The air felt thinner for a moment.
“I’m telling you, I saw,” Sparks said. “They didn’t come from the wreck. They had fancy stun guns and handed out food and medicine to the crowd. Asked the ones from the wreck if they had GEMs with them. They didn’t seem that bad. And they said they did it for us. For all of us.”
“They’re terrorists.” Nate thrust the bloody scarf at her, wondering if she’d forgotten the part where his head had almost been kicked clean off, thanks to what they’d done. “They just killed loads of people!”
“I didn’t say I was signing up to blow up trains with them. They didn’t need to do that.” Sparks quieted as if she expected one of those fine-dressed people to be right behind her. “Just saying they had nice clothes. And maybe they were only trying to help us.”
Reed shook his head, frowning. “I don’t like it. They were too bold today. Going after the city trains. Walking around in the sun like they didn’t care who saw them. Sparks said the A-Vols didn’t go near them, like they were scared to.”
“And trappers?” Nate asked. It wasn’t like trappers to be out in the daytime, but the explosion would have shaken just about anyone out onto the street.
“I don’t know. It was so crowded.”
Nate recognized the frustration that tightened the skin around Reed’s eyes. Just because they didn’t see trappers didn’t mean trappers didn’t see them.
He hated that hollow sensation of not knowing, especially when not knowing could mean somebody getting hurt. Reed was the same—always trying to stay one step ahead of anything that could harm his gang. And he couldn’t stay ahead if the unknown darkened the path and tripped him up.
Blowing out a noisy breath, Reed crouched in front of Nate. His skin gleamed, the freckles on his nose bright as flecks of polished metal.
Nate ducked his head. “Sorry I made you come out here.”
“You didn’t make me do anything.” Reed brushed Nate’s hair behind his ears and stayed close—closer than he needed to be. “How are you?”
“I’m okay, Reed.”
Reed’s expression went pinched. “Are you?”
A wave of sharp sadness gripped Nate. No matter what he did, Reed was still going to try to pry secrets out of him. They could never have a moment of just being close. “My head hurts, but I guess that’s nothing new.”
“You look pretty bad.” Reed stroked Nate’s jaw with his thumb and tilted his face up to study the cut at his hairline.
Nate didn’t know what to do with his hands, so he pressed them against the dirty pavement. “Do you remember when the water main broke and we all went to see?”
That day, Reed had stripped down to his tattered boxers in the spray. Drops of water caught the sunlight, casting rainbows that shimmered in the air, and everyone laughed and played like little children. Nate hung back, and Reed dragged him into the spray in his clothes, soaking Nate until the water glued his shirt to his back. Reed drew him close and spun him into a whirling dance. Nate pulled back—scared—ducking out of the water and away from how bad he wanted Reed.
He wanted him just the same now, even smoke-stained and ripe with the scent of fear.
“I remember.” Reed walked his fingers along Nate’s temple, carefully feeling for bumps. “Why?”
If Nate could climb up onto a burning train, he could show Reed what he really wanted. At least once, anyway.
Even if it was selfish.
“No reason.” He took Reed by the back of the neck and pulled him closer. Reed tilted his head, as if expecting a whisper at his ear, so when Nate leaned in, the kiss pressed against the side of Reed’s mouth.
Sparks let out a low laugh. She probably thought Nate was delirious from the smoke and the trampling.
Maybe I am.
Reed’s lips parted with a surprised sound, and Nate fumbled for an angle that made it feel like a real kiss. He scrabbled closer, his fingers catching in Reed’s loose shirt, and bumped Reed’s mouth with his tongue. Reed pushed him away.
“Nate.” He shook his head, eyes big and startled. “No.”
Nate shrugged out of Reed’s grip and wiped his mouth—wiped away what he’d done. Shame seared through him, hot as a fever. What was he thinking?
“Nate,” Reed said, softer this time.
The gentleness was worse.
