Split Second

“Sure.”

I faced the mirror, and she positioned herself behind me. As I tried to stare at anything but the pictures of her and Trevor together, my mind wandered to the last time Stephanie had lost Trevor to me. She was not very happy. She set out to ruin me. Expose me and my lies to him. A woman scorned was not to be messed with.

“I can’t believe you and Trevor talked me into sharing my winter formal with Rowan,” Stephanie said.

“He’s not as bad as you think.”

“Well, nothing, not even him, is going to ruin tonight for me.”

She didn’t say anything about tomorrow. Tomorrow was available for ruining.

The boys showed up, and I tried my hardest to keep my eyes to myself. I did not need to ogle Trevor, but man, did he look amazing.

“Addie,” Rowan said, “you look hot. And Steph, you look beautiful tonight as well.”

You look gorgeous, I pushed into Trevor’s mind.

“No fair,” he said out loud.

“What’s not fair?” Stephanie asked.

“Yeah, Trevor, what’s not fair?” I added.

He smiled his amazing smile. “The amount of beauty in this room. We better get going.”

Stephanie beamed as though that was a compliment for her and her alone, then hooked her arm through Trevor’s. I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea after all. If I had just let Trevor go to this dance without me, I wouldn’t have to be a witness. Rowan held out his elbow for me, and I took it. Might as well get this torturous night over with.

We had formal dances at the Compound twice a year. They were awesome. Illusions filled the venue in whatever theme was decided on. One year the theme was Ocean Sunset, and an entire wall of the building looked like an ocean, lapping onto the dance floor with an always-setting sun.

This was nothing like that. This was cheesy decorations and a halfway decent band. But this was all real and represented a committee’s hard work. I appreciated it, but as I watched Stephanie and Trevor dance their third slow song, I was ready to personally pop all the balloons that made up a fake archway.

“So,” Rowan said. “Do I have to ask the question for a third time or did you hear me?”

I turned my attention back to Rowan, who was doing a really good job of making sure our swaying back and forth matched the beat of the song. “I’m sorry, what?”

“That’s what I thought. Would it help to know that he likes you too?”

“Who?”

“Who?” He laughed. “I don’t know, maybe the guy you’ve been staring at for the last thirty minutes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’ve already been told that at approximately seven o’clock I am supposed to steal Stephanie for a dance so he can ask you.” He glanced at his watch. “That’s the next song.”

“Really?” I hugged him. “Thank you.”

“How are you two going to tell her? You know her wrath is like no other.”

“I know. And I have no idea how I’m going to do it. Any suggestions?”

He laughed again. “Run?” The song ended, and we separated. Trevor and Stephanie rejoined us.

“If I were in charge of the decorations this year, I would not have gone all nineties with the balloons. So tacky.”

“I kind of like them,” I said.

“Decorations?” Rowan asked, then looked around as if noticing them for the first time.

“Oblivious,” Stephanie said. We walked over to the food table because the next song was a stupid fast one. That song felt like it lasted an eternity. When the first chord of the new song was strummed, my heart sped up. I hoped Rowan could make this happen.

Stephanie turned to Trevor, and Rowan cleared his throat. “Let’s mix it up this song. You want to dance, Steph?”

“What? No.” She grabbed Trevor’s hand.

“That would actually be really fun,” I said. “Just for one song.”

Trevor added, “I’m up for it.”

“Fine,” Stephanie said with a sigh. “One song.”

Trevor led me to the middle of the dance floor. “Hi.”

I smiled. His hand against my back felt so familiar and amazing. His shoulder was broad and strong beneath my grip. “Hi.”

“Tell me three things.”

I smiled. I liked this game. It made me happy. “One time we got trapped in the principal’s car after losing a bet. We had to steal his bobblehead. Only Rowan, who was supposed to distract the principal, didn’t do a very good job and the alarm got set.”

“What did we do?”

“We talked until Rowan got the keys and freed us.”

“Sounds interesting,” Trevor said.

“Oh, then there was this time you were trying to prove how strong you were and you picked me up. This was way before we were together, by the way,” I said.

“When you still thought I was supposed to be your best friend?”

“Yes.”

“And I picked you up. How?”

“It was fast. You pulled me forward and then had me in the air, holding me around the thighs.”

“And you still thought I wanted to be friends?”

I laughed. “I told you. I wasn’t the greatest with your signals.”

He moved my hand, clasped in his, up to his shoulder. The action closed the space between us. “Have you learned my signals yet?”

I was hyperaware of every inch of his body—his hands, now on my waist, one foot between mine, his chest against my own. Warmth spread from his hands all the way up my back. My heart raced. My chest expanded. “I think so,” I whispered. I felt the energy gathering around me before I realized what I’d done.

