Defective (The Institute Series Book 3) (8 page)

“By the look of his nose – yes.”

“So you used to beat up guys a lot?” Jayce asks.

“Please,” Aunt Kenna scoffs. “She knocked one of her boyfriends out cold once. You should thank your lucky stars you’re still conscious.” And with that, Aunt Kenna walks out, leaving me to explain everything to Jayce.

But where the hell do I start?

Jayce sits on the edge of one of the treatment beds as I start cleaning up his nose.

“So what did you want to know first?” I ask, stepping forward between his legs and examining his face. Our bodies are so close, his thighs brushing up against my hips; I find it hard to concentrate.

“How about we start with the photo.”

My eyes scrunch as I start wiping away some blood from his face. “I’m really sorry about your nose,” I say, stalling.

“I’m starting to think you just wanted to mess up my face so no other girls will ask me out. It’s a pretty vicious way to mark your territory.”

“Please, if anything I’ve made you look better. Girls like tough guys.”

His eyebrows go up in surprise before wincing in pain again. “So is that what I have to do to get you to go out with me? Go punch someone out?”

I laugh. “You’re persistent, I’ll give you that. But – and please don’t take this the wrong way – I don’t exactly see you as the ‘punching someone out’ type.” His eyebrows pull together in a small scowl. “Don’t get me wrong, physically you could pull it off, but from what I’ve learnt about you, you’d be more of a ‘talk it out’ rather than ‘fight it out’ kind of person.”

“Am I that transparent?”

“Well you didn’t even try to stop me when I attacked you.”

“You were too bloody quick!” he retorts. “But you’re right, I guess. I’ve never been in a fight, nor do I intend to ever get in one. I just don’t see how violence could solve anything.”

I take my hands away from his face and stare down into his eyes. “Once upon a time, I would’ve agreed with you,” I say with a sad sigh.

“But not now?”

I just shake my head. “Enough about that – you wanted to know about the photo.”

“Right, the photo. We should probably talk about that.”

“It was dropped off at security of my apartment building. I don’t know who it’s from, or what they want,” I say while continuing to fix up his nose.

“When?” he asks.

“When, what?”

“When was it dropped off?”

“That night.”

Jayce’s eyes narrow. “They went to all that trouble in one night? Was there anything with the photo?”

“A note. ‘Looks like Paxton isn’t the only one with secrets.’”

“That’s what the note said?
Isn’t the only one
with secrets?”

“I thought the wording was weird, too. The only logical explanation to me is that some journalist found out about Paxton and me and is going to out us.”

“Then why send the photo? Why not write the article and expose you?”

I hadn’t really thought of that. “I don’t know.”

“I can ask my sister to look into it if you want, but—”

“No. Please don’t. I don’t want her writing an article about it or Paxton.”

“She wouldn’t do that.”

“I just don’t know what I’m going to do about it, and I think the less people that know, the better. At least for now.”

“Okay. But have you at least told Paxton?”

“He hasn’t been home,” I say, finishing up with his nose and reluctantly taking a step back. “There you go, it doesn’t even need a bandage. I actually didn’t really do much damage at all. I must have lost my touch.”

“Have you told anyone about the note?”

“I’ve told you.”

“Only because I caught you looking at it, and now I’m paying the price,” he says, rubbing his nose. “Were you going to tell anyone?”

“I was thinking about it.”

Jayce sighs, giving up on that part of the conversation. “Okay, so next thing I want to know is where you learnt how to be some kind of Karate Kung Fu master?”

“It’s Krav Maga, and that’s a pretty long story. A really long story actually.”

Jayce continues to stare at me, waiting for me to continue.

“The short version is that Chad taught me when he was alive.” I take another step away from him at the mention of Chad’s name. It feels weird being in close proximity to Jayce while talking about Chad. “There’s just so much you don’t know. I don’t exactly know where to start.”

Jayce grabs my hands and gently pulls me towards him. “Then don’t,” he says.

“What?” I ask.

“I want to know everything about you, but it doesn’t have to be all at once. It’s obvious you’ve been through a lot, and I don’t want to push you. You can tell me whenever you’re ready. I don’t mind waiting.”

I can’t help narrowing my eyes. I’m so
confused. “Okay, but you have to tell me something.”

