Page 88 of Gifted

“A handful.”

“How many is a handful?”

“Doesn’t matter. You couldn’t tell. Just that. A handful of green pills.”

I do nothing to hide my confusion, but as usual, he doesn’t budge. I sigh when it becomes clear that’s all I’ll get. “Okay. A handful of green pills. Got it.”

“I can’t tell you more right now. We can’t risk you revealing anything by accident.” Our gazes lock again, and the sparks return in full fury. “I trust you. Please trust me, too.”

“You know I do.”

He smiles. “No, I know you don’t. You want to, but you don’t fully.” My face falls, and he squeezes my arm. “It’s good you don’t trust easily in this place.”

“They moved Connor into your room,” I blurt out, and his smile fades.

“That didn’t take long.”

I grip his hand and trace the elaborate designs on his arm. “He’s not going to distract me like they hope.” I feel his reaction before I see it.

“He seemed to be distracting you pretty well a couple weeks ago.”

“You erased my memories. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

He stares at the floor. “Yes. It didn’t make it any easier. What are you seeing now?” he asks after another pause.

I frown and lean against him again. “I’m watching yesterday. You’re scared.”

He doesn’t respond.

“How can I guarantee they let me see you again?”

“I’m trying to figure that out. I’m hoping the green pills will pique their interest enough for more.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“I’ll find a way.”

I glance at him and fear his hard expression. “I don’t like when you find ways to do things. It usually ends up with you getting hurt.”

“That’s the way things get done in here.”

I can’t think about that. “Is English your second language?” Another random question to erase harder ones.

He laughs. “Where did that come from?”

“I want to know you better. You know everything about me; it’s only fair I know something in return.”

He still seems amused as he settles against the wall. “Okay. Then yes, English is my second language.”

“But your fluency is phenomenal.”

He grins and looks over at me. “That bothers you? You’d prefer more broken phrases and emphatic gesturing?”

I swat his arm, and his smile grows. “Emphatic gesturing? Really?”

He laughs again before releasing a long sigh. “Think about what I do all day. What I’ve done for the last eleven years. I work out, get locked in the basement, and read. That’s it. I also speak Spanish and French, although not as well as English.”

“Seriously?”

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