Read Online H.A.L.F.: The Makers by Natalie Wright - Free Book Online

Erika.
    Soon they were away from the dusty air base and in the campus area of town. Sewell wove through the side streets and at last pulled up to a small well-kept mid-century bungalow-style home with a small covered porch.
    “Here we are,” Sewell announced.
    “Looks nice. For a student’s house, I mean.” For any house was what he really thought. It might have been small, but it was the most meticulously maintained, well-groomed house Jack had ever seen.
    “Anna is in graduate school. She’s attending the University of Arizona. Getting her master’s degree in biochemistry. And I forgot to mention. The Sturgises are quite wealthy. Not William Croft rich, but still. Money is not an issue for them.”
    “I see.” That began to explain how a student could afford such a nice place to live.
    Sewell got out of the car and motioned for Jack to come with him. Jack’s heart hammered away in his chest again. For some reason, he felt like he did on the first day in a new school. His hands were clammy and he was suddenly aware that he hadn’t shaved or changed his clothes in two weeks (though he had finally showered at Dr. Randall’s place). God, I look like a yeti. What is she going to think?
    Sewell was already on the porch and knocking on the door when Jack sauntered up behind him. The door opened after only a few seconds.
    “Mr. Sewell, how nice to see you again.” The voice was female but strong, fairly loud and in the mid-tones, not an overly high voice like some women have. Anna’s long blonde hair fell in a curtain on either side of her heart-shaped face as she reached out and hugged Sewell. “You look exactly the same as always. Exactly.”
    “Well, you know, nothing ever changes in our world. It’s all shuffling papers from pile to pile.”
    “Please, come in from the heat.”
    Jack followed behind Sewell, and within twenty paces they were in a small kitchen that opened to an eating area and a tiny living room with a beehive fireplace. The place looked like it was professionally decorated with expensive-looking Native American pots and artistic blown-glass art pieces placed neatly on the lighted shelves on either side of the fireplace. Everything had a place, and all of it looked like it was picked out at the same time and positioned with care. It wasn’t the hodgepodge of stuff gathered over many years and strewn about like most people’s houses.
    Anna blew a strand of soft, curling blonde hair out of her eyes. “I’m Anna.” She held out a thin, manicured hand to Jack.
    Anna’s eyes were the tranquil blue of a deep pool of water and set above cheekbones so high and chiseled they looked sculpted.
    Jack was struck speechless by Anna’s unexpected beauty. Her aunt Sturgis was so repugnant to Jack that he’d pictured her niece as a troll. And when Sewell had told Jack that Anna was getting an advanced degree in biochemistry, Jack envisioned a plain-looking thirty-something bookish woman. Anna couldn’t have been more than twenty-two, and she looked like she’d stepped off a magazine cover. Though she wore a simple T-shirt and cutoff blue jean shorts and flip-flops, somehow she exuded sophistication.
    Jack realized he was still holding her hand and had said nothing. “Oh, sorry, nice to meet you too. I’m Jack Wilson.” Crap, was I supposed to use that fake name?
    Anna softly laughed. “I know.” She took her hand from his. “I don’t know much about you, but at least I wanted to know the name of my new roommate.” She flashed Jack a smile that was symmetrical and filled with perfectly straight, perfectly white teeth.
    She either had some major cosmetic dentistry or she got very fortunate genes. Jack had suffered through two years of braces and his mouth never achieved half the flawlessness of Anna’s.
    While Commander Sturgis’ smile seemed as planned as a NASA mission, Anna’s smile came from her eyes. She may not be smiling long if she learns the truth about her aunt .
    “Well, Sewell