Saven Deception (18 page)

I bet he did that on purpose to confuse
and distract me. Dammit. It’s working. My eyes zero in on his mouth and I can’t
look away. I should not be looking at his lips, thinking about his lips, or
imagining what they would feel like moving against mine. Jeez, I definitely
shouldn’t be thinking about that.
What the hell is happening to me? What is
this boy doing to my self-control? And why has my self-respect decided now is a
good time to take a hike?

He graces me with a sneaky smile. “I don’t
have a girlfriend. Which begs the question—Why did you think I did?”

“You don’t?” I’m sure my face betrays the
confusion I feel.

“No, Angel. I don’t. But that’s good to
know. That explains a lot.”

“I don’t understand,” I stutter. “Neve
said you were already spoken for and that you weren’t good for me.”

His eyes flare up. “She said what?!” Tendons
bunch in his arms and his jaw clenches painfully. I’ve never witnessed a person
go from flirtatious teasing to full-on rage so fast.

“It’s not true?”

He shakes his head. “I don’t have a
girlfriend, and Neve is dead.”

He stalks off like a man on a mission.
Lost in a hazy cloud of desire, it takes me a couple of seconds to restart my
heart and kick-start my brain. As he re-enters the theater, I jolt back to life
and race after him.

Angry, raised voices are clearly audible the minute I step
foot in the room. Neve is standing in her seat arguing furiously with Logan.
Annoyed murmurs give rise to full-blown shouts and yelling as other moviegoers
object to the solid mass obscuring their view of the screen. I run to them.
“Take it outside. Now. Before you get us all thrown out.”

I drag Logan out through the double doors,
Neve hot on our heels. The argument resumes instantaneously. “You’d no right to
lie to her like that,” Logan says. “I can’t believe you let her think
that
!”

“I did what I had to do. And none of this
would’ve happened if you’d stayed away from her like I told you to.” Neve prods
a finger in his chest.

She what?

“I didn’t know! And now I can’t. I’ve
tried.” Logan links his hands behind his head and blows air out of his mouth.
“It’s no good. I can’t do this anymore.”

“So, that’s it? You’ll take your chances,
the hell with the risk? Is that it, Logan?” Neve shoves him hard and he
stumbles.

I finally find my voice. “You told him to
stay away from me? Why would you do that if it’s true that he doesn’t have a
girlfriend?” I hope my face betrays the hurt in my heart.

“Now look what you’ve made me do, you
jerk.” Neve shoves Logan more forcefully this time. “I’ve hurt her and it’s all
your fault.”

“I never wanted to hurt her,” Logan says,
putting his face right up in Neve’s. “
I
would never intentionally hurt
her.”

“I’m right here.” I feel the need to point
that out because they’re both speaking as if I’m not even in the room.

The door swings outward and Jarod, Fern,
and Amy stumble into the corridor, swiftly followed by at least twenty nosey
bystanders. Flipping my attention back to Neve and Logan, I shake my head in
consternation. Neve is repeatedly pushing Logan, and while he isn’t pushing her
back, one look at his face tells me that simmering rage bubbles under the
surface. I wonder how long she’ll get away with shoving him like that. The
weird thing is they’ve stopped talking though their faces are inclined toward
each other, with bare millimeters to spare.

Logan’s back slams into the wall and Neve
growls at him. Things are about to go downhill pretty fast. The gossipmongers
are salivating, and I can only imagine how embellished this story will become
by the time it hits campus. Not wishing to be fodder for further gossip, I
stomp toward the two numb-nuts determined to halt this until we can find
somewhere private to discuss it. I’m dying to know what’s going on, and I
haven’t even begun to contemplate the fact that Logan is apparently single.

“You have an audience,” I say quietly.
“Let’s take this back to my apartment.” They both ignore me as they continue to
face-off. Logan looks about ready to rip her head off. “Logan! You’re both
making a scene!” I pry his hand off Neve’s shoulder. A blistering burning
sensation starts in my fingertips and quickly steals up my arm and all over my
body. Flames devour me internally, and I claw at my clothes, desperate to cool
off. The pain intensifies and I scream.

Then the world turns dark.

***

My eyelids are heavy and swollen, and while I want to open
my eyes, they refuse to cooperate. Gradually, I feel more coherent, but my eyes
stubbornly resist opening. My entire body aches and something dense weighs me
down.
A blanket? A straitjacket?
I mentally snort at that last thought.

