Page 102 of The Love Interest
“You know how I said you can’t keep your eyes off him? Well, as soon as you look away from him, the first thing he does is look at you. It only lasts a second, but I’m a scientist. I notice minute changes. It’s what I do.” She slides off the rock and brushes her hands clean. “Well, I need to get ready, so I’m going to find my own spot. Big day tomorrow, huh?”
“The biggest.”
“See you later, Caden. Think about what I said.”
Like I could ever think about anything else.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-THREE
“Eat up, Caden,” says Dyl. “You need to be strong.” Everyone is still asleep, or at least pretending to be, so it’s just us, sitting in front of a dying campfire. The sun hovers above the horizon.
We’re two hours’ drive away from the LIC, which means that, as soon as the sun starts to set, we’re going to start the final leg of this journey. First, we’re going to drive until we’re within walking distance of the LIC, then I’m going to walk to the doors and scream until they capture me.
Dyl is offering a can of tuna. I grab it and crack open the lid, then scoop up a large chunk and put it in my mouth. The fish tastes too salty but feels weightier than the other food I’ve eaten recently, and it settles nicely in my gut, restoring a precious amount of energy. I take another mouthful, then pass the can back to him.
He shakes his head. “No way, man. You’ll be in the most danger, so you’re the one who needs to be strong.”
“You’ll be in danger too—”
“Stop being stubborn, Caden, and eat the damn fish.”
I pout but scoop up the last few flakes anyway. I swallow then look up at the sky. “How long until the sun goes down? It feels like it’s taking forever.”
“That it is.” He stretches his arms out in front of him. “Do you want to practice with the Bolt Gloves again? I could wear some sort of chest armor and then you could actually attack me.”
I look down at my right hand. Wrapped around it is a glove made of wires. The pads are electric blue. I bring my hand up to my face and turn my wrist slowly, marveling at Juliet’s creation.
“It’s probably too late now. I’ve learned as much as I can, and there’s no point tiring myself out for peace of mind.”
“Let’s hope you’re right.” He leans forward and picks up a long stick. He pokes the ashy remnants of last night’s fire. A log tips over, sending up a spray of tiny orange sparks. “I miss what we used to have.”
I tilt my head to the side and narrow my eyes. “What do you mean?”
He shrugs. “It was nice, you know, when we were friends, or whatever our relationship was. When I could come to your window late at night and hang out. I liked those times, well, a lot more than I like these. Don’t you feel the same?”
I shake my head. “Not really. Dyl, I’ve spent my whole life pretending to be someone I’m not. It’s only now that I can actually say what I think and what I feel. Do you not know how important that is to me? Those nights with you were the best nights of my life, but they weren’t real. So I prefer now.”
He meets my eyes. His stare is almost desperate. “Please don’t die tonight, Caden. Please.”
“I won’t.”
I turn my attention back to the fire. “You know,” I say, “if this all goes well, you could become a paramedic after all. If you still want to, that is.”
He drops the stick he was holding and looks at me. “I didn’t think you would remember that.”
“Well, I do.”
“I…”
We hear the sound of a tent being unzipped. Dyl shuts his mouth and I straighten my posture. It’s Juliet. Her hair is puffy and frizzy, and her nose is pink. She climbs out of the tent.
“So here are my boys,” she says as she stands. “My two boys. You have no idea how proud I am of both of you.”
I can’t think of anything to say, so I stare down at the fire. She walks past us and heads toward the forest.
“She deserves better,” says Dyl. “Than us.”
