Page 92 of The Dazzling Heights
Nadia, what do you think Cynthia meant by all that, earlier?He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the way she’d asked him to stay—and kissed him. What would he do when he saw her again? He felt a feverish anxiety at the thought, guilt and confusion roiling through him all at once.
“You know what it meant, Watt,” Nadia replied, whispering the words into his eartennas.
Watt was startled into alertness. Nadia sounded accusatory.Did I do something wrong?
“All I know is that the situation has changed, and that it’s becoming increasingly difficult for me to anticipate the outcome.”
Girls are always complicated, he thought, a bit resentfully.
“People aren’t like tech, Watt. They aren’t predictable, and they malfunction far more readily.”
That’s for damn sure.
Cynthia had told him that actions spoke louder than words, but what did that mean when Watt’s actions were reactive instead of proactive? He hadn’t felt in control for a very long time, and he wondered, suddenly, if it was his own fault.
He’d met Leda at the airport earlier, fully prepared to find her angry and scheming—they were flying over on Avery’s family’s plane, and Watt assumed that would make her tense. But Leda had been so relaxed, she didn’t even comment on his lateness. She just turned to Watt when he arrived and told him it was a five-hour flight, and what movie did he want to watch together? When her hand kept brushing his on the armrest, Watt hadn’t said anything, but he hadn’t moved his hand either.
They’d barely seen Avery, or anyone else, the entire flight, but Watt had found that he didn’t really care.
Nadia, he decided to ask,do you think Leda trusts me yet?
“It’s hard for me to estimate emotional states, except for yours,” Nadia replied. “Anything I said about Leda’s feelings would be pure speculation. It’s easier for me to trackyourstate of mind, since I have years of data on you. Which is how I know, for instance, that you like Leda.”
It was the last thing he’d expected her to say.
No I don’t!Leda had drugged him and manipulated him and blackmailed him, and just because she’d made him laugh a few times—just because she was fun to kiss—didn’t mean that Wattlikedher.
“Evidence points to the contrary. When you’re with her, you exhibit all the typical physical signs of attraction: your heart rate speeds up, your voice deepens, and then, of course, there’s—”
That doesn’t count, he thought furiously, interrupting. Pinwheels of sparks flew from an enormous fire sculpture out into the night.Like you said, it’s just data, and besides, physical attraction has nothing to do with liking.
“You’ve mimicked her motions and gestures. Your blood rushes to the surface when you’re near her, which, in over half of studies, has been linked to formation of emotional bonds,” Nadia continued relentlessly, “and you keep asking me about her, which—”
You don’t get it, okay?he snapped.How can you understand something you don’t even feel?
Nadia fell silent at that.
“Watt!” Leda appeared at his side, looking stunning in a white Grecian-style gown. “I’ve been looking for you. Calliope is here.”
Watt’s eyes flicked in the direction Leda was pointing. Atlas stood there with the girl from the photos. She looked lean and tan and ruthless; her dark hair spilling over her golden shoulders, her black dress skimming lightly over her form. And it all clicked ruthlessly into place.
“Are you spying on Calliope because she’s with Atlas?” Watt asked slowly. Was this Atlas and Avery all over again? Was Watt just the filler, the time killer—a meaningless distraction, while Leda tried all the while to get the guy she actually wanted?
“Yes, of course,” she said impatiently.
Watt was stunned at how angry he felt. Well, Leda hadn’t meant anything to him either, he reminded himself.
“It’s killing Avery,” Leda went on, and there was a strange note in her voice—a fierce protectiveness, folded in with concern for Avery—that silenced the high-pitched buzzing in Watt’s brain.
“Hold on,” he said slowly. “Let me get this straight. You’re spying on Calliope because she’s with Atlas, because you want Atlas to be withAvery?”
Leda flinched. “I know it all must seem weird to you, but I can’t bear to see Avery hurt. Besides, if this Calliope girl really is hiding something big, then Atlas has a right to the truth.”
Watt still didn’t understand. “I thought you and Avery weren’t speaking.” He felt like an ass, inserting himself into girl drama. But he needed to know.
Leda made an impatient, dismissive gesture. “That’s old news, we’re fine now.” She grinned. “Nadia isn’t on her A game, if you didn’t already know that.”
“But we avoided Avery on the plane today— I thought—”
