Page 100 of The Otherworld

“Rescuing you.” He smiles, a bold spark of adventure igniting his eyes as he watches my reaction. “I want you to come back with me. To the mainland. I want to show you the world, everything we talked about—everything you’ve always dreamed of.”

My heart thuds in my chest. “What?”

“It’s the least I can do,” Jack says, grasping my hands. “After what you did for Adam and me… Let me give you this, Orca. Let me bring you to the Otherworld.”

This is all happening so fast—I can’t think. My head is spinning, a million thoughts swirling through my mind.

Papa will never let me go…

But if I don’t go, I will never see Adam again.

Jack seems delighted by my speechless shock. He glances over his shoulder at the plane, lowering his voice to a hasty whisper. “Don’t say anything to your father. Just grab some clothes and come with me—”

“Run away, you mean?”

“Not forever.”

“How long, then?”

“I don’t know, a week?”

“A week?”

My pulse races at the idea: A whole week in the Otherworld. A whole week with Adam.

“Two weeks. However long you want.” Jack’s gaze darts back and forth between my eyes. “Come on, Orca; I know you want this. You want it so bad, you’re starving for it. And it’s like the hunger is part of you—it is you. There’s nowhere you can go that you don’t feel it.”

“Yes… I know.” My voice cracks under the weight of longing, tears blurring my vision. He’s just put into words exactly what I’ve felt all my life.

“Orca,” he rasps, cupping my face in his hands, “I feel the same way about so many things. Adam doesn’t get it; your dad doesn’t get it. They don’t know what it feels like… but I do. I know how much you want this, how much you need this.” Jack’s gaze softens, roaming over my face and hesitating on my lips. As if suddenly realizing how close we are, he drops his hands and draws a step back. “It’s time to make your own decisions, Orca. You have to choose your own path in life. You can’t just sit back and let your father decide it for you—”

“But I can’t run away. It would break Papa’s heart.”

“And what about him breaking your heart? Breaking your trust? How can you even trust the guy? That’s what I want to know—”

“Because I love him,” I argue. “And he loves me, too… in his own way.”

Jack stares at me, shaking his head. “If he loved you, he’d want you to be happy. You know that.”

I do. And the injustice of it all drives a splinter of pain through my heart.

“Orca, you don’t have to be so strong all the time. Not for me. I know you’re tough and independent and badass, but you’re lonely, too. And that’s okay. It’s okay to need other people. This life might be enough for your dad, but it’s not enough for you. And it’s wrong of him to force it down your throat. To keep you prisoner here—”

“I’m not a prisoner—”

“Yes,” Jack insists, “you are. Don’t you see? He’s gonna keep you here forever if you don’t make a move. He’s always going to come up with some excuse to make you stay, and you’ll spend your whole frickin’ life wondering what the world is like and never seeing it—is that what you want?”

“No! Of course not.”

“Then come with me. Just for a week.” Jack lays one hand on my shoulder, reckless hope burning in his eyes. “Orca, it’s now or never.”

When I think about climbing into that plane and flying off to the Otherworld—when I think about seeing Adam again, my Adam—the thought is enough to ignite my heart with a thrill of dizzy excitement.

I want to shout yes! at the top of my voice and follow him wherever he may lead, but the jaws of guilt clamp hard around my conscience, unwilling to let go.

“I can’t run away, Jack. I can’t sneak off without telling Papa. He’ll be so worried, so confused—he’ll think something bad has happened to me.”

“But, Orca—”

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