“I’m not following,” he said, brows lowered.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I see things. Future things. I thought they were daydreams- or I did until I saw you on Move-In Day.”
Silver specks danced in his irises as he absorbed my words. He sat up straighter. “So, you saw me do something you didn’t like in the future.”
“Yes.”
“The future can change,” he objected. I opened my mouth, wanting more than anything to agree, climb back into his arms and drown in the pleasure he gave me. But I knew better. I shook my head slowly. His nostrils flared and hands fisting the sheet beneath him. “So, you’re ending this over something I haven’t even done yet?”
I wanted to scream. Scream thatno, I didn’t want to end it, that I wanted to know him, all of him. Claim him. Devour him. Possess him.
“I have to,” I whispered and before he could stop me, I ran.
12
Ollie
Whatthefuckjusthappened?
I sat at the edge of the bed with a raging hard-on and my heart ripped out of my chest. My brain ached at the overload of information and burgeoning hangover. How did it go so wrong so fast? Ihadher. The way she kissed me- she wanted me as much as I wanted her. The way her body responded to me- when she came I almost did too.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I squeezed my eyes shut. All I could see was her writhing under my touch, fucking my hand like she couldn't get enough, her nipple glistening while her eyes rolled back-
To pure white.
I shivered, trying to dispel the memory of the shudder and convulsion that jerked me up from tasting her. I thought I’d hurt her- then I saw the tears leaking from the corners of her eyes as the milky film dissipated. Panic like nothing I’d experienced before railed into me. It only got worse with her explanation.
Shedidknow me.
Shewasdangerous.
Neither in the ways I assumed.
She had to be another victim, genetically tampered with like me and the twins by Merit Institute. There was no other explanation. My findings in Dad’s old emails and Mom’s mind weren’t enough to track down actual names other than the aliasBlackthorn. It led nowhere. The fuckers were too careful. I couldn’t wrap my mind around why they hadn’t held onto us in the first place. Were they biding their time? Did we need to mature? Or were they simply observing us in the wild?
There was more I was missing.
The door of the dorm slammed. Hope bobbed to the surface of my dismal ocean. She returned?
“Ollie, where the fuck are you?” Jack demanded. I didn’t bother moving as he charged through my open door and skidded to a halt at the sight of me. “What the-”
“Don’t,” I interrupted, my voice sounding much more broken than intended. The tension in his stance disintegrated.
“Shit,” he whispered, wiping a palm down his face. “This night couldn’t get any worse.”
“Tell me about it,” I mumbled, rubbing my temple. A tentative furry head poked around the door, padded paws crept closer. Buddy’s wet nose nudged my arm. He whined softly.
“He said she left.”
“She did.”
“Was it because of M?” Jack asked cautiously.
I shrugged. “No. Maybe. I have no fucking idea.”
And then it all poured out, the whole damn saga beginning with Miranda luring me to bed and discovering her power, to Courtney admitting she knew me after all- not from the program, but from visions of me her whole life. For a long time, Jack stood in silence.
“I should’ve told you about M. I didn’t realize-fuck,” he sighed, navy eyes downcast. He ripped off his hat and crumbled it in his fist. “So, Nemesis didn’t say what she saw in the vision?”