He noticed first. “What’s wrong with the music?”

It had changed to a distorted moan. I looked around, and the entire dance floor was at a near standstill.

“Are you doing this?” he asked.

I tried to make my heart settle, hoping normal speed would return faster. “Just stay still. If we move, it will be obvious.”

“Addison?”

I looked up at him. He moved his hand as slowly as possible to my cheek. I leaned my face into his palm. So much happiness burst inside me that the music came to a complete stop.

“Nobody is moving,” Trevor said. “Does that mean they can’t see us?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never stopped it all the way before.” If I had to guess, I’d say no.

“So then I can probably do this.” Ever so slowly he brought his lips to mine. Even though I saw it coming, it still took my breath away when our lips touched.

“I think I love you,” I said against his mouth.

“I think I can get used to that,” he said back. I knew he couldn’t love me yet. He was just now getting to know me. So that was the best thing he could’ve said in return. A new surge of happiness welled up inside me. Time wasn’t returning to normal anytime soon. I wove my fingers into his hair and kissed him again. Even our kiss we kept slow and calm, which only intensified each movement and heightened my senses each time he released a breath.

The music started moaning again, and I pulled away. I let just my eyes take in our surroundings and saw two people looking straight at us. Their expressions were distorted because they were hardly moving. One was Stephanie. Her face twisted into half shock, half hurt, and all the way angry. The other person, standing just inside the doors, was Duke Rivers.

CHAPTER 36

Laila: Guys don’t think.

I walked the familiar path to Connor’s garage. He was working on his bike. Again. How much stuff could a person possibly do on one motorcycle? Especially at seven o’clock at night. Did he ever stop? Maybe he was making up for the three lost days on the train.

He looked up as I entered, then back down to his bike, the smallest of smiles forming on his mouth. This tiny indication that he was happy to see me radiated joy through my entire body.

“Did you find an inch of the handlebar that didn’t look Norm enough for you?” I slid onto the bar stool next to the high counter.

“Just messing with the calibration.”

“Sounds important . . . and boring.”

“It’s so much less boring now that you’re here.”

I grunted. “You better say that after weeks and weeks of ignoring me every time I came into this garage.”

“Ignoring you?”

“Yes, your bike had all your attention. I’ve never been more jealous of an inanimate object.”

He chuckled a little. “You’re impossible to ignore, Laila. I was acutely aware of exactly where you stood, what you looked at, when you took a breath.”

“Wow. Look at you. You know how to say romantic things.” I walked over to his bike and threw my leg over the seat. “What about when I sit on your bike? Does that bother you?”

“If you weren’t blocking what I was trying to work on, then it might not bother me as much.” He kissed my neck and then wrapped his arm around my waist and lifted me off his bike.

“Ha! See. I should be jealous of this piece of metal.”

“I should be jealous,” he muttered under his breath, returning to his task.

“No, I’m pretty sure I hate your motorcycle, so no need to be jealous there.”

“I thought you and Duke were done scheming,” he said, his back to me, tightening a screw.

“I don’t know that Duke and I have ever schemed. And I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“What does he want with a listening device?”

“What?”

“This morning he came in wanting a body chip.” He must’ve noted my confused look, because he added, “A listening device you can attach to your body. Usually used to spy on people.”

Spy on people. “And did you sell it to him?”

“He said you sent him. Plus he had cash, unlike some of my customers.”

“My looks are my currency, baby.”

“So true.”

“I did not send him.” I sighed, thinking about what Duke might want with a listening device. “Oh no.” I pulled out my phone and dialed his number. He didn’t answer.

“How about you take me for a ride on your little bike?” I grabbed the extra helmet off the shelf.

“Where are we going?”

“Duke’s house.”

“You really don’t care at all about my jealous rages, do you?” he asked in an even voice, a little smirk letting me know he was at least partially kidding.

“Not right now.”

He returned the tool he held to its place and put his helmet on. “Let’s go.”

I climbed on behind him and at first tried to get away with just grabbing his waist with my hands, but as he sped through the night, streetlights flying by in a blur, I wrapped my arms around him tightly.

“While driving, it’s nice to be able to breathe,” his voice said in the helmet speaker.

“Yeah, well, I’d like to be able to live, so I’m good.”

We pulled up in front of Duke’s house, and I slid off the bike as fast as possible. And I thought I’d hated his motorcycle before. Was definitely not a fan now. I didn’t wait for him to do whatever pampering he did to his bike at the end of a ride and walked up the steps to the front door. Before I could knock, a robotic voice inside announced my arrival. I hadn’t even realized I’d been scanned.