His perfectly pressed navy suit is molded to his broad shoulders as if it was custom made. There’s something about a man in a suit. Or maybe it’sthisman in a suit, like he was born to wear it.
Oliver’s blue-grey eyes seem more blue against the navy fabric. Too bad they don’t give away his thoughts. Roving over my face and body, they relay nothing, which puts me on edge. I shift from side to side.
He slips off the jacket he’s wearing, revealing a crisp white button-down shirt and surprisingly, well-defined muscles. “We are. Outside. I need to get out of this office for a while.” One hand gestures for me to start walking.
“Okay,” I agree, almost jumping when I feel his other hand come up and lightly rest against my back. A loaded tension fills the air between us. Frantically, I scramble for something to say. “Can I get a phone? And my go bag back?” Why do I sound like a two-year-old asking for milk and cookies?
Not once do his steps slow, but there’s a heavy pause before he asks, “Are you planning on leaving?” He stares down at me, eyes watchful and cautious.
My hands wring together as I try to think about what I want to say, especially to him. “I’m very, very grateful for all of your help and Quaid’s and Jax’s, too.” I nervously pluck at the grey sweatshirt, drawing it away from my body. “Obviously, I know I can’t have my old life back, but this place feels like a prison. With everything so topsy-turvy, I need some sense of normalcy, like I’m still me.” I wrinkle my nose. “Even the tan buildings make me feel like I’m either in the service, a criminal, or trapped in The Twilight Zone.” Okay, maybe that was alittleoverboard.
His mouth twitches. “How do you know you’re not?”
I jerk my head around and grin at him. “A joke? Damn. I’m definitely in an episode.”
He laughs, and the dimple in his cheek deepens to something sexy.
I take a deep breath and continue, “Look, I know it’s silly. It’s just hard to leave everything behind, and without Lionel here to center me, I’m second-guessing every decision.”
He’s quiet for a few minutes. “I never thought about it like that, but that’s not a surprise.” With a grimace, he looks down at his suit. “I’ve been wearing some semblance of a uniform my whole life, carrying out orders given by others, and following their plans.” His hand contracts against my back as if he wants to clench it into a fist, but instead, he sweeps it down my back.
After a deep breath, he continues, “Here’s what I can do. I’ll see if I can figure out a better clothing option for everyone, and I’ll give you back your go bag, but no phone. I’m sorry. If we allow everyone to carry a phone, our security will be worthless. They’re too easy to track. I can promise when you’re ready to leave, we’ll give you a phone to take with you, though.”
Swallowing hard, I look away. I don’t want to give away the fact that River has one or how desperate I am for my own. “Deal.” Outside, the sun beats down on my forearms where I’ve pushed up the sleeves of my grey sweatshirt. “Where are we going?”
He points to the grouping of trees in front of us. “There’s a stream in there. I thought it would be a good place for you to practice your power.”
Butterflies dance in my stomach. “Okay, but remember, I’ve only used it twice, and both were in extreme circumstances,” I say with trepidation. What if nothing happens? Will he be irritated?
“Tell me about the first time,” he orders without any hesitation. When I don’t say anything, he stops and places a hand on my arm. “This isn’t going to be easy, but I need to know what triggered you to use your powers. It will help with unlocking them.”
My brows come together. I’m not sure what he means, but since I don’t even know how I used them, I don’t ask. Quietly, I tell him what happened in the accident. “The next thing I know, I’m sitting in a pond, staring at my parents’ car that’s in flames with them in it. I don’t remember what I thought or if I realized I used my power. The moment was brief and full of anguish. A blur, then I passed out.”
“And the second time?” he asks softly as we reach the stream.
I stare at the slightly muddy water trickling through the sand and rocks. There’s very little to indicate it’s even flowing. No noise, only the tiniest movement against the backdrop of one of the rocks.
Nausea rises, forcing me to swallow hard. Procrastinating a few more minutes, I squat down and scoop up a handful of liquid, then let it slide through my fingers to the ground. “Someone was attacking me. I used water to defend myself.” I stand and lift my chin, looking over at him. Bare bone facts, but it covers the basics.
He stiffens and turns to the side. “Thank you. That’s helpful.” He begins rolling up one sleeve of his pristine white shirt. “Has anyone told you about my ability?”
Anxiously, I stare at him and shake my head.
He finishes the second sleeve and drops his hands to his side, then turns back to me. “In its simplest terms, I have the ability to influence your mind.” He holds up a hand when I step back in alarm. “Hold up. First, I want you to try to use your power without my influence. If that doesn’t work, we’ll decide together what to do next. Every choice is yours. I won’t force you to do anything. I swear.” His hand raises in a ninety-degree angle with three fingers showing, and I snort.
“Isn’t that the Boy Scout oath?”
He dips his chin. “It is. I take it very seriously, too.”
I stare at him, trying to decide whether I should trust him. Lionel did. Said he was a good man. His ability is making me uneasy, though. It’s basically mind control.
With a sigh, I wave a hand. “Fine. Let’s give it a go.”
I look down at the stream. I don’t recall using my powers during the accident with my parents, so I concentrate on the feelings I had when Trent was trying to kill me. Terror. Anger. Fear. Hatred. Letting the emotions swirl inside me, I close my eyes and picture Trent. The resolution on his face. His ice-cold determination. The smirk on his lips.
Fury at everything that’s been taken from me rises, too. The maelstrom of moments that have brought me to this place. Here with Oliver. I raise my hands and open my eyes.
Water flows gently over the riverbed. Frustrated, I immediately close my eyes and try again, but the result is the same.
