Read Online VOLITION (Perception Trilogy, book 2) by Lee Strauss, Elle Strauss - Free Book Online
Authors: Lee Strauss, Elle Strauss
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chest as if that could hold it in.
She stood in the doorway in her overly big winter coat, her
long, cotton dress dragging on the shed floor. I glared at her.
She stared back, her eyes glistening, the light streaming in
from a small window reflected in her pupils.
“I’m sorry, Noah.”
“You kissed him.”
She wrung her hands. “I don’t know what got into me. I just got
swept up in the moment.”
“Swept up in the moment ?” I huffed with disbelief. “You
put yourself in the moment, Zoe. I saw you.”
She stepped closer. “Noah, please. I’m really, really sorry. I
messed up, I know. I’m just confused.”
I ground my teeth and shook my head. I’d made a mistake by
taking Zoe from her family. A huge, freaking enormous mistake. I should’ve left
her alone, left her with Alison and Paul and Jackson. She was one of them .
She deserved them .
“I’m an idiot for thinking I could fix you,” I said in a low,
strained voice. “You don’t remember us .”
Pain filled her eyes at my words and for a moment I was glad. I
wanted to hurt her like she’d hurt me.
She took another cautious step. “I do remember us , but
it’s more like a movie I watched on my DigiWall over the summer and not my own
life. I don’t understand my own feelings.”
“Taylor looks like Jackson. Is that why? Do you miss him ?”
“God, no. Jackson killed my brother.”
A fresh wave of remorse engulfed me. My lips tightened around
my teeth.
“I should’ve left you alone, Zoe. You’d still be in Sol City. You’d
still be with your parents. You’d be in school like a normal teen.”
Her blue eyes darkened to almost grey as she pleaded, “No. I
wouldn’t be a normal teen. I’ll never be a normal teen again. You did the right
thing by taking me. I hate myself now, but at least I know the truth.”
My breath hitched. “You hate yourself?”
Tears ran down her cheeks and she pressed her palms against her
eyes. I felt myself soften.
“Zoe?”
She wiped her face, but wouldn’t look at me. “You’re right, I’m
broken. You deserve better.”
Now that she was willing to let go of me, I didn’t want her to.
My own conflicted desires roped my heart. I was a sucker for punishment. A
hopeless cause.
I reached for her hand and pulled her to me. “I’m sorry I said
that. It’s you I want.”
I lifted her chin and wiped her lips with my fingers. I
couldn’t kiss them so soon after they’d been on Taylor’s, so I pressed my lips
against her forehead instead.
“It’s going to take some time,” I said softly. “But, you’ll
remember us one day, fully remember. I love you, Zoe. Don’t forget
that.”
I waited for her to say it back, but I knew that she wouldn’t,
that she couldn’t, not truthfully.
And I didn’t want her to say it unless she meant it.
Truthfully.
“Uh-hum,” a gruff voice sounded, causing us to jump apart. Mr.
Galloway stood at the doorway of the shed, a stern frown pulled down on his loose
jowls.
His disapproving gaze settled on me.
“Young man,” he said. “While you are guests on our commune, you
will behave according to our rules and customs.”
“Yes, sir.”
His eyes cut to Zoe. “And I believe they could use your
assistance in the kitchen, young lady.”
She smiled weakly at me before leaving. I stared after her,
feeling winded by what had just happened.
The guys waited at the dining room table, the far side and the
two end seats taken while the opposite side remained empty—symbolic of the imbalance
of power in this commune and pretty much any organized state. The weak and the
strong tribes rubbed against each other and there was plenty of in-tribe
friction as well.
The tension between Taylor and me weighed heavy and I was
surprised that the other guys didn’t notice. Maybe it didn’t seem so unusual to
see Taylor smiling like the cat who caught the lone mouse, and me fashioning a
perpetual scowl. It was a good thing that Philip sat between us, or who
She stood in the doorway in her overly big winter coat, her
long, cotton dress dragging on the shed floor. I glared at her.
She stared back, her eyes glistening, the light streaming in
from a small window reflected in her pupils.
“I’m sorry, Noah.”
“You kissed him.”
She wrung her hands. “I don’t know what got into me. I just got
swept up in the moment.”
“Swept up in the moment ?” I huffed with disbelief. “You
put yourself in the moment, Zoe. I saw you.”
She stepped closer. “Noah, please. I’m really, really sorry. I
messed up, I know. I’m just confused.”
I ground my teeth and shook my head. I’d made a mistake by
taking Zoe from her family. A huge, freaking enormous mistake. I should’ve left
her alone, left her with Alison and Paul and Jackson. She was one of them .
She deserved them .
“I’m an idiot for thinking I could fix you,” I said in a low,
strained voice. “You don’t remember us .”
Pain filled her eyes at my words and for a moment I was glad. I
wanted to hurt her like she’d hurt me.
She took another cautious step. “I do remember us , but
it’s more like a movie I watched on my DigiWall over the summer and not my own
life. I don’t understand my own feelings.”
“Taylor looks like Jackson. Is that why? Do you miss him ?”
“God, no. Jackson killed my brother.”
A fresh wave of remorse engulfed me. My lips tightened around
my teeth.
“I should’ve left you alone, Zoe. You’d still be in Sol City. You’d
still be with your parents. You’d be in school like a normal teen.”
Her blue eyes darkened to almost grey as she pleaded, “No. I
wouldn’t be a normal teen. I’ll never be a normal teen again. You did the right
thing by taking me. I hate myself now, but at least I know the truth.”
My breath hitched. “You hate yourself?”
Tears ran down her cheeks and she pressed her palms against her
eyes. I felt myself soften.
“Zoe?”
She wiped her face, but wouldn’t look at me. “You’re right, I’m
broken. You deserve better.”
Now that she was willing to let go of me, I didn’t want her to.
My own conflicted desires roped my heart. I was a sucker for punishment. A
hopeless cause.
I reached for her hand and pulled her to me. “I’m sorry I said
that. It’s you I want.”
I lifted her chin and wiped her lips with my fingers. I
couldn’t kiss them so soon after they’d been on Taylor’s, so I pressed my lips
against her forehead instead.
“It’s going to take some time,” I said softly. “But, you’ll
remember us one day, fully remember. I love you, Zoe. Don’t forget
that.”
I waited for her to say it back, but I knew that she wouldn’t,
that she couldn’t, not truthfully.
And I didn’t want her to say it unless she meant it.
Truthfully.
“Uh-hum,” a gruff voice sounded, causing us to jump apart. Mr.
Galloway stood at the doorway of the shed, a stern frown pulled down on his loose
jowls.
His disapproving gaze settled on me.
“Young man,” he said. “While you are guests on our commune, you
will behave according to our rules and customs.”
“Yes, sir.”
His eyes cut to Zoe. “And I believe they could use your
assistance in the kitchen, young lady.”
She smiled weakly at me before leaving. I stared after her,
feeling winded by what had just happened.
The guys waited at the dining room table, the far side and the
two end seats taken while the opposite side remained empty—symbolic of the imbalance
of power in this commune and pretty much any organized state. The weak and the
strong tribes rubbed against each other and there was plenty of in-tribe
friction as well.
The tension between Taylor and me weighed heavy and I was
surprised that the other guys didn’t notice. Maybe it didn’t seem so unusual to
see Taylor smiling like the cat who caught the lone mouse, and me fashioning a
perpetual scowl. It was a good thing that Philip sat between us, or who
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