“Anything,” he says.

“What is wrong with you?”

“Wrong with me?” He quirks an eyebrow.

“Nobody is as perfect as you seem to be. Something has to be wrong. Like you’re a serial killer, or you have pent up mummy issues and I remind you of her, or you’re an undercover cop just waiting for me to use my ability so you can arrest me and throw me in a jail cell.”
Wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened.
“
There’s something wrong with you – there has to be. Especially if you’re willing to wait around for a girl like me who has more baggage than a train station.”

Jayce tries not to laugh. “Well I can tell you for certain that I’m not a serial killer, I have no mummy issues that I’m aware of, and just so you know – you remind me nothing of her – and if I was an undercover cop, don’t you think I would’ve asked you about your ability by now? I have no idea what your ability is, and it hasn’t even really occurred to me to ask. I hope that one day you’ll tell me, but right now I actually don’t care what it is. You’re not going to scare me off with your baggage. I like your baggage. It made you into the person you are, and while I’ve only known you a couple of weeks, I can undoubtedly say that I like you.”

Well that makes one of us
.

“I’ll be ready to listen when you’re ready to talk,” Jayce says, letting go of my hands that I’d forgotten he was still holding. He stands up and walks out of the treatment room, leaving me wanting him to come back.

Chapter Eight

There has been a shift in me this morning. Instead of dreading going to work tonight, I’m actually looking forward to it – on a Saturday no less! I try to kid myself that I’m simply enjoying the job more, but deep down I know it’s because of Jayce. I’m just not going to admit that to anyone – ever. I already feel guilty enough just thinking it, like I’m cheating on Chad or something. I know it’s ridiculous to feel that way, but I can’t just turn it off so easily.

By the time evening rolls around, I’m a jumbled mess of excited nerves, but in a good way. I walk into the clinic, and my smile immediately falls when I see him. His eyes have dark circles under them. If I didn’t know what happened to him, I’d guess he’d not slept for days, but I know better. It’s bruising from my punch yesterday.

I approach him cautiously. “Hey,” I say casually, trying to feel out his mood. He was relatively fine with it when it happened yesterday, but now that he’d probably seen his face, he might not be so okay about it.

“Hey,” he says warmly. “How was your day, did you get much sleep?”

“Uh… it was fine. I slept good actually, probably the best I have in a while.” He seems more than okay, but I feel the need to apologise again. “I really am sorry about your face.”

He laughs. “Consider it a lesson learnt. I’ll definitely know not to sneak up on you again – ever. I still maintain you were just marking your territory.”

“So it’s been a week of nights, how are you holding up?” I ask, changing the subject ever so expertly, like I try to every time he makes a joke about us.

“Will you judge me if I tell you that I’m exhausted?”

I give him a sympathetic stare. “No. I’d welcome you to the club. We’re all tired.”

“Kenna said that since the article there’s been some interest in more volunteers. That’ll mean you can have a break soon, yeah?” he asks.

“Hopefully. She has a few interviews lined up for next week, but then she’ll probably need me to train the newbies too. Ebb would be better at it, but she’s a little busy with her assignments and prac-work at the moment. Although she should be back to normal shifts here in a few days.”

“From what Jamie’s been telling me, she’s not getting a lot of studying done during her time off,” he says.

I shake my head. “I really hope Jamie doesn’t get his heart broken.”

“Why do you say that? I’d be more worried about Ebb being heartbroken.”

“Ebb’s not the ‘girlfriend’ type. She’s a ‘leave before you develop feelings for them’ type.”

Jayce gives a slight nod. “Jamie’s the same. Maybe they
are
perfect for each other.”

“Maybe.”

“So what type are you?”

I look at him confused. “Type?”

“Yeah, are you ‘girlfriend’ material? Or more of a ‘hit it and quit it’ kind of girl?”

I laugh before answering seriously. “I hate dating.”

“I wouldn’t have guessed with the whole ‘I don’t date’ thing you’ve got going on.”

“What I mean is, I hate going on dates. With Chad…” I hesitate. Do I really want to talk about him to Jayce? I worry I bring him up way too much.

“You can talk about him,” he encourages.

“Well, we never went on a date. We were friends one day and together the next, and it just felt natural, easy. Like it was meant to be,” I say, wistfully.

