Courage (Mark of Nexus) (9 page)

“W-Wait.”

His brows furrowed in a dark line. “What?”

“Just”—I gestured toward Corynn—”try that. You might as well.”

“
That
has a name,” she grumbled. “It’s Corynn Catley, and all I’m asking for is a hug. God knows I need it.”

She looked from me to him. “Look, since I got off the plane, all I’ve had is grief. ‘Corynn, you’re a bloody freak.’ ‘Corynn, sleep underground on the weekends.’ Now they’re tellin’ me to sort out your touch aversion. Well, guess what? I’m an intern, so I’ve got no choice in the matter—not that I mind, having seen you and all, but still. I don’t need another headache.”

Wallace let out another breath and rubbed his forehead. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “What? Am I ‘bout to see this super-strength firsthand? Come on, then, handsome. Get it out of your system.”

He looked back at me, almost panicked, and my heart clenched.

“It’s fine,” I reassured him. “Just be careful.”

His throat bobbed as he nodded. Within seconds, anxiety began to filter out, replaced by an even crueler emotion—hope. Did he notice a difference around her? I thought he’d put up more of a fight.

“Here we go,” Faye muttered beside me, as the four of us watched with varying degrees of interest.

I didn't dare to breathe as Wallace carefully took Corynn in his arms, but then something strange happened—a clash of my best and worst-case scenarios.

His fearful expression faded as she stepped into his embrace and threw her arms around his neck. For a second, he seemed paralyzed, overcome with shock, but then the relief registered in his eyes. They widened, glassy with disbelief as he lifted her off the ground, his arms tightening around her waist.

He whirled her around in a full circle, a grin lighting his face like he'd finally found his miracle, his savior. Never before had I seen such unchecked emotion cross his features. Never.

“How…?” He breathed the question with such reverence my stomach turned “This is amazing. You…you’re amazing.”

Stupid tears pricked my vision as I watched them and something clicked in my brain. This wasn’t an experiment; it was an
introduction
. Faye had said she’d flown Corynn out for Wallace.
To help him…to stay by his side…

I pushed off the wall, ducked my head down, and made for the exit. I couldn't let Wallace see me upset over his breakthrough. He finally had the chance to live a normal life now, something neither of us had ever thought possible. I just…couldn’t be a part of it.

“Hey…” I caught up with Rena outside, more sick and elated than I’d ever been in my life. For a few fleeting seconds, I’d been a guy—
just
a guy—hugging a girl that wouldn’t break in my arms. It was unreal, and it shook me. Hard.

Then Rena ran out.

“Hey.” I knelt down beside where she hugged her knees on the curb, wafts of freshly-mowed grass burning my nose. “What’s wrong?”

Tears made their way down her face in silent streaks, and it took every ounce of my willpower not to gather her up in my arms like I’d done Corynn. She shook her head and pulled her lips back in a grimaced smile. “Nothing. I’m just happy.”

“Happy,” I echoed, tucking a blonde strand behind her ear. “Among other things.”

Confliction lashed inside her like a storm of emotion, making even the strongest feelings impossible to discern. She tensed her jaw. “Do you not understand what just happened? You had a taste of life in there, Wallace. Real life.”

I scrunched up my face. “What?”

“You could be normal,” she stressed, gritting her teeth. “We never thought it was possible, and now here it is, within your reach. You’ve always wanted to be a teacher, right? And a husband? A…father?” Her eyes glittered with unshed tears as she looked up at the sky. “Well, here’s your chance. Corynn seems game.”

I opened my mouth to refute her, but the words wouldn’t surface. She was right. I’d been so caught up in the moment, I hadn’t considered the implications. Corynn was a Nullari. She could tame my strength and fade the emotions around me, just like the book said. But, Rena was an Augari, and that meant…

She met my gaze with sad resignation, like she’d been waiting for me to make the connection all along. Rena cancelled out Corynn’s ability. As long as we were together, I had no chance of leading the life she spoke of—so what the hell was she suggesting? That we go along with this scheme for a shot at normalcy? That I agree to some kind of supernaturally-arranged marriage?
Bullshit.

“Please tell me you’re not saying what I think you are.”

“It’s only fair,” she said, her voice wavering. “You need to take some time and think about this. And read that journal, too.”

I leaned back and stared at the stranger moving my girlfriend’s lips. “Why?”

Frustration lit her eyes like jade fire as she leaned in. “Because you deserve a real life, Wallace. You’ll never have that with me.”

