Love and Decay, Boy Meets Girl by Rachel Higginson Page A

only determined to get out.
    “Eventually,” I answered. I couldn’t even
pretend to be as cool as her. Energy and adrenaline hummed through
my blood, bringing me fully awake and setting every one of my
instincts and senses on edge. I felt torn in half trying to keep an
eye on Page and on Reagan.
    Page would always be my first priority, but I
couldn’t deny the intense urge I felt to protect Reagan.
    I took in my surroundings, visualized our
escape plan and mentally pictured each and every future kill. The
key to survival and keeping those you loved alive was to always be
prepared.
    I was a goddamn Boy Scout when it came to a
fight. Everyone in this room would make it to safety.
    There was no other option in my life.
    “Alright, well thanks then,” Reagan whispered
to me sounding sincere and final.
    My blood went cold, freezing in my veins. I
watched Nelson and Vaughan finally pry the door open but it was in
a detached, confused kind of way. They began working with another
one of our pulley systems and I began working to process Reagan’s
words.
    “For what?” I turned to her realizing she
hadn’t come to the same conclusion that I had about our remaining
lives. Even if we never became involved with more than friendship,
we definitely had a future together. From this day forward.
    “For everything,” she shrugged and turned
away.
    Maybe she wasn’t as brave as I gave her
credit for. Maybe she was resigned that this was a no win
situation. She had no idea who she was traveling with now, though.
The Parkers didn’t believe in no-win situations. We won everything,
every chance we got.
    I needed her to believe that too, though.
    “You sound like you’re expecting to die,
Reagan,” I barked, a little harsher than I intended. But I was
irritated that she didn’t trust me. Yes, I knew I was being
irrational. But I couldn’t help it. Testosterone had fused with the
adrenaline to transform me into the super soldier I needed to be.
“We have an escape plan. You’re going to be just fine.”
    Confusion warred with frustration as she
tried not to laugh at me. I scowled at her, waiting for her to
explain. “I know that.” And then because I still didn’t understand
she sighed and made it clear why she was thanking me, basically
telling me goodbye. “But we’re headed south and you’re headed
north. I was just saying thank you before we got separated and I
never got the chance to. I mean it, thank you.”
    I stared at her. She still didn’t get it. And
then I started to panic a little. Was I the only one that felt this
connection between us? I felt fused to her, hooked by a titanium
steel fishing line that would never release me. How could she just
not assume that from this moment on our lives were entwined?
    My brothers started getting people through
the elevator, following through with our escape plan and
momentarily pulled Reagan’s attention away from me. I took the
opportunity to step forward and lean down so I could speak directly
in her ear.
    “Alright, Reagan,” I said softly. She
shivered at the feel of my voice in her ear and I knew at that
moment I wasn’t the only one that felt this. There was something
real between us, something tangible and worth exploring. “I get the
independence thing, but you’re not going south until we get the
hell out of here and to safety. You stay directly behind me, you
got that?”
    She whipped her head around and stared me
down with a soul full of fury, “Sweet offer, but I can take care of
myself.”
    “Never said you couldn’t,” I admitted. And I
knew that she could. But that wasn’t the point. “Stay behind me,
got that?”
    “Whatever makes you feel like a man,” she
sighed, sounding completely exasperated by me.
    I suppressed a smile. “And we’ll talk about
going south later.”
    She opened her mouth to argue with me,
sputtering a little and seeming completely flustered. I did smile
this time, I couldn’t help myself. I ushered her forward and