My fingertips crawl over the smooth, soft
surface underneath me. I’m in a bed. I hope it’s mine.

Sounds of hushed discussion reach my ears,
and I focus on identifying the speakers rather than panicking over my inability
to fully wake up. “This is all the more reason for you to stay away from her.”
That’s Neve.

“I disagree. This is the exact reason why
I need to stay close to her. It’s the only way I can ensure she’s protected.”
That’s Logan.

“That sounds remarkably like an insult,”
Haydn says.

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Logan
replies. “I’m fed up of trying to stay away from her, and he’s not going to let
it drop. You don’t know him like I do.”

“That’s definitely an insult,” Haydn
replies, and I detect a note of frustration.

“You’ll hurt her,” Neve says.

“I won’t,” Logan snaps. “I’ll protect
her.”

“Not intentionally,” Neve says, “but none
of us know the exact side effects for the human. And you’re already doing …
something to her.” Logan snarls and I wish I could open my eyes to see his
expression. “It’s too risky, Logan,” Neve says. “She’s my friend and I don’t
want anything to happen to her. Look elsewhere. I’m sure you’ll find someone
else to fit the spec. Besides, that’s not the only threat. Your father doesn’t
know about her yet, so there’s time. If not for me, do it for her.”

No one says anything for a few minutes,
and I wonder if they’ve actually left the room and I just didn’t hear them
leave.

“You’re killing me, Neve. But okay, you
win. I’ll leave her alone,” Logan says with pained resignation.

“What?” I drag myself upright in the bed.
My eyes flicker open, struggling to adjust to my surroundings. My vision is
blurry but gradually my room comes into clearer view. The blind is drawn and my
desktop lamp is on a low setting so the room is eerily dark and borderline
spooky. I’ve no concept of time; no idea how long I’ve been out of it on this
occasion.

Three pairs of alarmed eyes stare at me
from the side of my bed.

“Don’t I get a say in this? Or have you
all decided what’s best for me without my input?” I pose the question although
I don’t actually understand a lot of what they said. “I could also use a proper
explanation.”

The three of them exchange serious looks
but no one speaks. My eyes flit to the door, and my mouth slackens as I detect
the monstrous thick steel quadruple deadbolt that now adorns half the width of
the door. “What the …?”

Haydn looks sheepish. “I installed that
while you were, uh, asleep.”

“Good God. That’s … kinda creepy. Do any
of you understand the concept of personal space?” I eyeball them one at a time.
“And is that really necessary? I know Dante is well-built, but even Thor
couldn’t breach that door.”

Haydn looks confused, as if this type of
conduct is completely normal. Logan dips his head, hiding behind his fringe,
not disguising the fact he’s deliberately avoiding me. Even Neve looks off to
the side.

Rage like nothing I’ve felt before floors
me and I hop up out of bed. Thankfully, I’m fully dressed. Swaying on my feet,
I slam a hand on the bedside nightstand to steady myself. “Whoa.” Extreme pain
whips through me but I ignore it. “Will someone please tell me what’s going
on?” I spit the words out of my mouth with barely contained frustration. They
stare at me as if they’ve lost the ability to speak.

I totally flip. “Get out. All of you.”

“Sadie, I …” Neve extends a hand toward
me.

I step back.  “Unless you’re prepared to
tell me the truth, that includes you too, Neve.”

Haydn and Logan are already inching toward
the door. Neve looks forlorn but I’m too mad to care. Without hesitation, I
whip the white shirt up over my head, not caring that I’m standing in front of
them semi-naked. “Take this.” I ball the shirt up and throw it at Logan.

He catches it deftly in one hand. Taking
an involuntary step toward me, he stares at me with unbridled interest, and
blistering heat sears my skin. A burst of something powerful—Hunger?
Desire?—blazes in his eyes as he takes another step toward me. I know I should
do something—like cover myself up, or get really angry at his blatant
ogling—but I’m magnetized by the intensity of his desire, and fury has been
replaced by an emotion much more fiery and reckless. Incapable of controlling
my movements, I move toward him. My chest rises and falls with my exaggerated
breathing, and Logan’s eyes follow each motion.

Haydn fists a hand in Logan’s sweater and
hauls him back. The need to feel Logan’s hands on me is all-consuming, and if
it wasn’t for Haydn’s timely intervention, then I’m certain we would’ve both
caved to our almost animal-like craving for one another.

