Page 88 of The Love Interest
The confession overwhelms me, and suddenly my eyes fill with tears. I lean forward, my chest heaving, and press my forehead against the steering wheel. I’m stupid, so stupid. What does crying achieve? Nothing. I can’t fall apart, even if I want to. I need to save him. I take a deep breath. The air smells like plastic.
A hand touches the middle of my back. I flinch and look up, expecting to see a dark, eyeless face staring at me. It’s not a Stalker, though. It’s Juliet. Her lips are pressed together and her cheeks are shiny.
“Caden,” she says. She’s shaking, but her tone is even. “If what you said is true, that means, because I chose you, they’re going to kill Dyl. Is that right?”
I nod, my strength coming back to me. I roughly wipe my cheeks.
“They want to,” I say. “But I think he’s going to kill himself before they can. I… I know him, and he’s too proud to let them kill him. That’s why I need to go. I need to save him.”
She walks around to the other side of the truck and climbs in.
“What are you waiting for?” she asks. “Drive!”
I plant my foot on the accelerator and speed away from the party.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN
We’re driving through the quiet streets toward the lookout. Juliet has turned in her seat so that her back faces me. Her shoulders are hunched, making her look small. Occasionally her shoulders move and she lets out a tiny sob, and each time I hear the sound, so soft and weak, a flare of pain hits me. I’d say anything to make her feel better, but I can’t think of anything to say that can fix this. So I just drive, and try not to think about the fact that I’m responsible for turning a sweet, wonderful girl into the suffering thing beside me.
She turns back to me. Her cheeks are glistening. “By telling me what you just did, did you…”
“Put you in danger? I did, and I’m so sorry. But they probably won’t kill you. They think you’re important enough for Love Interests. It’s not a thing everyone gets, only superimportant people. Or, at least, people who they predict are going to become important someday. I doubt they’re not going to give you that chance, so you’re the safest of anyone. I am sorry, though. For that, and for everything else.”
“So this is the real Caden, huh?”
I nod slowly. “The one and only.”
She looks out the window, turning her back to me again.
We reach the parking lot. The only other car in the large stretch of concrete is Dyl’s black convertible. It’s parked haphazardly, across two different parking spaces. An ice-cold shiver chills my blood.
Juliet sits up straight. “Do you want me to come with you?”
I shake my head. “You can’t. I don’t know how Dyl is going to act. Rejected Love Interests are famous for violence—they like to leave the world with a bang. Dyl’s not going to do that, though, at least I don’t think he is. Just… I’ll go.”
I know what I have to ask, but every part of me is saying it’s too much to ask of her. It’s awful, but I have no other option.
“And I need you to do something for me, well, for us. I know you hate me, and that’s understandable, but Dyl and I are going to have to run. So can you go back to your place and get as much food and water as possible? Fill the back of the truck with anything you can think of that’ll help us survive. Dyl and I are going to go seriously off grid, so we’ll need supplies. Please, Juliet. I know it’s not fair to ask this of you, but believe me, it’s my only option. I can’t let them kill him.”
Juliet nods. “I’ll do it.” She smiles wryly. “You know, I wondered if everything happening to me was too good to be true. I kept denying it, but deep down, I knew something weird was happening. No one had ever shown any romantic interest in me before, so I should’ve known it was fake. I should’ve known.”
Ouch.I want to tell her she deserves only good things, but I don’t have time. Dyl needs me more than she does right now.
“So you’ll do it?” I ask.
“I will. I’ll meet you back here in twenty minutes.”
“Make it ten.”
I clamber out of the truck and kick the door closed behind me. Then I tuck my hands into my pockets and jog up the path to the lookout.
Kaylee?
Nothing.
My fingers grip the hilt of the knife. I need to get the implants out, and fast. Now that I’ve decided I won’t let Dyl die, the thought will be racing through my mind constantly. Trying to force the thought away just brings it back stronger. If Kaylee decides to listen to me it’ll take only a second for her to realize what I’m doing.