“Dating can be fun. You just need to do it with the right person,” he says with a slight arrogance.

“Let me guess,
you
would be said ‘right person’?”

“You’ll never know until you say yes,” he says, smirking at me. I just give him a look. “I know, I know. I have to wait until Election Day.”

I continue to stare at him.

“And even then, the answer will probably still be no,” he says in a dejected tone.

“The answer will definitely be no if Paxton wins the election. I’ll probably have to marry him if that happens.”

“Paxton James, you just lost yourself a vote,” Jayce jokes before looking at me, realising I’m being serious. “Wait… what?”

“He’s already asked, but I—”

“That’s taking the charade a bit too far, isn’t it?” I’m a little surprised by the sternness to his voice.

“Maybe.” I shrug. “But how would he expect the voters to trust that he can run a country if he can’t even keep his girlfriend on a tight leash?”

“Is this about the photo again? It’s not like we were doing anything – we were just walking along the street. Have you spoken to him about it yet?”

“He doesn’t get in until tomorrow. I’ll talk to him then. Maybe.”

“No maybe. You need to tell him.”

“And if he tells me that I can never see you again?”

“He could try to keep me away, but I’m like lice. Once you’ve got me, there’s no getting rid of me.”

“Except with an industrial strength solvent?”

“Exactly.” He smiles before turning serious. “Would he actually ask you to do that?”

“There’s no asking with Paxton. There’s telling,” I say, and immediately regret it. I cut him off before he starts to protest, “I don’t mean that the way it sounded. I know Paxton only wants what’s best for him and me and this country, so usually when he suggests something, I do it no questions asked.”

“Maybe that’s what the note meant? Maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to jump at everything Paxton says. It says he has secrets – what is he hiding?”

“You don’t know Paxton. It’s not going to be that,” I say, even though I’ve thought that very same thing. What could Paxton be hiding apart from our fake relationship?

“But—”

“Can we just not talk about this anymore?”

Jayce nods. “Okay,” he says, walking off into the treatment room.

***

I’m organising the supply closet… okay, I’m hiding. It’s five-thirty in the morning, and Jayce is on the floor and at reception so I have some time to do the extra jobs I don’t get around to. Yup, that excuse sounds legit. I’m actually on an avoidance mission; avoiding talking to Jayce about Paxton again.

The door clicks open, and footsteps come towards me.

“I’m not sneaking up on you,” Jayce says in a slow and clear voice. “It’s only me, you don’t need to attack,” he says mockingly.

I turn around to face him. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

“About earlier,” he starts.

I shake my head, “Don’t—”

“I just want to say I was out of line,” he cuts me off quickly. “You’re right, I don’t know Paxton. I just got the impression that he tells you what to do, and it just took me by surprise that you let him. I’m pretty sure the girl who punched me yesterday wouldn’t let anyone tell her what to do.”

I hang my head, almost shameful at the truth to his words. “But like my aunt told you, I haven’t been her in a really long time.”

He takes a step forward, closing the gap between us. I reflexively take a small step back when he reaches me, my back pushing up against the shelf.

“You should find a way to bring her back,” he leans in. “Because as much as my nose friggin’ hurts, that girl is someone I could easily fall for.”

My heart hammers in my chest at his close proximity. Looking up into his eyes, his mouth curls into a smile on one side. Am I blushing? I’m pretty sure I’m blushing.

“Here you two are!” Vic’s voice booms from behind Jayce, making us both jump. We turn to look at him, and I can’t help noticing the smirk on his face. “They’re in here, Kenna – making out in the supply closet.”

Aunt Kenna rushes in.

“We were not making out!” I exclaim. Jayce just laughs.

“If you say so, Lia,” Aunt Kenna says.

“Did you need me for something?” I ask, ignoring her blatant mocking attitude.

“Oh. It was nothing important. I’ll let you get back to… what you were doing.” She leaves, but Vic’s not so quick to move. He’s still standing there, staring at us. Aunt Kenna’s hand reaches in, dragging Vic out by the shirt.

“Well I’m never going to hear the end of that,” I say, managing a smile.

“Aww, there are worse things than making out with me in a closet, aren’t there?” he asks.