He utters something in his ear, and
Logan’s face crumples in pain. Casting one last look at me, he spins around and
all but runs from the room. Haydn shrugs somewhat apologetically before
following Logan’s lead. Only Neve remains in the room.

I’m motionless, a multitude of conflicting
emotions swirling around me. I don’t understand any of this, and I’m fearful
I’m genuinely losing my sanity.

“Sadie,” Neve says, gently taking my
elbow. “Come sit down.”

I let her help me back in the bed. “You
need to tell me what’s going on. Because I’m seriously worried that I’m going
out of my mind.”

A quick burst of pain smears her features,
but she hurriedly composes herself. “I’ll try my best to explain tomorrow. But
right now you need some sleep.”

A lonely yawn escapes my mouth and I know
I’m in no position to argue my case. I lay my head on the pillow. “Okay,” I
mumble, fighting oncoming sleep, “But I want answers, Neve. I can be trusted,
you know?”

“Oh, Sadie.” Neve sweeps my hair behind my
ears. “Of course, I know that. If that’s all it was, then this would be easy.”

I open my mouth to speak but she shushes
me. “Sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow. I promise.”

I’m out for the count within seconds.

***

The sound of gentle sobbing wakes me up some time later.
Thin shafts of buttery yellow light slice through the room. There’s a timid
knock on the door. “Sadie?”

Sitting up, I rub the sleep from my eyes.
I swing my legs out of bed and unlatch the door. Jenna looks at me through a
swollen red-rimmed lens. “Oh, Sadie. I’m so sorry that I didn’t believe you
about what happened with Dante. And for the slap. Can you forgive me?” The
words gush out of her mouth.

Yawning, I walk back to my bed. “How did
you find out?”

“I didn’t,” she admits, following me into
the room. “But I realized that I didn’t need proof. I know you wouldn’t do
anything like that. It’s just so hard to think straight when I’m with Dante …”
Plopping down on the bed beside me, she stares off into space.

“I wouldn’t do anything like that to any
girl, ever. He was in my bed when I woke up, Jen, I swear it had nothing to do
with me.”

“You don’t need to explain, Sadie. I get
it. What … what does he want with you?”

“I think he wants to split us up so he can
have you all to himself.” I verbalize my theory despite my fear that it’ll get
back to him.

“He is quite possessive. I was worried it
was because …” She stops mid-sentence and there’s no mistaking the anxious look
on her face.

“Because what, Jen?” I pin her with an
earnest look. “You can tell me.”

She peers at the ceiling for a few
minutes. When she finally faces me again, there’s an embarrassed look on her
face. A faint blush blooms in her cheeks. “I assumed he was coming onto you
because I won’t sleep with him.”

I arch a brow in surprise. After all Jenna
has implied to date, I would’ve expected that to be the least issue between
them. She must notice my puzzled expression. “I haven’t been one hundred
percent honest with you.” She looks at me sheepishly. “I’m a virgin too. And I
agree with you; I don’t want to just do it with anyone. I want the whole
shebang—a husband, kids, white picket fence, et cetera.”

“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you say
something?”

“It’s not something you admit to in my
Sector. I’m so used to having to hide the truth that the lie almost feels real.
I wanted to come clean, but I was afraid you’d think I’d been deliberately
misleading you.”

“I wouldn’t have thought that. I, of all
people, understand.”

Jenna tilts her head to the side, her look
softening. “Is this something to do with your family?”

While I’ve hinted at my situation, I’ve
never explained it. I can’t expect her to be honest with me if I’m concealing
things. Standing up, I pad to my desk and extract the tattered photo from the
drawer. I sit back down and show it to her.

“Who is it?”

“That’s me and my mom when I was a little
kid.”

“Get out!” Her eyes widen and her pupils
dilate. “You look nothing like you do now. I wouldn’t have recognized you.”

Funny how I’ve never noticed that, but
I’ve always been obsessed with this photo for another reason. But what Jenna
says is true. The “me” in the picture has dark hair and blue eyes that contrast
inexplicably with my current blonde-haired and gray-eyed look. I don’t remember
ever looking like that because the first few years of my life are a total
blank. “Lots of kids change as they get older,” I say dismissively, because
it’s not that unusual.

“True. Does this photo hold some special
significance for you?”