Page 33 of Bound By Water
He leans down and whispers in my ear, “You’ve discovered my secret. I’m really a blond. Unfortunately, it’s too noticeable.”
His breath sends a shiver down my spine, and I nervously giggle. He’s already too attractive. As a blond, girls would get whiplash turning their head to look at him. Snickering at the thought, I pivot and head out the door.
Jordan’s apartment is only a couple of blocks from the university.
“Are you sure it will be safe?” I ask, stepping over the cracks in the sidewalk.
His hand brushes mine and immediately latches onto it. “At our age, universities are a great place to hide. We can easily pass for students. Wearing a hat or a hoodie is the norm. Everyone walks around with their head down, looking at their phone, so anybody watching through the cameras won’t think it’s unusual.”
“How many years have you been on the run?” I ask; his matter-of-fact tone makes me wonder. He said freshmen year, but I don’t know how long it’s been.
He glances down at me with the saddest look in his eyes. “Forever.”
When I open my mouth to say how sorry I am, he suddenly points to the domed building up ahead. “That’s the observatory. Want to see?”
Avoidance is something I completely understand. “Definitely.”
He pulls me into the building. After passing through a small lobby, we enter a large open area with bookshelves full of books, tables and chairs scattered throughout, and a display case full of items. But the best part is the star carpet. Bemused, I can’t help but stare down at the gold and silver star pattern.
We walk around the room, skimming the books, until we reach the display case. Inside are several instruments I assume have to do with astronomy, but the only ones I recognize are the compass, sextant, and telescope.
River spots a sign that says “Observatory” with an arrow. “Come on.” He flashes a broad grin and tugs me down the hall. When we get to the large doors at the end, he quietly opens it but shuts it quickly when he hears someone lecturing. “Damn.”
“Maybe next time,” I say, but when River’s smile dims, I realize there probably won’t be a next time. “Let’s get out of here.” This time, it’s me in the lead.
When we get outside, I squeeze his hand. “Thank you for taking me in there. I loved the stars on the carpet and the cool stuff in the case.”
He says nothing for a minute, but then his back pocket buzzes. He pulls out a small black phone and looks at the screen. When he sees my raised eyebrow, he shrugs. “Picked up a burner at the store yesterday.”
His fingers dance along the keyboard as he replies. “Jordan wants us to meet him at the Preston Center.” He looks around and then types a couple more sentences before taking off, me in tow.
“What’s the Preston Center?” I ask him as we stride along.
“It’s basically an activity center. There’s bowling, ping-pong, an indoor track, a gym, and several other things that students can do,” he explains with a grin. “Sorry about earlier. It kind of hit me that I might have to say goodbye to you soon.”
I tug my hand from his and come to a complete stop in the middle of the sidewalk. “What are you saying? If I go with Phoenix, I won’t see you again?” My voice trembles, and I know he can hear it, but I don’t care. The thought of him not being there didn’t even occur to me.
He draws in a deep breath and turns to face me. “I don’t know anything about them, and quite honestly, I’m not keen to place my trust in another organization. Even if they say they’re the good guys. Why do you need to go with them?”
“I know you don’t trust anybody, but I trust Lionel’s plan. He would never put me in harm’s way. Not only did he know Jack, but he also ran missions with his son. Both of them are part of Phoenix. He trusted them, which means I do too,” I state quietly but firmly.
He rubs a hand down his face. “What if they only want you?”
I hear the worry in his voice and fake a confident shrug. “I won’t go without you.” What if they said no? Would I really not go without River? No, I wouldn’t, but it would be tough to turn down a safe place.
“I’m afraid that the longer I’m out here, the more likely Raven will catch me,” I admit, biting my lip at the thought. I think about his earlier answer. “I don’t want to run forever.” His eyes fill with some unknown emotion as he stares down at me, listening intently. “Maybe you could stop running for a while and try it out?”
He pulls down the brim of my hat and taps the end. “I don’t know. The thought of letting someone else worry about things for a while is tempting but also terrifying. Let me think about it.”
CHAPTER17
WILLA / GREER
“There’s a lot of chatter today,” Jordan says, scarfing down the burger we bought him. “I don’t like it. I’m going to go home, grab some stuff, and disappear for a few days. Break up the routine.”
River exhales a long breath. “I hear you. Do you mind if we stay at your place for a couple more days? We’re waiting for Phoenix to contact us.”
Startled to hear him casually mention it, my breath catches. I nervously turn toward Jordan to see his reaction.
