Phantom Universe (21 page)

“
You look much better,” he notes. “How do you feel?” He sits and holds his palm out to her.

She places the rose on the table. Then holds his hand with both of hers, smiling at the normalness of it all, like the one day they spent together is the beginning of a whole relationship. “I feel rested and full,” she writes.

His smile only grows, dimples forming. “That’s good.”

When she doesn’t respond, silence spreads out like a choking mist, and both of their smiles disappear. She doesn’t know what to write in his palm, and he seems lost too. Her hands become a little sweaty, but she doesn’t let him go.

“
I’m sorry,” he blurts out, startling her. “I just got . . . scared. I thought if I left the room and never saw you again that my life would go back to normal. You would be sent to an Outlander camp, and I would be out in the field again. I could just . . . forget you.”

A few seconds tick by as Summer lets his words roll around in her mind. Her heart squeezes uncomfortably, but how she should feel, what kinds of emotions she should be having right now, she isn’t sure. Her finger touches his palm and hesitates. Then she writes, “Why did you come back if you wanted to forget me?”

“
Because I couldn’t,” he whispers, his hypnotizing green eyes holding her gaze. “I tried, but there was no way.”

“
Why?” she writes.

“
Maybe it’s because I’m some macho ass,” he says with a short, unamused laugh. “But I thought about your situation and the things you’ve gone through. Then I thought about what happened in the cave, and I knew then that I couldn’t just walk away. Not now. Not anymore.”

She remembers the cave incident too, where she clung to him and cried all the tears she so frequently holds inside. She flushes over the memory, embarrassed by her actions. She looks away from his gaze and down to the sterile, white floor.

“
Hey,” he says softly and stands, pulling his hand from hers. He tilts her chin up and forces her to look at him. He swallows thickly, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “You let me hold you when it was the last thing you wanted. You cried out, even though you feared what kind of punishment would follow. You trusted me when you didn’t trust anyone else. It’s male macho crap, but you made such a huge impact on me. And now?” He sighs. “I can’t get you out of my head. After that there is no way.” He takes a step back, letting go of her chin. “Will you forgive me?”

She is breathless from his speech, but is able to nod slowly. Each of his words sinks into her skin and makes her tingle with this new, raw emotion. She has yet to figure out what the name of it is. Maybe admiration? No, that isn’t right. Then, with blinding realization, she knows what it is. Affection.

I have feelings for him
. She snatches the rose up and brings it to her nose again, inhaling deeply.

“
I’m glad you like the rose.” He chuckles, still unsure. “I can’t stay here long, but I did want to tell you that Jaden’s fine. She’s adjusting to the Outlander camp with no problems.” Summer’s relieved at the news. “And . . .” He hesitates. “I wanted to ask if it’s okay if I come back tomorrow?”

She raps her knuckles once on the table, and he immediately grins, the worry lines around his eyes smoothing.

“
Tomorrow it is,” says Gage happily.

Tomorrow
, she agrees silently.

CHAPTER
22: RENDEZVOUS

16 years old

Every day Gage comes by with another rose, all of them dark red. And every day Summer learns to trust him a little more. Doctor Rose was reluctant at first about his visits, but she’s so astounded by Summer’s progress when he’s there that she requests him to come by twice a day. If it were Cameron’s choice, he’d be the guard outside the door. He can’t always visit twice a day, but today he promises something special for her. It’s her last day in the hospital; Doctor Rose says that she’s finally gained enough weight after her near-starvation, and her blood work is showing normal levels on all accounts. The only thing that still stumps Doctor Rose is her lack of blood type and no genetic code. Doctor Rose promises to get to the bottom of it, even if she has to search through “dusty medical books” for hours.

Cameron stops by Summer’s room in the afternoon on her twelfth day in the hospital. Summer hasn’t seen her in a week, so she’s surprised by the visit.

“
I heard the good news,” Cameron says as she plops down in the chair, though Summer leans against the wall that was once a window. “Today’s your last day here. I’m glad you’re doing so well; when I first saw you on the beach I was really afraid we weren’t going to get you back in time.”

This news scares Summer because she didn’t know how bad she was before now. This is the best she’s felt in a very long time, so she’s grateful for everything these strangers have done for her. Though they really don’t feel like strangers anymore.

“
Anyway, I heard that you and Gage have been rendezvousing.” Cameron’s fingers trail around the vase of roses.

Summer looks away, her face flushing as she leans against the wall. She doesn’t know what rendezvousing means, but it sounds dirty.

“
He’s a good guy, Summer,” Cameron says. “I just wanted to tell you thanks for giving him a second chance.”

Summer pushes off the wall and hops onto the bed.

“
And I’m here to warn you about tomorrow,” Cameron continues. “I know Gage hasn’t told you much about what’s going on outside the hospital. He doesn’t want to make you any more anxious than you already are.”

Warn? Their eyes meet and Cameron shrugs.

“
People don’t like the Outlanders, Summer. It’s dangerous out there for someone like you. Did Doctor Rose give you the neural transplant?”

Summer turns her head to the side to show Cameron the device in her ear. They put it in a few days ago, and as requested by Gage, they left out the telepathic part. It’s mainly for show so when she leaves people will be less likely to consider her an Outlander, since that’s the first thing they look for to distinguish them.