I grabbed her shoulder in a surge of desperation and recoiled just as quickly. “Damn it, Rena. You’re being…ridiculous.”

She looked down, her shoulder-length hair tumbling in a soft curtain. “Am I? You can’t even touch me.”

I winced, wishing she’d taken the conversation anywhere but there. Before, when I’d cursed my lineage, it hadn’t meant much. It was all I’d ever known. But now that I understood the freedom we’d been cheated out of, it ached in a way I couldn’t describe.

“I’m sorry.” She reached for my hand. “I know you’ve been trying really hard these past few months. It's just that you're my best friend, and I'm scared, and I want you to be—”

“It’s fine,” I mumbled. “Can we just drop it?”

She nipped at her bottom lip as she studied me. “Yeah.”

God, why did we always end up in this position? Having to fight each other, when we should be fighting for ‘us’. Nothing about our situation seemed fair.

“Hey.” Rena squeezed my hand, concern lining her forehead. “I thought we were dropping it.”

“We are,” I assured her and shook my head. “Let’s get out of here. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to stick around to hear their reasoning for the Nullari visit.”

She stood and dusted herself off. “Amen to that.”

I started to get up and froze at her choice of words.
Crap.

“What?”

“Isn’t that church festival tomorrow?” I strained to remember. “The one we said we’d help at?”

She cursed under her breath and smacked her forehead. “Yes, I forgot all about it. It’s around ten, right?” Without waiting for an answer, she planted her feet half on top of mine and offered her hands to pull me up. “Come on.”

I complied, letting her grasp my wrists. “Yeah, let’s meet in the lobby at quarter ‘til. I’ll drive.”

She nodded and grunted in a ladylike fashion as she hoisted me up. “Check that out. No superpowers needed.” A moment ticked by, and she drew in a sharp breath. “Oh, speaking of which…”

I admired the view as she bent to dig around in her bag on the sidewalk. Her jeans fit like a second skin, and I would’ve loved nothing more than to pull back and—

“Ta da!” She produced a notebook-paper card with two different colors of ink and grinned from ear to ear. “It’s an apology card.”

Her smile was contagious as I took it, read the outside, and then flipped it open. “Wow. This is the best apology card I’ve ever gotten—and the only one that doesn’t contain an actual apology.”

She slapped my arm. “It's close enough!”

I laughed and scooped up her bag before we moved on. “You’re right. Thank you. So, did the power-sharing incident have any effects other than fatigue? You said in your text that you slept straight through the night, but I was worried you’d be sore or something.”

“Nope,” she replied, rolling up her sleeve to kiss her bicep. “I am a fine conduit of superpowers. No soreness involved.”

I fought back another grin. At least she’d perked up at the distraction. “So, you think you’re ready to try again?”

“You really want me to kick your ass in front of all these people?” She nodded toward the pick-up soccer game happening across the parking lot. “It might be embarrassing.”

“Not any more embarrassing than any other time we’re together.”

She smirked, and then faltered as offense took hold. “Hey…”

I laughed, looked around, and then moved to stand before her. “Okay, try it really quick.”

“Here?” She bounced on her tiptoes and rocked back on her heels. “I don’t know.”

“Do you want me to make you mad again?” I asked, knowing I’d be in for hell if I really did.

“No.” Her answer was automatic. We weren’t going back there. “Just give me a second.”

That second turned into ten, and then thirty and forty. Her face was pink, her eyes were closed, and I was starting to get a little concerned about the vein in her neck.

“Okay,” I said. “Never mind.” The pull wasn’t there.

“I’ve almost got it,” she groaned, cracking her eyes open. “It just needs a jumpstart or something…” She pressed against my stomach, timid at first, but then she really got into it. Before I knew it, she had her shoulder pressed against my abs like she was ready to bust down a door. “Ugh…just move, damn it…”

“Rena.” I tried not to laugh, but it was about to come out anyway. It shook my core, and I knew she felt it. “Seriously.”

She took a step back, planted her hands on her hips, and glared at me. “You will rue the day you mocked me, Wallace Blake.”

Great. I couldn’t stop now. Why did she have to look so cute when she was angry?

“I’m serious,” she said, with a teasing scowl. “You will rue. Rue!”

“Yeah?” I took a step forward. “What’re you going to do to me?”

