trees used to be called dog-tree?”
Lucas cracked a smile. “No, I wasn’t aware of that fact.”
“The name switched over in 1614.”
“That’s interesting.” He slid a sideways glance to her. “Do you like dogwood trees?”
Kaitlyn looked at him blankly. “It’s a tree.”
His shoulders slumped an inch, disappointed.
“Do you like trees?”
Lucas blinked at her in surprise. “They are needed for clean air, so yes. I like trees.”
She didn’t ask anything more. They continued walking, Lucas so aware of her presence beside him that he couldn’t think of anything else.
They came to a large birch tree. Kaitlyn reached out and pressed her hand to the peeling bark. “This is my favorite tree.”
Lucas stared up at the massive tree. She wasn’t built to have preferences for something like that. He kept a straight face, trying to squash the hope that built within him. Maybe he hadn’t imagined it. Maybe he really had seen emotion in her back at the lab.
“Why did you come to my room, Lucas?”
“I-I don’t know. It was foolish. I’m sorry I bothered you.”
“It’s not a bother. I like to get out of the room.”
That word again. Was she trying to tell him something?
“You do?”
Kaitlyn nodded once, a horribly robotic gesture, and kept walking. He hurried to catch up.
Lucas tried another tactic. “Kaitlyn, if I told you that you didn’t have to leave, would that make you happy?”
She tried to hide it, but he saw it: a flash of hope in her wide blue eyes. “Can you do that?”
“It depends. Do you want to stay here?” He didn’t have the authority to make such an offer, but he wanted to see her reaction. Maybe he could plead his case to Harrington.
Yeah, right.
She looked down at the ground and then back at Lucas. “I don’t want to leave. I don’t like it here, but I feel safe.”
His heart rate accelerated. Holy shit . This was huge. Lucas wanted to run back and tell Professor Adams, but something in her face told him not to. How could he have missed the signs that she still had feelings and emotions, hopes and fears?
Lucas thought of the ramifications. Maybe he should keep this to himself. Professor Adams would want to remove any emotions, any humanity that Kaitlyn had left. He found himself wondering what her laugh sounded like. What a strange thing to think of at a time like this.
Kaitlyn’s clear voice startled him out of his thoughts. “Do you know where they plan on sending me?”
“No. I just know it will be for a government contract.”
“Will I see you again?”
Taking a deep breath, Lucas’s shoulders slumped. “I hope so. Since we created you and all, I think they’ll need us to stay involved.” He really didn’t believe that to be true, but he wished it were. The thought of never seeing her again…
“I’m going to miss you.” He stiffened, surprised. Had he said that out loud?
“You are?” Kaitlyn asked, staring at him curiously. “As in feeling of loss?”
He laughed. He knew her brain analyzed words and phrases at lightning speed. “Yes, that is exactly what I meant. We’ve spent a lot of time together.”
“Can you really help me to stay here?”
“I can try.”
Chapter Ten
T hey continued down the path into the woods. Kaitlyn couldn’t believe she was alone with Lucas. How many nights had she lain awake thinking about this moment?
He looked so handsome in the fading sunlight. His coarse dark hair was sticking up in odd directions because he kept running his hand through it. Her sensors told her it was a nervous gesture, and Kaitlyn tried to dig deeper to find out if he was nervous because of her. Her sensors just flashed No further report .
She fought the urge to trace her fingers around the stubble on his usually clean-shaven face and press her body to his. He looked like he hadn’t been sleeping well; today, he had dark circles under his beautiful eyes. She wanted to ask him if something was bothering him, but that was not
Lucas cracked a smile. “No, I wasn’t aware of that fact.”
“The name switched over in 1614.”
“That’s interesting.” He slid a sideways glance to her. “Do you like dogwood trees?”
Kaitlyn looked at him blankly. “It’s a tree.”
His shoulders slumped an inch, disappointed.
“Do you like trees?”
Lucas blinked at her in surprise. “They are needed for clean air, so yes. I like trees.”
She didn’t ask anything more. They continued walking, Lucas so aware of her presence beside him that he couldn’t think of anything else.
They came to a large birch tree. Kaitlyn reached out and pressed her hand to the peeling bark. “This is my favorite tree.”
Lucas stared up at the massive tree. She wasn’t built to have preferences for something like that. He kept a straight face, trying to squash the hope that built within him. Maybe he hadn’t imagined it. Maybe he really had seen emotion in her back at the lab.
“Why did you come to my room, Lucas?”
“I-I don’t know. It was foolish. I’m sorry I bothered you.”
“It’s not a bother. I like to get out of the room.”
That word again. Was she trying to tell him something?
“You do?”
Kaitlyn nodded once, a horribly robotic gesture, and kept walking. He hurried to catch up.
Lucas tried another tactic. “Kaitlyn, if I told you that you didn’t have to leave, would that make you happy?”
She tried to hide it, but he saw it: a flash of hope in her wide blue eyes. “Can you do that?”
“It depends. Do you want to stay here?” He didn’t have the authority to make such an offer, but he wanted to see her reaction. Maybe he could plead his case to Harrington.
Yeah, right.
She looked down at the ground and then back at Lucas. “I don’t want to leave. I don’t like it here, but I feel safe.”
His heart rate accelerated. Holy shit . This was huge. Lucas wanted to run back and tell Professor Adams, but something in her face told him not to. How could he have missed the signs that she still had feelings and emotions, hopes and fears?
Lucas thought of the ramifications. Maybe he should keep this to himself. Professor Adams would want to remove any emotions, any humanity that Kaitlyn had left. He found himself wondering what her laugh sounded like. What a strange thing to think of at a time like this.
Kaitlyn’s clear voice startled him out of his thoughts. “Do you know where they plan on sending me?”
“No. I just know it will be for a government contract.”
“Will I see you again?”
Taking a deep breath, Lucas’s shoulders slumped. “I hope so. Since we created you and all, I think they’ll need us to stay involved.” He really didn’t believe that to be true, but he wished it were. The thought of never seeing her again…
“I’m going to miss you.” He stiffened, surprised. Had he said that out loud?
“You are?” Kaitlyn asked, staring at him curiously. “As in feeling of loss?”
He laughed. He knew her brain analyzed words and phrases at lightning speed. “Yes, that is exactly what I meant. We’ve spent a lot of time together.”
“Can you really help me to stay here?”
“I can try.”
Chapter Ten
T hey continued down the path into the woods. Kaitlyn couldn’t believe she was alone with Lucas. How many nights had she lain awake thinking about this moment?
He looked so handsome in the fading sunlight. His coarse dark hair was sticking up in odd directions because he kept running his hand through it. Her sensors told her it was a nervous gesture, and Kaitlyn tried to dig deeper to find out if he was nervous because of her. Her sensors just flashed No further report .
She fought the urge to trace her fingers around the stubble on his usually clean-shaven face and press her body to his. He looked like he hadn’t been sleeping well; today, he had dark circles under his beautiful eyes. She wanted to ask him if something was bothering him, but that was not
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