Unravel Me: The Juliette Chronicles Book 2

about our relationship anymore.
    “Yeah.” His hands are in his pockets.
    “No.”
    Adam nods. Shrugs. Looks at me and looks away. “I don’t know. I think so.”
    “But the testing—it’s—I mean”—I can’t stop shaking my head—“has he found something?”
    Adam won’t look at me.
    “Oh my God,” I say, and I whisper it like if I whisper, it’ll somehow make this easier. “So it’s true? Castle’s right?” My voice is inching higher and my muscles are beginning to tighten and I don’t know why this feels like fear, this feeling slithering up my back. I shouldn’t be afraid if Adam has a gift like I do; I should’ve known it couldn’t have been that easy, that it couldn’t have been so simple. This was Castle’s theory all along—that Adam can touch me because he too has some kind of Energy that allows it. Castle never thought Adam’s immunity from my ability was a happy coincidence. He thought it had to be bigger than that, more scientific than that, more specific than that. I always wanted to believe I just got lucky.
    And Adam wanted to know. He was excited about finding out, actually.
    But once he started testing with Castle, Adam stopped wanting to talk about it. He’s never given me more than the barest status updates. The excitement of the experience faded far too fast for him.
    Something is wrong.
    Something is wrong .
    Of course it is.
    “We don’t know anything conclusive,” Adam tells me, but I can see he’s holding back. “I have to do a couple more sessions—Castle says there are a few more things he needs to . . . examine.”
    I don’t miss the mechanical way Adam is delivering this information. Something isn’t right and I can’t believe I didn’t notice the signs until just now. I haven’t wanted to, I realize. I haven’t wanted to admit to myself that Adam looks more exhausted, more strained, more tightly wound than I’ve ever seen him. Anxiety has built a home on his shoulders.
    “Adam—”
    “Don’t worry about me.” His words aren’t harsh, but there’s an undercurrent of urgency in his tone I can’t ignore, and he pulls me into his arms before I find a chance to speak. His fingers work to zip up my suit. “I’m fine,” he says. “Really. I just want to know you’re okay. If you’re all right here, then I am too. Everything is fine.” His breath catches. “Okay? Everything is going to be fine.” The shaky smile on his face is making my pulse forget it has a job to do.
    “Okay.” It takes me a moment to find my voice. “Okay sure but—”
    The door opens and Sonya and Sara are halfway into the room before they freeze, eyes fixed on our bodies wound together.
    “Oh!” Sara says.
    “Um.” Sonya looks down.
    Adam swears under his breath.
    “We can come back later—,” the twins say together.
    They’re headed out the door when I stop them. I won’t kick them out of their own room.
    I ask them not to leave.
    They ask me if I’m sure.
    I take one look at Adam’s face and know I’m going to regret forfeiting even a minute of our time together, but I also know I can’t take advantage of my roommates. This is their personal space, and it’s almost time for lights-out. They can’t be wandering the corridors.
    Adam isn’t looking at me anymore, but he’s not letting go, either. I lean forward and leave a light kiss on his heart. He finally meets my eyes. Offers me a small, pained smile.
    “I love you,” I tell him, quietly, so only he can hear me.
    He exhales a short, uneven breath. Whispers, “You have no idea,” and pulls himself away. Pivots on one heel. Heads out the door.
    My heart is beating in my throat.
    The girls are staring at me. Concerned.
    Sonya is about to speak, but then
    a switch
    a click
    a flicker
    and the lights are out.

FOUR
    The dreams are back.
    They’d left me for a while, shortly after I’d been freshly imprisoned on base with Warner. I thought I’d lost the bird, the white bird, the bird with streaks of gold like a crown atop its head. It used to meet me in my dreams, flying strong and smooth, sailing over the world like it knew better, like it had secrets we’d never suspect, like it was leading me somewhere safe. It was my one piece of hope in the bitter darkness of the asylum, just until I met its twin tattooed on Adam’s chest.
    It was like it flew right out of my dreams only to rest atop his heart. I thought it was a signal, a message telling me I was finally safe. That I’d flown away