“How about I spank your—”

“Are we interrupting?” Faye cut in, and I flicked my gaze over Rena’s head.
Shit.
The whole ERA posse was coming down the sidewalk, and we had nowhere to go. I’d been blocking out background emotions again.

Rena spun on her heel with a muttered curse. “Did you need something else, Faye? Another carrot to dangle in front of his nose?”

“No, no.” Faye placed her hands on Corynn’s shoulders. “Just saying our farewells. We’ve got to get this one settled into her dorm. Summer session isn’t that far away, you know.”

“She’s studying here?” I asked, embarrassed I hadn’t seen this part coming. “Why?”

“Do I need a reason?” Corynn gave off an unexpected pang of hurt. “I’m a university student, and I received a scholarship to study abroad here. I’m getting work experience, too. You’re telling me you’d pass that up?”

“No, it’s just…” I ran a hand through my hair and tried to think of an eloquent way to put it. “They’re—”

Rena beat me to the punch. “They’re insane.”

Gail scoffed and crossed her arms. “Says the girl who struck me in the face over a cell phone.”

“It looked like a gun,” Rena yelled, drawing the attention of a few passersby.

Corynn waved us off. “If you mean your misunderstanding in the forest a while back, yeah, they mentioned it. Seems you lot got off on the wrong foot, huh? Crazy how it all worked out.”

“Yeah, crazy,” Rena agreed, shooting me a look. “So, where are you staying, Corynn?”

“Foster. Maverick’s going to show me around.” Corynn smiled at the skinny punk in question, making my skin crawl. “Actually, we’d better head off. It was nice meeting you both.”

Rena reached back and took my hand as they skirted around us on the sidewalk. “You too.”

Faye looked over her shoulder and waved. “See you at your next check-up, dear.”

Dear.
I scowled.
So patronizing.
ERA had made some kind of move today, but at this point, it was impossible to figure out. All I knew was they felt pretty smug about it, and that was more than enough to keep me on edge.

“Wallace,” Rena called, waving a hand in front of my face. “They’re gone. Relax.”

Relax?
Easy for her to say. Things had just been set into motion, and the duty of keeping us safe fell squarely on my shoulders. Either ERA was trying to neutralize me for some kind of physical advantage, or the visit was meant to lower our guards. I shoved the card in my back pocket.

As much as I hated it, Rena and I needed to split up for a few hours. It was time for a family meeting.

I buried my head under Rena’s covers as Gabby continued her tirade.

“And don’t you give me that ‘it’s nothing’ business. Ree hangs out with Ace every Friday night, and you end up moping around like some sad, dejected puppy.”

“I do not,” I whined, poking my head out. “There’s just nothing to do upstairs. Josh is gaming and—”

“There’s nothing to do upstairs,” she mimicked with a sneer. “Like there’s something to do up there any other night of the week? Please.”

My nostrils flared. “Well, you’re home on a Friday night, too!”

“I’m
tired
.” She cradled a pillow against her chest. “And you know I’ve been sick, so cram it. We’re talking about you now. You think I don’t see the way you look at Ree? It’s written all over your face.”

“What do you mean?” My heart stopped beating. I couldn’t breathe. I threw the covers back and sat up. “She doesn’t know, does she? I mean, she hasn’t said anything?”

That got a smile out of her. “You serious? She didn’t even know Ace liked her until things got hot and heavy between them. I love the girl, but she’s dense when it comes to these things.”

I exhaled into a slouch, nearly overcome with relief. “Thank God.”

“Oh no.” Gabby shook her head and sent curls flying. “That doesn’t mean you can sit on this crush forever. If you’re serious, you gotta tell her.”

“Um, Gabby…” I fiddled with the edge of the comforter. “In case you forgot, she has a boyfriend. A big, scary-lookin’ boyfriend.”

Not to mention the last time I’d let myself get close to a girl, she used our tutoring sessions to steal my stinkin’ homework.
Stupid
Macy…

Gabby pursed her lips and had a silent conversation with the ceiling. “Boy, you don’t even know how much I want to smack you right now. How do you expect Rena to decide who makes her happier, if you never tell her how you feel?”

I started to reply, but she cut me off.

“Don’t get me wrong. I love Wallace. I think he’s a great guy, but—news flash—so are you.”

Something warm burned my eyes as I swallowed. “Do you really mean that?”

“No, I said it for shits and giggles.” She chucked a pillow across the room. “Of course I mean it.”

I dove to the side, and it hit the wall behind me. “Thanks.”

