This decision was officially worth it. No regrets.
“My big surprise got messed up is what.” I took a deep breath. “I interviewed for a job. And there was a mix-up with…um, with some free samples that I accidentally took with me. And apparently, I caused a bit of an uproar. I’m so sorry.”
So far that was mostly the truth, although sorta warped.
“I don’t like this place, Imogen.” My mom’s voice had lowered. “They wouldn’t let me leave.”
“That’s my fault.” Pure truth.
“How could it be your fault? Holding me here like this.”
“Because I have their prototype.” Of course,Iwas the prototype. “It’s a really big deal. Like literally worth millions. The kind of thing that can change the world. But even with this screw-up, it seems like they want me on their team.”
“You have a good job already.”
Had. Had a job. Dane got me fired.
“Well, I’ll be there soon,” I told her. “And it will all be over. Maybe we can curl up and watch a movie tonight? What’s that true crime your book club was talking about? I’ll make popcorn.”
I was pretty sure I wasn’t going anywhere, but a girl could dream.
“I think we need to have another talk instead,” my mom said. “I don’t like that you lied to me.”
Alling glanced over his shoulder at me with a little smirk that was probably supposed to be sympathetic. My mom getting on my case was nothing new—but it was too private for him to hear. And I felt shitty enough. I didn’t need to feel like I was ten years old too.
“Yeah, fine,” I said. “We’ll talk. Bye.”
Alling cut the call on her, “See you soon—”
Which was fine by me. She was calling me out, and I was doing this for her. I was doing this so she wouldn’t get a hole in the head like Brayden.
A memory of him rose in my vision and I squeezed my eyes shut to blank it out. When I opened them, I stared down at my infected hand.
I hadn’t lied to her. Okay maybe I’d shimmied around the truth a little bit, but bald lies to my mom always sounded weird. To both of us.
The person with the gift for lying was Dane. That man was a pro. He’d had me fooled from day one in the parking lot out in front of the Freeze. Lying took no effort for him. No skill. The lies came naturally, like his assholery.
I’m sorry I lied to you,he’d said.
He’d meant about my mom. It was a tactical mistake on his part. A big one.
And this from the dude who’d gotten on my case for lying about what I’d told Jacob and Swann about Brayden and the nanobots.
Hypocrite.
I fisted my hand hard, and then splayed my fingers wide.
Do you realize that all your other answers are now suspect?Dane had asked me.
Well, all of his answers were now suspect too.
He’d been trying to control me. It was all about control with him. Discipline and maturity, my ass. Pointing his gun at me like that. Like I could hurt anyone without my glove.
I needed the—what had Dane called it?—oh yeah,the synergistic microscopic matrix within the gloveto be actually dangerous.
Actually…
Dane’s glove explanation sounded a lot like the pseudo-tech jargon used in action movies. The kind of BS used to further a plot.
