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Authors: Jessica Hickam
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pans back and forth over the property.
He raises an eyebrow, and a small grin dimples his cheek. “A camera?” he nearly laughs. “Please, I disabled that thing as soon as I got here. It’s on a continual fifteen-second loop now until I press here,” he points to a button on his cell phone.
I just stare at him with my mouth gaping a bit, unsure if he’s joking with me.
“Technology’s kind of my thing,” he explains with a shrug. “Why do you think the military keeps me around?”
He’s not kidding. I look back at the cameras, wondering if he can teach me that trick.
“You disabled my camera?” I stammer. “Why would you do that? Why are you even here?”
“Because I found these ,” he says, holding out a folder, “in my father’s office. I figured you’d like to hang on to them. Or destroy them.”
I open the envelope he hands me and a series of images fall out into my hand. Images from my joyride the day before the gala. Westerfield wasn’t lying when he said he had evidence of my escapade.
“Do you have a lighter?” I ask, flipping through the images.
“Don’t smoke,” he shakes his head.
“That’s new,” I blurt out before I can stop myself.
“What?”
I wish I could take it back. “You used to. Smoke.”
“A few times in high school, I guess. How did you know that?”
I shrug quickly, tearing into the photos, until they’re shreds around my feet. I grind the shards into dirt. The moisture from the soil bleeds into the edges, further ruining the images.
“You sure didn’t waste time making sure they disappear.”
“No,” I breathe feeling relief swell in my core. “I didn’t want to have to explain. Those are the last things I want my parents to find.”
“It’s done.” I can tell his answer is also a promise to me that he will keep this secret.
“Well. Thanks again.” I turn toward the house. I have to get back inside before the security patrols notice me. Kai being here won’t go over well. He’s the son of the rival candidate, after all.
“Don’t,” Kai says and stops me before I can take a step.
I glanced back at him with a questioning gaze.
“Don’t go back inside.”
“What?”
His eyes say he already has a plan. “You don’t want to.”
“What?” My gaze narrows.
“Come out with me. We can go anywhere you want. I’ll have you home by dark.”
“Oh you’re funny.” I roll my eyes.
He doesn’t smile, just watches me.
I snort, “Go outside with you? I wouldn’t even get past the—” I gesture down the road before glancing back at the cameras. “My parents would ki—”
He raises an eyebrow. “That’s the point, isn’t it? To do something unexpected?”
He has me there. My voice hitches.
There are a million options in this moment. The right one is to tell Kai to leave. I could insist he go, or call Jeremy. I could say thanks, but no thanks. This is a bad idea.
It is a bad idea. Kai Westerfield is a bad idea.
But going back inside that house—staying locked away for my life because I’m scared of the outside world—is an even-worse idea. The Revealed had their chance to take me. I’m not just going to wait around for them to try again.
Instead, I walk right up to Kai until my face is only inches away from his, studying those deep green-and-gold eyes until I’m sure he isn’t playing around. His expression is unflinching.
“So what do you say?” he asks.
I keep waiting for him to laugh, but it doesn’t happen.
“Anywhere I want?”
“Anywhere.”
“Before six?”
He nods. “I’ll have you home before six.”
It’s almost like he’s challenging me. But there’s something more behind his gaze. It’s adventurous and encouraging.
I don’t want to say no.
Two hundred and forty-nine days until I’m nineteen. Unknown days until The Revealed come for me. What if today is my last?
“Fine,” I walk to the driver’s side door and hold out my palm, “but I get to drive.”
He grins in an earnest
He raises an eyebrow, and a small grin dimples his cheek. “A camera?” he nearly laughs. “Please, I disabled that thing as soon as I got here. It’s on a continual fifteen-second loop now until I press here,” he points to a button on his cell phone.
I just stare at him with my mouth gaping a bit, unsure if he’s joking with me.
“Technology’s kind of my thing,” he explains with a shrug. “Why do you think the military keeps me around?”
He’s not kidding. I look back at the cameras, wondering if he can teach me that trick.
“You disabled my camera?” I stammer. “Why would you do that? Why are you even here?”
“Because I found these ,” he says, holding out a folder, “in my father’s office. I figured you’d like to hang on to them. Or destroy them.”
I open the envelope he hands me and a series of images fall out into my hand. Images from my joyride the day before the gala. Westerfield wasn’t lying when he said he had evidence of my escapade.
“Do you have a lighter?” I ask, flipping through the images.
“Don’t smoke,” he shakes his head.
“That’s new,” I blurt out before I can stop myself.
“What?”
I wish I could take it back. “You used to. Smoke.”
“A few times in high school, I guess. How did you know that?”
I shrug quickly, tearing into the photos, until they’re shreds around my feet. I grind the shards into dirt. The moisture from the soil bleeds into the edges, further ruining the images.
“You sure didn’t waste time making sure they disappear.”
“No,” I breathe feeling relief swell in my core. “I didn’t want to have to explain. Those are the last things I want my parents to find.”
“It’s done.” I can tell his answer is also a promise to me that he will keep this secret.
“Well. Thanks again.” I turn toward the house. I have to get back inside before the security patrols notice me. Kai being here won’t go over well. He’s the son of the rival candidate, after all.
“Don’t,” Kai says and stops me before I can take a step.
I glanced back at him with a questioning gaze.
“Don’t go back inside.”
“What?”
His eyes say he already has a plan. “You don’t want to.”
“What?” My gaze narrows.
“Come out with me. We can go anywhere you want. I’ll have you home by dark.”
“Oh you’re funny.” I roll my eyes.
He doesn’t smile, just watches me.
I snort, “Go outside with you? I wouldn’t even get past the—” I gesture down the road before glancing back at the cameras. “My parents would ki—”
He raises an eyebrow. “That’s the point, isn’t it? To do something unexpected?”
He has me there. My voice hitches.
There are a million options in this moment. The right one is to tell Kai to leave. I could insist he go, or call Jeremy. I could say thanks, but no thanks. This is a bad idea.
It is a bad idea. Kai Westerfield is a bad idea.
But going back inside that house—staying locked away for my life because I’m scared of the outside world—is an even-worse idea. The Revealed had their chance to take me. I’m not just going to wait around for them to try again.
Instead, I walk right up to Kai until my face is only inches away from his, studying those deep green-and-gold eyes until I’m sure he isn’t playing around. His expression is unflinching.
“So what do you say?” he asks.
I keep waiting for him to laugh, but it doesn’t happen.
“Anywhere I want?”
“Anywhere.”
“Before six?”
He nods. “I’ll have you home before six.”
It’s almost like he’s challenging me. But there’s something more behind his gaze. It’s adventurous and encouraging.
I don’t want to say no.
Two hundred and forty-nine days until I’m nineteen. Unknown days until The Revealed come for me. What if today is my last?
“Fine,” I walk to the driver’s side door and hold out my palm, “but I get to drive.”
He grins in an earnest
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