I’m not going. So I’m not going.”
Kale raises his chin. “Exactly.”
I shake my head. “She’d want to. You just won’t let her.”
“Don’t push her like you pushed…” He stops talking and his face fills with regret. “God, sorry. I didn’t mean—”
I stand up and go to the window. Bang my fists on it. Yes, I pushed Stretch. He hesitated, but I convinced him to risk his life. And now he’s dead. I turn around. “It’ll be different this time.”
Kale’s eyes soften. “X, I didn’t mean to—”
I hold up my hand. “Never mind that.” I turn to Lindsay. “I really need you to do this. It’s our only way in. I can’t trust any kid here. It can’t be me or Kale. It needs to be you.”
Kale looks at her. “Don’t let him talk you into this. You’ve made up your mind and you’re sticking with your choice.”
“ Man, Kale,” I mutter.
His gaze shoots to me. “You’re not thinking right, because of Glen,” he says. “I love her. I. Love. Her. I don’t want anything to happen to her.”
“And nothing will,” I say. “I promise you that.”
He scoffs. “You can’t promise that. You—” He stops talking and scans my room. “Hold on. Someone’s in here.” His eyes stop at the corner between my dresser and TV. “Stealth, show yourself.”
Stealth? My throat constricts.
As soon as she appears, it’s hard for me to breathe. Her face doesn’t register guilt. It’s emotionless, except for a bit of humor in her eyes as she stares at me. Has she been in my room all this time? Does she spy on me?
Kale asks her the same question.
She shrugs. “I saw the three of you plotting something. I got curious.”
Kale, Lindsay, and I exchange a glance. Stealth’s gaze on me intensifies. I try to swallow, but can’t. Sweat starts to gather on my palms.
Kale motions for me to do something, but I’m as still as a statue. He clears his throat. “How much did you hear?”
“Enough.” Her eyes are still on me. I don’t break away. I don’t like that she overheard our plans. “And I want to do it.”
“ What?” I say, surprised that I managed to talk.
“I want to go undercover.”
I step away from the window and move a bit closer. “Out of the question.”
She snorts. “She won’t do it.” She points to Lindsay. “I want to.”
I narrow my eyes. “What’s in this for you?”
She rests her hand on the TV. “It’s too boring here. The simulations suck. I need some fun.”
My heart hammers. Is that why she…why she’s playing games with me? Because she’s bored?
“Out of the question,” I repeat.
“ Why?”
“I don’t know you. I don’t trust you. We’re dealing with something serious. Not fun.”
Her gaze flicks to my lips, and my stomach clenches. Damn these emotions. They’re screwing with my ability to think clearly.
I tear my eyes away from her. “Leave and don’t tell anyone what you heard.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I want to do this. I understand how serious this is and I’m not making a joke out of it.”
I give her a hard stare. “A s I said, no.”
“What are you so afraid of?” She pulls on her ponytail. “You have no one else. Here I am, willing to do this and—”
“I said, leave my room. We don’t have time for your games.”
She stares at me for a bit, then says, “I’m not kidding around here. I really want to do this.”
“Why?”
She hesitates, her eyes on the floor. After a few seconds, she raises her head to me. “All my life I’ve hurt people. I’ve done terrible things. This is my chance to fix them. To do something right and good. To help people. I don’t mind risking my life. It’s for a good cause.” She smiles a little. “It’s a good idea, actually.”
She’s using whatever happened between us to get her way. I won’t fall for it. Won’t be weak. “I don’t trust you,” I say.
She doesn’t say anything . Her lips are in a firm line.
X , Kale says. I think we can trust her.
Kale raises his chin. “Exactly.”
I shake my head. “She’d want to. You just won’t let her.”
“Don’t push her like you pushed…” He stops talking and his face fills with regret. “God, sorry. I didn’t mean—”
I stand up and go to the window. Bang my fists on it. Yes, I pushed Stretch. He hesitated, but I convinced him to risk his life. And now he’s dead. I turn around. “It’ll be different this time.”
Kale’s eyes soften. “X, I didn’t mean to—”
I hold up my hand. “Never mind that.” I turn to Lindsay. “I really need you to do this. It’s our only way in. I can’t trust any kid here. It can’t be me or Kale. It needs to be you.”
Kale looks at her. “Don’t let him talk you into this. You’ve made up your mind and you’re sticking with your choice.”
“ Man, Kale,” I mutter.
His gaze shoots to me. “You’re not thinking right, because of Glen,” he says. “I love her. I. Love. Her. I don’t want anything to happen to her.”
“And nothing will,” I say. “I promise you that.”
He scoffs. “You can’t promise that. You—” He stops talking and scans my room. “Hold on. Someone’s in here.” His eyes stop at the corner between my dresser and TV. “Stealth, show yourself.”
Stealth? My throat constricts.
As soon as she appears, it’s hard for me to breathe. Her face doesn’t register guilt. It’s emotionless, except for a bit of humor in her eyes as she stares at me. Has she been in my room all this time? Does she spy on me?
Kale asks her the same question.
She shrugs. “I saw the three of you plotting something. I got curious.”
Kale, Lindsay, and I exchange a glance. Stealth’s gaze on me intensifies. I try to swallow, but can’t. Sweat starts to gather on my palms.
Kale motions for me to do something, but I’m as still as a statue. He clears his throat. “How much did you hear?”
“Enough.” Her eyes are still on me. I don’t break away. I don’t like that she overheard our plans. “And I want to do it.”
“ What?” I say, surprised that I managed to talk.
“I want to go undercover.”
I step away from the window and move a bit closer. “Out of the question.”
She snorts. “She won’t do it.” She points to Lindsay. “I want to.”
I narrow my eyes. “What’s in this for you?”
She rests her hand on the TV. “It’s too boring here. The simulations suck. I need some fun.”
My heart hammers. Is that why she…why she’s playing games with me? Because she’s bored?
“Out of the question,” I repeat.
“ Why?”
“I don’t know you. I don’t trust you. We’re dealing with something serious. Not fun.”
Her gaze flicks to my lips, and my stomach clenches. Damn these emotions. They’re screwing with my ability to think clearly.
I tear my eyes away from her. “Leave and don’t tell anyone what you heard.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I want to do this. I understand how serious this is and I’m not making a joke out of it.”
I give her a hard stare. “A s I said, no.”
“What are you so afraid of?” She pulls on her ponytail. “You have no one else. Here I am, willing to do this and—”
“I said, leave my room. We don’t have time for your games.”
She stares at me for a bit, then says, “I’m not kidding around here. I really want to do this.”
“Why?”
She hesitates, her eyes on the floor. After a few seconds, she raises her head to me. “All my life I’ve hurt people. I’ve done terrible things. This is my chance to fix them. To do something right and good. To help people. I don’t mind risking my life. It’s for a good cause.” She smiles a little. “It’s a good idea, actually.”
She’s using whatever happened between us to get her way. I won’t fall for it. Won’t be weak. “I don’t trust you,” I say.
She doesn’t say anything . Her lips are in a firm line.
X , Kale says. I think we can trust her.
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