out?”
“I just talked to him.”
She grunted. “I don’t believe he told you. Why were you talking to him, anyway?”
“Because he’s at this party. Wait, who are you talking about?” I asked at the same exact time she did.
“The fact that you have to ask, Laila, really scares me. How many memories have you Erased? I’m talking about Rowan.”
She gave a little laugh. “Oh yeah. Rowan. How is he?”
“Clueless. Who were you talking about?”
“Maybe Duke.”
“You Erased Duke’s memory?” I tried not to register the tiny bit of hope that sprang up inside me over that thought. If he couldn’t remember me, I didn’t have to feel like such a fool every time I saw him. Instead I concentrated on the overwhelming amount of indignation I felt about it.
“Just five minutes of them.”
“Why, Laila? Why would you do that to someone without their permission? That is so wrong on so many levels.”
“Duke deserved it. And as far as Rowan goes, it was the humane thing to do. I couldn’t leave his memories of kissing me intact, or he would’ve searched the world and come up empty. No girl would’ve ever lived up to me. It would’ve been tragic. This way he has a chance at happiness.”
“There is something very wrong with you.”
She laughed.
“Stop Erasing memories.”
“You’re no fun.”
“I better go. I’m at this lame party.”
Laila blew air between her lips. “You think all parties are lame.”
“Exactly.” I smiled and hung up. When I turned around, my breath caught in my throat because Trevor stood just inside the door. His face was relaxed, so I wasn’t sure if he’d heard my conversation, including the part about Erasing memories, or if he had just walked in.
“I was looking for the water.”
“It’s in the fridge.” He pointed, then went there himself. He handed me a water and pulled out a few sodas.
“Thanks.”
“Not a problem,” he said, and then headed to the door.
“It’s an inside joke,” I blurted out, pretty sure he had at least heard the last part of my conversation.
He turned back around. “What?”
“I think all parties are lame. I’m kind of antisocial. So it was just a joke. Your party is fine.”
He nodded. “All parties are lame, but what am I supposed to do when people invite themselves over?” He leaned his shoulder against the wall, his eyes shining with a teasing smile.
“Hey.” I laughed. “Stephanie invited me. I promise.”
“Well, you did recently save my brother. . . .” His relaxed position became a little tense with the mention. Was it the thought of his brother falling that caused the change in his demeanor, or did he suspect my secret? It was hard to believe that someone without any knowledge of the Compound could come to any sort of real conclusion. But he had witnessed me move faster than any human should and then possibly overheard me asking Laila about Erasing memories.
My mind flashed to the man in the Tower with the scar across his cheek. Crap. Did Trevor overhearing my talk with Laila count as me telling someone? I looked around as if someone could be watching me, right now, in Trevor’s dimly lit garage. Was that even possible?
The way Trevor trailed off about me saving his brother made it seem like he expected me to finish his sentence, fill in the blank he wasn’t seeing. When I didn’t say anything, he opened the door. “The movie’s about to start.” And with those words, he walked inside.
I followed after him and looked around for Stephanie. She was squeezed in between two girls on the couch, laughing and talking. So much for feeling out of place. Rowan came up next to me, popping the tab on his soda and taking a long drink. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
“Did you have a good Thanksgiving yesterday?”
“Yes. Ate too much, slept a lot. The norm.” But really it wasn’t the norm. It was odd. My first holiday away from my mom. My dad acted weird and nervous and kept asking me if I wanted anything
“I just talked to him.”
She grunted. “I don’t believe he told you. Why were you talking to him, anyway?”
“Because he’s at this party. Wait, who are you talking about?” I asked at the same exact time she did.
“The fact that you have to ask, Laila, really scares me. How many memories have you Erased? I’m talking about Rowan.”
She gave a little laugh. “Oh yeah. Rowan. How is he?”
“Clueless. Who were you talking about?”
“Maybe Duke.”
“You Erased Duke’s memory?” I tried not to register the tiny bit of hope that sprang up inside me over that thought. If he couldn’t remember me, I didn’t have to feel like such a fool every time I saw him. Instead I concentrated on the overwhelming amount of indignation I felt about it.
“Just five minutes of them.”
“Why, Laila? Why would you do that to someone without their permission? That is so wrong on so many levels.”
“Duke deserved it. And as far as Rowan goes, it was the humane thing to do. I couldn’t leave his memories of kissing me intact, or he would’ve searched the world and come up empty. No girl would’ve ever lived up to me. It would’ve been tragic. This way he has a chance at happiness.”
“There is something very wrong with you.”
She laughed.
“Stop Erasing memories.”
“You’re no fun.”
“I better go. I’m at this lame party.”
Laila blew air between her lips. “You think all parties are lame.”
“Exactly.” I smiled and hung up. When I turned around, my breath caught in my throat because Trevor stood just inside the door. His face was relaxed, so I wasn’t sure if he’d heard my conversation, including the part about Erasing memories, or if he had just walked in.
“I was looking for the water.”
“It’s in the fridge.” He pointed, then went there himself. He handed me a water and pulled out a few sodas.
“Thanks.”
“Not a problem,” he said, and then headed to the door.
“It’s an inside joke,” I blurted out, pretty sure he had at least heard the last part of my conversation.
He turned back around. “What?”
“I think all parties are lame. I’m kind of antisocial. So it was just a joke. Your party is fine.”
He nodded. “All parties are lame, but what am I supposed to do when people invite themselves over?” He leaned his shoulder against the wall, his eyes shining with a teasing smile.
“Hey.” I laughed. “Stephanie invited me. I promise.”
“Well, you did recently save my brother. . . .” His relaxed position became a little tense with the mention. Was it the thought of his brother falling that caused the change in his demeanor, or did he suspect my secret? It was hard to believe that someone without any knowledge of the Compound could come to any sort of real conclusion. But he had witnessed me move faster than any human should and then possibly overheard me asking Laila about Erasing memories.
My mind flashed to the man in the Tower with the scar across his cheek. Crap. Did Trevor overhearing my talk with Laila count as me telling someone? I looked around as if someone could be watching me, right now, in Trevor’s dimly lit garage. Was that even possible?
The way Trevor trailed off about me saving his brother made it seem like he expected me to finish his sentence, fill in the blank he wasn’t seeing. When I didn’t say anything, he opened the door. “The movie’s about to start.” And with those words, he walked inside.
I followed after him and looked around for Stephanie. She was squeezed in between two girls on the couch, laughing and talking. So much for feeling out of place. Rowan came up next to me, popping the tab on his soda and taking a long drink. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
“Did you have a good Thanksgiving yesterday?”
“Yes. Ate too much, slept a lot. The norm.” But really it wasn’t the norm. It was odd. My first holiday away from my mom. My dad acted weird and nervous and kept asking me if I wanted anything
Similar Books
