Read Online Still Point by Katie Kacvinsky - Free Book Online Page A

fingers through mine. “Why not?”
    â€œWhere would we go?” He looked at me as if he had never contemplated this.
    â€œWe’ll figure it out,” he said.
    â€œWe’d be on the run again.”
    â€œWe’d be together,” he pointed out.
    I shook my head. “I don’t want to hide anymore, Justin. I’m tired of running away. This is where I need to be right now,” I said.
    He squeezed my fingers. “Look, I let you rot in that detention center because you convinced me it was what you wanted. And even though it was crazy, I supported you. But it killed me every day you were in there. I can’t go through anything like that again.” He gave my fingers a soft tug. “Come with me. I have a car waiting down the street.”
    â€œThis is a little different,” I said. “My dad isn’t torturing me.”
    He let my hand go and took a step back. He looked at me like he didn’t recognize me. I couldn’t blame him. “You
want
to be here?”
    â€œI don’t want to be here, but I need to be.” I looked down at my feet because I didn’t want to see his disbelieving eyes at my next statement. “I know it’s the best thing.”
    He slid his hands over his baseball cap. “You’re really messing with my head, you know that?”
    I sighed. “I’m sorry. But I have to do this. I need you to trust me, one more time. I started something when I was fifteen that I need to finish. And I hate being here. I’d leave in a second if I could.”
    His dark eyes dared me. “Then leave.”
    â€œIt’s not that easy. I’ve got my father to deal with.”
    â€œDon’t let your dad scare you. Don’t let me persuade you, either. Just do what you think is right,” he said. “I spent a lot of time trying to protect you when I first met you, because I didn’t know you. And I finally get it. I don’t need to protect you. You push people away when they do; you think it’s suffocating.”
    â€œTrue,” I said.
    â€œYou can handle anything. Your dad hasn’t figured that out yet. So show him.”
    I nodded. “That’s what I’m trying to do.”
    Justin’s mouth tightened. His eyes scanned mine for any hesitation, for any way inside. But he couldn’t find an opening. “Fine. You’re staying. What can I do to speed up your self-induced prison sentence?”
    I fidgeted with the leash in my hand. “I might need to do this one on my own.” I looked up at him, and his face was unreadable. “I’m tired of making other people responsible for my problems.”
    â€œDidn’t the DC teach you anything? You can’t do things by yourself,” he argued.
    â€œWell, there’s a slight problem.” I held up my wrist. “A little welcome-home gift. He guessed I’d cave in and run away.”
    Justin rubbed his fingers over the small bump that was starting to dissolve under my wrist. He had seen skin trackers before.
    â€œHe’s not kidding around this time.”
    â€œNope. He clipped my wings.”
    More people were opening doors and talking. Someone laughed. Justin’s fingers traced my skin, my wrist, all the way down to my fingertips.
    â€œThey’ll grow back,” he said, tapping my fingernails.
    Justin’s hands slid around my waist, and he pulled my body so close to his that I almost gave in. He was the most important thing to me. But that’s also why I needed to stay. I was doing this for him as well, for us. His lips were inches from mine. His fingers were in my hair, and then he pulled my face into his hands.
    â€œThey’re going to have the lights on soon,” he said, his eyes drinking me in. I hadn’t kissed him in weeks. I stood on my tiptoes and breathed him in, the soapy smell of skin and lotion. The lights above us started to flicker. We could hear emergency