The Forsaken

home. And second, don’t you and Gadya have some kind of thing for each other? I’m not gonna get in the way of that.”
    It’s clear he didn’t expect this response. “I just thought I’d ask. I like you. And for the record, Gadya and I are done. She dumped me, actually.”
    I can feel my heart beating faster. Even though it’s girly and stupid, I admit I feel a thrill that Liam said he likes me. But at the same time absolutely nothing is going to happen between us. “Look, I like you, too. But I don’t have time for a relationship, or any drama. I’m too busy trying to stay alive.”
    We’re standing only a few inches away from each other. My words are one thing, but I keep feeling like I can’t breathe, like all my nerve endings are tingling. I sense Liam’s gaze intensifying. I look up into his warm eyes and see myself and the world of butterflies reflected back at me.
    Just as I’m thinking, Am I deluded, or is this boy actually going to try to kiss me? he leans in and presses his lips against mine.
    I’m in shock.
    This is my first kiss, and I still can’t believe it’s actually happening. His touch is almost too much for me. I press my chest against his, as his hands hold me tight, moving against my body—
    Then, coming to my senses, I shove him away from me.
    “Ow!” he says. “What’s wrong?”
    “You’re what’s wrong,” I snap at him. “This can’t happen. It doesn’t matter how I feel about you. I promised Gadya I wouldn’t get involved.”
    “Gadya,” he says. “First she dumped me and now she’s trying to stop me from liking another girl?”
    “Exactly.” I cross my arms.
    He sighs. “You girls always stick together.”
    “She said the same thing about you and the other hunters.” I try to compose myself. “Don’t kiss me again.”
    Liam looks disappointed, embarrassed, and bemused all at once. “Well, I guess it’s good you’re loyal to your friends,” he finally says, brushing back his hair. “So, I feel kind of stupid right now. . . .” His words trail off. He smiles sheepishly. “Make that really stupid.”
    “It’s no big deal.”
    “It’s just that since I first saw you, I felt kind of comfortable around you. Like maybe we had some kind of connection? I know that sounds pretty weird, huh?”
    He turns away.
    “Wait,” I suddenly say, speaking before I can stop myself. “There’s something you should know. The day before I got sent here, when I toured the Harka Museum in New Providence, I saw you on the screen.”
    He turns back to me. “What?”
    “You were talking to the camera. You were trying to send a message, and then you got attacked.”
    “I can’t believe you saw that! I didn’t think anyone was watching.” He pauses. “It’s something I usually do every time I head into the gray zone, or on a mission. I swing by the camera and try to signal to my family. Just in case they’re out there watching somehow. It’s a long shot, I know. I was using sign language ’cause my little brother Gabriel is deaf.” He pauses. “The drones often hang out there, so it’s a dangerous place. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
    “Because I didn’t want you to think I was crazy. And I don’t know if it means anything or not, or if it’s just coincidence.”
    A loud crashing noise makes both of us startle. I turn to see a figure lumbering between the trees, down the trail toward us. It’s Markus again. I wonder if he just constantly prowls the forest.
    “Hey, man,” Liam calls out.
    Markus stops walking. I realize he didn’t see us. “Sorry,” he says. “Just checking for drones.” He stumbles away, averting his eyes, like he caught us hooking up or something.
    Once he’s gone, Liam and I look at each other again.
    “We better get back to the village,” he says. “I’ve got guard duty in a few minutes.”
    We start up the narrow path, which barely gives us room to walk side by side. He takes hold of my hand to help me navigate around a tree branch, and squeezes it. For an instant, I squeeze his hand back, like we’re passing a secret signal between us. Then I let go, dropping my arm to my side.
    I knew I felt something for him—even that first time I saw him on-screen in the museum. I still feel like I could fall for a boy like him. But I promised Gadya I wouldn’t. And I’m not about to backstab the girl who saved my life.
    There are so many other things to worry about on the wheel that love would probably be a