She needed to call him. To hear his voice. To tell him she was sorry for taking off without saying goodbye.
The murmur of voices came from the kitchen. She stepped inside to find them all huddled around a table. The smell of melted cheese filled the room and her tummy rumbled.
“Maeve?” Sampson jumped up with a frown, coming over to her side. “Are you all right? Should you be out of bed?”
“I’m fine. Eric just left. He said I’m fine. Just a bit bruised and battered. A good night’s sleep and some food is all I need.”
Sampson grunted.
“I’ll call him,” Jenner said.
“What? You don’t believe me? I’m so insulted.”
“We just know what you’re like,” Abe said.
Huh. Rude.
“Come sit down,” Immy said.
She sat carefully and Immy bustled around, serving her up some mac and cheese, which was made from scratch rather than out of the packet.
Her favorite.
“Juice?” Immy asked. “I’ve got apple and orange. Or milk? I’ve got the stuff that comes straight from the teat or banana, chocolate, and strawberry.”
“Ew, straight from the teat?” Maeve said with a grin.
“Pretty sure it’s not straight from the cow, Immy,” Abe told her.
“Almost. So?”
“She’ll have water,” Sampson bossed.
“I’ll have chocolate milk. Thanks, Immy.”
Immy glared at Sampson as she poured the chocolate milk. “You’re not in charge of what she eats and drinks.”
“She needs rehydrating.”
“I just talked to Eric,” Jenner said, coming into the room. “And Sampson is right. Maeve needs nutritious food and water.”
Maeve sighed, but took the water that Abe got her with a smile.
“You don’t have to do what they say, Maeve,” Immy said, glaring around at them. “They’re not our bosses.”
Maeve stared at Immy in surprise. Immy seemed to survive living with these Neanderthals by not rocking the boat too much. By giving them what they wanted.
“If you bully her, she’ll take off again,” Immy said. “I don’t want her going out there and getting hurt.”
Immy sniffled, making all of them shift around frantically, searching for a way to stop her from getting upset. Even Isaiah looked up from his laptop.
“Immy, don’t get upset,” Abe said gruffly. “We’re just looking after Maeve.”
“You all drove her off last time and now look what happened.”
“Immy,” she said gently. “None of this is their fault. I needed to leave, to find who I was again, to not feel like a burden.”
“You’ve never been a burden,” Immy said fiercely.