“Hmm… yeah, like going to a dentist, maybe,” I say. Jayce laughs. “What?”

“My brother’s a dentist,” he says, laughing harder.

“Damn. And just when I thought things might work between him and Ebb. She’s going to have to break up with him now.”

“Uh… why?”

“Because, dentists are weird. No normal person wants to look inside people’s mouths all day.”

“You look at people’s bodily fluids all day. How is that any different?”

“Hmm… I’m not going to talk to you anymore if you’re going to be all logical,” I say before walking around him and towards the door. I stop before I reach the door and turn back around, thinking he’d still be standing where he was, instead I smack my face right into his chest.
Damn he’s tall.
“Ow!” I say, rubbing my nose. “This is why there are personal space boundaries.”

“You’re the one who stopped walking,” he says with a laugh. He puts his hands on either side of my face. “Let me have a look.” He bends down so we’re at eye level, and I find it hard to breathe. I totally forget the reason I stopped walking in the first place. “Oh you’re fine,” he says, waving dismissively. “You’re not even going to bruise,” he says, pointing to his eyes.

I wince. He’s right, I shouldn’t complain. “Sorry, again.” Yet another thing I’m probably never going to live down.

“Hey, why don’t you get out of here a bit early? I’ve got things under control here,” Jayce suggests. “Go home and get a good sleep in before you have to face Paxton.”

“Yeah… I’ve been thinking,” I say shyly.

“You have to tell someone, and it involves Paxton. He should know.”

“Maybe. I’ll think about it some more,” I say. Jayce just sighs in return. “I will head home though, since you’re offering.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow night? Oh. I guess it’s technically tonight.”

I shake my head. “Sunday is my day off. The only reason I was here last week was because Ebb was away. She’s back for her shift tonight.”

“Oh. So Tuesday night then?”

I shake my head again. “I’ll be on day shift. Finally! It feels like I’ve been on nights for a month.”

“Well I will see you sometime during the week then.”

I nod before gathering my things and heading for the door. The cool morning air hits my face as I begin my walk home. The sun is almost ready to rise, making the streets a dull grey colour. At this time of morning the street seems deserted, peaceful.

I walk the three blocks to my apartment without even seeing anyone, but before I reach my door, I get that feeling again. Someone’s out there, and they’re watching me.

Discreetly looking around, I try to scope out where they are, who they are, I try to get just a glimpse of them. But as usual, there’s nothing.

Can I really just put this down to paranoia? I have a photo that proves I’m being followed. Shaking my head, I try to squash my anger. Turning to look out to the street, I put my finger up my nose.
That’ll give them a good money shot,
I think to myself before walking into the building. Paxton will probably get angry if that gets printed, I probably shouldn’t have done that. It has to be a journalist, it just has to be, but at 6:00AM?

When I reach my apartment, I take my clothes off, throwing them on the floor. I don’t bother showering, I’m too exhausted. I collapse on bed in my underwear, wrapping myself in my sheet. It feels like I’ve only been asleep for ten minutes when I hear voices coming from the front door. My bedside clock tells me I’ve actually been asleep for almost five hours. It’s nearly 11:00.

“Nuka, you need to be quiet,” I hear Paxton say. Funnily enough, it was his voice I heard first.

“I’m awake!” I yell out to them.

“Lia!” Nuka yells, barging into my room and jumping on top of me.

“I missed you too, kid,” I say sitting up and hugging her.

“Nuka,” Paxton’s voice comes through the door. He stands in the doorway in casual clothes, leaning up against the door frame. “It’s not polite to barge into Allira’s room.”

“What, you’re worried you might find someone in here?” I say jokingly.

He looks at me a little angry, but then his eyes go wide and he averts his gaze.

I quickly grab the sheet and pull it up over me, suddenly remembering I’m half-naked. “Sorry. I couldn’t be bothered to find pyjamas when I dragged myself home from the clinic this morning.”

Paxton shakes his head, looking straight ahead at the wall of my bedroom and not at me. “Our fault. We shouldn’t be in here. Come on, Nuka.”

“But I want to tell her about my trip,” Nuka complains.

“And I want to hear all about your trip, but maybe I should have a shower and get some clothes on first. I smell like the yucky clinic,” I say to her, scrunching up my nose.