the North so that juice box seemed like heaven to me.
“And let the kids die? Aren’t you the one who loves babies? I figured others were doing the same. I’m pretty sure they were, except for our stupid squadmates.” He was wrong. I hadn’t seen anyone else carrying a bag, unless the White Squad had one. I couldn’t be sure.
“Here,” he offered baby formula. I was happy to take it because he was right, screw the ringleaders and their rules. The babies needed food.
“I’m holding two babies. You need to make it,” I told him while he put the juice beside me. This was the first time the ringleaders had packed any kind of food with the crusaders but we weren’t allowed to take it with us out of the station.
He frowned. “Listen, I used the one some Green Squad girl helped me make. So I’m not making more p>
“If someone had already shown you how, you know how to do it. So do it,” I grunted, not letting him get away from such a simple task. With a sharp look at me, he started preparing a bottle for the baby in my arms.
“What do you think their names are?” I asked, smiling at the babies.
“Huh?” Ian looked at me like I’d just asked something bizarre.
“I said, what do you think their names are? Maybe their parents had already thought about them. It’s not like they got pregnant and then gave birth the next day. The babies inside their mothers for so long,” I said, feeling sentimental. I had never really held babies before, not since the last time I held my little brother. But I was a child myself back then. Maybe that’s why I felt such a deep connection with these little ones.
After my brother, I never held another baby. I wouldn’t even stick around children. But today, I had two babies in my arms, and my muscles were starting to cramp. Thankfully, Ian took his baby back and handed me the bottle to feed mine. The moment I gave it to him, he started drinking like his life depended on it. I felt so bad for him.
“Maybe his name is Baba and her name is Baby?” Ian said, shrugging, snapping me back to reality.
“If only your name was like that,” I complained at the fact that he was so rude and careless.
“Well, my name is not. And what is up with you?” he asked, gently rocking his baby. It was strange watching him take care of a child.
“What?” I asked, confused.
“You look eerily sentimental, not like your usual annoying self,” he questioned while mixing a rude comment at the same time.
“As if you’re not different either,” I complained, reminding him he was acting a bit civilized himself.
“That’s because I have zero energy left. Ever since I got my hands on this baby, she’s been crying non-stop, and her voice is so loud.” He put his hand near his ear, shook it, and grimaced.
“I don’t understand why people even want babies,” he complained.
Then he looked at the baby, who opened her eyes and stared at him. I expected him to have a small moment of awe, but instead, he stuck his tongue out at her and wrinkled his nose, teasing her.
“You’re so evil,” I commented after watching him interact with the poor child.
“Anyway, what’s the plan? When will the train return?” I asked, and he looked at me.
“We’ve only been here for a day, so calm down,” there was a way he would talk that would make his sexy voice sound so annoying.
“Yeah, but didn’t they say the train will come twice this time so the ones with babies can leave?” I asked, and he started zoning out.
“Yeah, maybe. Maybe tomorrow one train will arrive. Do you want to go back, or should we just explore the city?” he asked, shocking me with his point of view.
We weren’t here for a picnic, and I was pretty sure he knew that. Plus, we had babies. I didn’t know what he was thinking. Soon after the babies were fed, we realized they needed a diaper change.
“I’m not doing that,” he said, pointing at his baby.
“Come on, Ian, don’t be a bitch. They need you,” it was so hard to convince him of anything. And he was like that child who really tests your patience.
He got up, left the baby on the bench, and started walking away.
“You clean that and let me know,” he voiced from the road.
I didn’t want to do it for him, but the baby wasn’t at fault, so I grabbed the wipes and did my best to take care of it. Once I was done, I turned and yelled,
“Come back in! I’ve changed her diaper.” He finally returned.
“Ew, what are we gonna do with these?” he asked, pointing at the dirty ones.
“Of course we’ll throw them away, Ian,” I grunted at him for being such an idiot.
He was not helpful at all.
“Well, not really.” Mint reminded me he did help with the biggest problem–food—but that didn’t mean much. He was still pretty annoying. We stayed around for a few more minutes before I began to get up.
“What? We can spend time here. Nobody is coming here. And look, there’s a little bit of food for us too. Some biscuits and juices. Here.” He offered me one, but I stayed as far away as I could.
“Everybody is there,” I said.
He followed my eyes, turning his neck to look into the distance where I was staring. It was the same road we had come from.
“You mean to say, your mate? So, you two are a thing now,” Ian asked almost too eerily, his head down to look at the baby in his arms.
“I have two,” the minute I said that, he shot his head up and snapped his neck at me.