“
Good,” says Cameron with a nod. “I’ll be here tomorrow, and so will some of the other soldiers. We’re going to dress you in all black so you don’t stand out. We have everything on our side prepared for your transport to the Outlander camp. But I need you to be mentally prepared for this. Okay?” Cameron places her hand on Summer’s forearm. “If this is going to be a challenge, Doctor Rose can give you a drug that will relax you, if you want.”

Summer gives a sharp nod, hoping to stay far away from any needles.

“
I’ve got a patient I need to attend to, but I’ll see you tomorrow, all right? Have fun with all your rendezvousing!” Cameron stands and strides toward the door, not noticing Summer’s blush. Before she exits, she smiles over her shoulder and says, “You are the easiest person to talk to, you know?”

Summer returns the smile, and Cameron slides her palm across the front of the door, opening it.

Later that evening, Gage shows up with bags full of stuff. He’s wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt with black, grunge-like designs on it. He explained before that fashion changes dramatically, but jeans and T-shirts haven’t changed at all. Simplicity at it’s best.

Summer hops off the bed and rushes towards him.

“
Hey,” he says cheerfully. “I brought you a few things.”

Her eyes go wide at the news. She points at herself in question because receiving gifts is still a foreign concept to her.

“
Yes, for you.” He drops the bags and opens his arms in greeting.

Summer still hesitates at the gesture, but only for a fraction of a second before she wraps her arms around his waist. He smells clean and rich with a fragrance that Summer hasn’t been able to place. She has settled with calling it just Gage or Gage-like—it’s his scent and no one else’s. They embrace for a few seconds before they separate and he immediately reaches into the bags.

“
Here are some real clothes,” he says and hands her a pile of clothing. They are new and colorful . . . and beautiful. She has never owned anything as nice as this before in her entire life. She can’t help but spin around with the treasure in her hands. He also hands her a small black bag. She immediately unzips it and rummages through the contents.

“
Cameron told me you were looking at the makeup on the models on the Astropad. She said you might like it. It’s okay if you don’t. . . .”

Summer’s smile widens even farther. Gage chuckles at her reaction and points her in the direction of the bathroom.

“
Try them on. I want to make sure they fit.” He’s just as giddy as she is. “Oh, and take this with you too. Cameron bought this for you. I’m not sure what it is; she told me not to look.”

With her hands loaded, she rushes toward the bathroom. Inside, she looks at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks are fuller now, her bones no longer jutting out in awkward angles, and her blonde hair looks shinier and fuller. She’s amazed by the improvement over the last two weeks. Curious as to what’s in Cameron’s bag, she opens it first. Inside are all different kinds of undergarments. They are just as new and pretty as the clothes. She’s positive this is the best day of her life—or as Jaden said before, she hit the jackpot!

Almost ripping off the stupid hospital attire, she tosses it across the bathroom, dances around as she pulls on a pair of underwear, and fiddles with several different bras until she finds the easiest to put on. Next, she pulls on a pair of dark jeans that fit snuggly against her body. It’s surprisingly comfortable considering how constricting they are. Next, she pulls on a bright red shirt that matches the many roses Gage has brought her. This makes her pause . . . he didn’t bring a rose today. But he did bring other gifts. She shouldn’t be expecting anything from him, really.

Once she’s dressed, she lays out the multitude of makeup. It’s nothing like the stuff she’s seen in magazines back on the ship. The girls here are feisty with their tastes. She goes for black first, barely touching the stuff around her eyes. According to the picture on the outside it should be a lot heavier and cover a lot more of her face, but she likes just the tiny bit she already put on. She considers wiping all of it off in the first place, but decides it brings out the blue in her eyes and keeps it. There’s also a device for her to polish her nails. She follows the instructions thoroughly and places each of her fingers into the slots. It buzzes. She pulls her hand free, and her fingernails are now a bright red. This excites her so much she giggles aloud, hoping no one outside can hear her. By the time she’s done, the whole bathroom’s a disaster.

When she finally exits, she becomes confused. The lights are dimmed low, and there are roses
everywhere
. Her mouth falls open, and she shakes with . . . elation, happiness, joy perhaps? No one has ever done anything like this for her. Not. Ever. Not in the short sixteen years of her life.

“
Surprise,” Gage murmurs from beside her, and she jumps, startled. He laughs lightly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She shakes her head slowly, letting her eyes roam over the room one more time, taking in every last square inch of breathtaking red, the aroma of the roses filling her nose with delight. What does this mean? Why would he do this? She doesn’t deserve any of it. It’s just too much. Too, too much. She reaches for Gage blindly, her eyes unable to move away from the scene before her, and pulls him in for a hug. She squeezes him with all her might, hoping to convey her overwhelming happiness over what he’s done for her.

He rakes his hand through her hair softly and breaths into it. “There’s more,” he whispers.

She almost speaks her surprise; she actually looks up at him and mouths, “What?” Automatically, her lips seal tight.

Gage only smiles down at her, captivated by her reaction to it all. He doesn’t know how monumental even mouthing words are. “I brought a movie—and shall tell you that I’m still not a fan of this Maddox actor, his work is still rather splashy, honestly, but the girls all love him. You aren’t like anyone I’ve met, but I still think you’ll love this movie.”

She bites her lip, still in a state of disbelief, but manages to give him her Thankful Face.

“
By the way”—his voice lowers—“you look beautiful.”