Page 84 of Breathless Recruiter

“Good.”

“Let’s go with versatile,” he said.

“Deal.”

He kissed my cheek. I poked at a slick streak along his belly. When that didn’t get a response, I moved into the tickle zone. His body stiffened as he reached for my wrist. His laughter felt like the missing piece of a puzzle I had tried completing for years. He didn’t make me feelmorehuman, but he fulfilled a need to belong. I wanted him to be my sidekick with and without the mask.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about what your father said.”

His head rested on my shoulder while his finger traced circles in the middle of my chest. I had spent years repeating my father’s final message, desperate to realize what he meant. Had Dustin figured it out?

“Your greatest weakness will be… what?” I asked.

“Your greatest weakness will be the size of your heart.”

His palm lay flat on my chest, tapping in rhythm with my pulse. I spent the last decade worried my father’s words were the key to my demise. What if they weren’t? What if Dustin had the right idea? Could they be the source of my power?

“I like that.”

I rolled over, and Dustin wrapped his body around mine. Pulling his arm in place along my waist, I reached for the lamp on the nightstand. My hand hovered over the nightlight, ready to turn on Pointy. I hesitated before reaching behind me and resting a hand on Dustin’s thigh.

“No Pointy?” he asked.

“Not tonight.”

Bravery. One step at a time.

EPILOGUE

Arthur walkedto the end of the break room, turned around, and walked back. His nervous pacing had gone on long enough, and I shifted uneasily in my chair. The humor at the table had vanished the moment we saw his face. His brow scrunched, creating deep lines across his forehead. He ran his hand back and forth along his neck as if he were giving himself a massage. I couldn’t tell if the first word out of his mouth would be anger, concern, or a signature long sigh.

“So…”

Nobody made a move to crack a joke. Orion’s eyes weren’t glowing blue. Instead, they followed Arthur’s nervous twitching. Even Drew’s usual optimism hid beneath a straight face. I took my cue from them. Stay quiet.

“We have reports of a mad scientist in the building.” He spun on his heel, eyes locked with me. “You wouldn’t know anything about this, Wyatt?”

Both Orion and Drew’s heads turned to stare at me.

“Well… it’s a funny story, actually. He’s more evil than mad.” I twiddled my thumbs as I tried to think how best to explain it.“Remember that scientist I went on a date with? Surprise! He’s evil.”

The long sigh. Arthur pulled out his chair and took a seat at the far end of the table. Taking a long sip of coffee, he broke eye contact. If I didn’t know better, I’d be worried they’d flash red and shoot lasers.

“Can you elaborate?” he asked.

“We had drinks at a bar. I didn’t like it… or him.”

Drew rested a hand on my arm. “I think he means the evil scientist part.”

“Oh. Well, I found out Zaster figured out that I’m an alien. He stole my DNA without asking. That’s rude, right? Yeah, definitely rude. He pulled a hair from my beard and then stole some blood. Who knew Halorian DNA is what he needed to make his power-stealing gun work?”

“That’s a lot to unpack,” Drew said.

“Bet he’s working for the—” Arthur held up a hand, silencing Orion. “Just saying.”

“Let me get this straight. He used your DNA to make a weapon that stole powers?”

“Yeah, he stole Discord’s powers.” I held a hand over my mouth and whispered, “He’s my sidekick. Well, not officially, but I think we’re heading in that direction.” I winked at Drew and Orion. “Then I saved him.”

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