Defect - By Ryann Kerekes Page 0,20
swear a see a small look of satisfaction on his face before he turns for the door. I follow close behind him.
He leads me back to the bunker and when we go inside, it’s more deserted than it was last night. After tonight’s race, everyone must be changing into dry clothes and retiring to bed.
He mutters a string of curse words to himself, and glances at his watch. “The supply desk won’t be staffed this time of night.”
He leads me back out into the hall. I’m still soaking wet, bleeding and now also confused.
“Come on – we’ll find you something to wear and get you sheets for a bed in the dormitory.”
Again, his concern for me feels out of place here. It seems like any of the other guards would be fine letting me shiver in my wet clothes all night – or just bring me back to the hospital until this can be sorted out tomorrow. But Will won’t do that; I’m not sure how I know, I just do. We stand in the dim hallway while he decides what to do with me.
I lick at the edge of my lip again and wince. The skin is raw and split open on the corner of my mouth.
“Here.” Will untucks his T-shirt and brings it to the edge of my lip, gently dabbing at the blood.
We’re so close that I can smell him. His scent is clean, yet musky and distinctly male. I look up and watch his eyes while he works, concentrating on my lip. His eyes flash to mine, and he quickly drops his hand, like he’s been caught doing something wrong. He takes a step back. “Come on.”
He brings me back inside the bunker and heads for the dormitory. Girls are undressing, others are already in bed. No one stops what they’re doing, despite a boy being in the room. He moves with a sense of purpose and heads straight for the side of the room where Sam’s bunk is at. She’s sitting on her bed, reliving the story of her victory tonight to whoever will listen. When she sees Will approaching, her mouth snaps shut, and her shoulders go tense.
“She’ll be here from now on.” Will puts his hand on my shoulder and thrusts me forward toward their group. “Can you find her clothes and bedding? The supply room’s closed.”
I take a step toward Sam and her friends. They eye me curiously.
“Of course. No problem,” Sam says.
Will turns and leaves, and when I face the group again, Sam shudders at the sight of my face. “You all right?”
I nod, not trusting myself to speak just then.
“Will brought you here?” A blonde girl tosses her hair over her shoulder and scrutinizes me.
“This is Lexi,” Sam says. I can tell by the way she says it, she’s not a fan. Lexi is tall, almost as tall as the guys are, with impossibly long legs, but her eyes are her most striking feature. They’re light green, almost yellow, they’re so light.
“Eve,” I say, blinking at her.
The look on her face says she’s either not impressed by my antics earlier, or there’s something she didn’t like about seeing me with Will.
Sam doesn’t help matters. “Yeah, every time I see you, you’re either coming or going with Will. What’s up with that?”
I shrug. I wish I knew.
“He’s kinda scary,” Sam says. “I mean, he’s not bad to look at – don’t get me wrong …” Her lips curl up in a devilish grin. “There’s just something so intense about him.”
I know just what she means – like his gaze could level you, and when he’s standing close, it’s like all the air’s been sucked from the room. Intense? Yes. But I’d never felt scared of him. Besides, intensity I understand. Anyone here that didn’t treat this insane environment with a healthy dose of intensity, I probably wouldn’t trust.
“He’s not so bad once you get to know him,” Lexi says, just the hint of a smile on her lips.
Sam rolls her eyes. There’s clearly a story here I don’t know. I find myself looking over at Lexi, suspicious of her implied familiarity with Will. And the look Lexi returns to me is the mental equivalent of a bitch slap.
“Come on, you can bunk with Sabrina,” Sam breaks the silence of our strange stand-off.
Sam loans me more clothes and strips her bed of its top sheet. “This is the best I can do, tonight,” she says, handing it to me.
“This is fine.” I