“You can thank me by manning up.”

My stomach lurched at the thought. “I don’t think that’s such a good—”

“She deserves to know,” Gabby argued. “Maybe nothing will come of it, but at least you’ll have tried. You want to go through the rest of your life regretting this?”

“Well, no, but—”

A key twisted in the lock, and Gabby shot me a warning with her eyes. “If you don’t tell her, I will.”

Rena bumped the door open and threw her bag off to the side. “Tell who what?”

“Nothing,” I answered, pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose. “We were just talking. What are you doing here?”

She kicked off her shoes and climbed into bed beside me. “Uh, I live here?”

“Yeah, but don’t you normally hang out in Wallace’s room on Fridays?” Like I needed to ask. Her visits to our suite were like clockwork. That lucky jerk.

Realization lit her features as she leaned back to fluff the once-projectile pillow. “Oh, not tonight. He has some family stuff to take care of.”

“That’s perfect,” Gabby said in a tired voice. “Didn’t you have something to tell Rena, Aiden?”

My heart slammed against my chest. “W-What? No, I just…”

Rena turned to look at me, her green eyes narrowed in scrutiny. “Tell me what? What’d I miss?”

“Miss?” I gulped and prayed she hadn’t overheard any of our conversation. “N-Nothing much. We were just talking…”

“Yeah, you mentioned that.” She leaned in, sending me wafts of her perfume. “What is it? You’re blushing.”

Gabby snorted across the room, but I couldn’t break my focus to look at her. This was my worst-case scenario. What could I say? I couldn’t tell her. Oh man. My eyes were burning again.

“Geez, Aiden,” Rena said. “Relax. I’m just asking.”

“I…” I stole a glance at Gabby and she nodded, urging me on. “I like someone.”

How freakin' high school did that sound?

Rena’s jaw dropped, and she slapped my arm. “No, you don’t. Who is it?” Her gaze practically sparked as she grinned at me, ready to share my secret. “Do I know her?”

“Probably not,” I lied. “Look, it’s just some girl. It’s not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal?” she repeated. “Our little boy is growing up. What’s she like? How’d you meet her?” A second ticked by before she added, “And why did you tell Gabby before me?”

I leaned back against the bedpost. “You think I would just tell her something like this? She dragged it out of me.”

Rena nodded, accepting it easily enough. “She does have a way with these situations.”

“Yeah, so…”

“When do we get to meet her?” she asked.

“Huh?” I ran my sweaty palms down the front of my cargo shorts. “You can’t meet her. She…doesn’t even know yet.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, you have to tell her, obviously.”

“Same thing I said!” Gabby cut in.

“It’s not that easy,” I argued. “The situation is complicated, and she’s way out of my league. I don’t think I have a chance.”

Rena frowned. “Why not give it a shot, anyway? Nice guys don’t always finish last, Aiden.”

“No,” I admitted, standing up. “But they do come in second.”

“What do you mean?”

“Forget it.” I waved a hand over my shoulder. “I better go.”
Now, before I throw up.

She rose to her feet behind me, casting a shadow on the wall. “Hey, you’re okay, aren’t you?”

I turned back and forced a smile. “I’m fine. I just need to—you know—think things through.”

“If you say so.” Her brows knit together. “Come back down if you want to talk, okay?”

“Sure.” I gave another wave and slipped out the door. The walls were closing in on me, and I had to escape. I couldn’t tell her like this. It was too sudden, too forced. When and if I chose to share my feelings, I refused to look weak in front of her.

Like I just did. Again.

The ride up to the seventh floor took longer than usual. By the time I got off the elevator, I was in full retreat mode. I rounded the corner in a jog and nearly ran smack into Wallace.
Of course.

Fortunately, he had his back to me. With one finger pressed to his ear, he made a desperate attempt to find cell signal by the windows. “No, Grandma. I can’t talk about it here. I’ll have to drive down tonight.”

I crept around him, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“Yeah, probably by six thirty. It has to be somewhere public. Can you call Henry and Grandpa Edwin, too?” He paused and lowered his voice. “I know.”

Ugh.
The dude was making plans to spend Friday night with his grandma, and somehow
I
was the uncool one? Life wasn’t fair.

I went through the suite door and crammed my key into the next lock. Maybe Gabby was right. Rena deserved a choice in the matter, eventually. I just needed to man up and lay my cards on the table. Soon—before the secret killed me.