“Um…I’m…we should, you know…maybe, keep looking around?” His hands were sweating.
“Seriously, Alex. Just sit down. Save your energy. We’re not going to find anything out here.” Jade waved her hand at the dismal surroundings. She had a point.
Reluctantly, Alex sat on the farthest edge of the machine. Jadeshuffled over and reached a hand around his arm. He couldn’t help it, but somehow those fake nails with pink tips reminded him of claws.
“So, what do you think is going on?” Jade said, lowering her voice, her tone soft and unnervingly personal.
“I think, maybe…” Should he say it? He knew exactly what he thought, and he was with Ana on this one. No one would be stupid enough to run this scenario as a prank. Plus, there was the fact that Bates had said they’d all been somehow complicit in the fire a year ago. He couldn’t speak for anyone else here, but he certainly knew that he was guilty as charged. Everyone knew what he’d done.
“Jax is totally convinced it’s all a prank,” Jade continued, not waiting for his answer. “Don’t get me wrong—I love Jax and all. It’s just, sometimes he’s so wrapped up in his whole YouTube thing, it’s like he doesn’t even see what’s right in front of him…orwho’sright in front of him. I’m not complaining, but being his girlfriend can be a bit, you know…lonely.” Jade paused and looked at Alex probingly.
“Um…yeah,” was all Alex could manage. He looked at the windmill longingly; it seemed quiet by comparison.
“It’s, like, out here, with everything that’s going down…I’m kinda scared, Alex. But Jax doesn’t understand; he almost seems to be enjoying it. I just wish we were on the same page. I wish he could get what I’m feeling. Whatever’s happening here, I don’t want to face it by myself.” Jade shifted infinitesimally closer and dropped her head onto Alex’s shoulder, her claws reaching around to rest on his stomach. He flinched slightly. “You know, it’s weird, but somehow…I feel safe with you.”
Something close to panic hit Alex squarely in the gut. He would be the last to admit it, but girls scared him. Especially cute ones. The only girl he’d ever really felt comfortable with was Ana. Jade, on the other hand, was like an animated Victoria’s Secret model. Absolutelyterrifying. He wished he had his guitar to hold on to, but he’d reluctantly left it in his room when the timer started, hoping it would be safe in there—that it might survive, no matter what happened out here.
“I think it’ll all be fine,” he managed to stutter. He wasn’t sure where to put his free hand. It felt odd having her wrapped around him with his hands behind his back. He decided to go for a comforting pat on the back, but she pulled into him, and somehow, before he knew it, he was sitting with his arms around her, and she was practically in his lap.
Nervously, he looked around for Jax, only to see him standing beside a small lean-to shed. For one horrible moment, Alex was sure that Jax was watching them. But then his hand went up, camera attached, and he turned away, heading back behind the shed in his endless quest for the perfect angle.
Alex breathed out, but his relief was short-lived when a voice said, “Well, well. What have we here?”
Raya and Ana were standing by the corner of the building.
Why now? This was all wrong. Alex looked down, assessing the damage—arms everywhere, blonde hair everywhere, golden skin pushed up against his T-shirt. Not good. Jade lifted her head, smiled at Raya and Ana, and with a casual informality that was not appropriate, pulled Alex even closer, taking ownership. Alex blushed bright red.
“Find anything useful?” Raya’s tone was dripping with sarcasm.
“Um, no…we were…um…” Alex mumbled. No way was he going to make eye contact with Ana. Not like this.
“Yes, we can see what you were doing. Jade, does yourboyfriendknow you’re moving on? Or are you going to keep that a secret in case he decides to throw you across the line?”
“Oh my god, Raya! You are such a bitch! Alex was just making mefeel better.” Somehow, the way Jade said it made it sound as though “making me feel better” was a full-service deal.
“We’re not…I’m not…this isn’t…” Alex protested, daring to look up. Ana was facing away, towards the mountains. Strangely, it felt worse than if she’d been glaring at him. As though he’d been dismissed somehow.
“Whatever, bitches.” Raya nudged Ana and turned to go. “We just came to tell you that Ellis has summoned us to the reception area. We need to come up with a plan for staying alive, in case you forgot what’s going down.”
And they were gone.
Jade unfurled herself, managing to envelope Alex in a heady cloud of perfume, brushing lightly against his arm, chest, and hand while doing so. As soon as he was liberated, Alex jumped to his feet.
“I’m gonna go and tell Jax we’re all meeting, okay?” He backed away, tripping awkwardly over a discarded piece of bedding. “I’ll see you in the reception area.”
As he ran towards the shed, all thoughts of the timer and the line were momentarily suspended. There was only one thing that was looping through his mind.
What would Ana think of him now?
13
Ana
29:44
The reception area had become their de facto meeting place. The blinds were pulled down all the way and the large room had taken on the appearance of a battle HQ—chairs pushed to the side, the desk from the office dragged into the center of the room with various papers strewn across the surface.
Ana sat quietly, watching the others.
