“Laken, she said she knew me, too.”
“From that lab? The Transfer?”
“She didn’t say, but if that were true I’d remember her.”
Laken wraps an arm around my shoulder with her lips a breath away from mine.
This is it, do or die. I push in just a hair, and see if she’ll bite.
Come on, Laken—bite, just this once.
I try to hide the lewd grin begging to take over. In a minute, there will be something in my jeans a hell of a lot harder to hide especially with her nestling over it.
“Um…” She glances down and clears her throat. “Maybe you can use that supervising spirit of yours, and we could go and ask Skyla a few questions?” She presses her lips together while sinking a glance at my mouth. “Then, of course, we can come right back, and we could figure the rest out later.” Her chest pumps in and out like she just sprinted for miles.
“The rest out later,” it surges from me barely audible, heated, just this side of insane. I take in a breath, trying to break out of my hormonal stupor. “Yes. Let’s do this. They mentioned a place called Paragon.”
“Wes says they’re two years from the future.”
“Okay.” I glance around the room, Edinger said to think about it and believe—he’d do the rest.
Edinger? Laken laces her fingers through mine. I should have figured. I won’t say a word.
I give a faint smile and touch my thumb to her cheek. You’re so damn beautiful. One day I’m going to make you mine.
Laken lowers her lashes, and her cheeks explode a dark shade of crimson.
I think I’m already yours, Coop.
My heart thumps wild. I do a mental freeze-frame of Laken with the blush on her cheeks just for me, and my spirit skyrockets.
“Are you ready to go to Paragon?” I bring her hand to my lips and press in a kiss.
She gives a slight nod. “Skyla Messenger, here we come.”
Wesley
The night drags on like some warped dream. I scour the campus for any signs of lingering Spectators, but mostly for Coop or Laken before heading back to Austen House. The scent of vanilla lies thick in the air and reminds me of Laken, the sweet smell of her hair. I know every last part of her. I could sketch her with my eyes closed right down to the very last curve of her effortless smile if I wanted. I’ve memorized her completely.
Moans emit from the couch, and my stomach lurches. Swear to God, if I find Coop trying to get lucky with her, I’m going to rearrange some body parts. I swoop over and spot Jen and Blaine getting busy, and my entire person sighs with relief. Blaine’s got his mouth planted over hers as if he’s trying to shove a sword down her throat.
I rattle a bowl of Halloween candy, and they snap to attention.
“Still no sign of her?” Jen makes a face. “I’ll kill her as soon as she gets in. Are you sure she’s with Cooper?”
I couldn’t help but share my theory. It felt like I had my heart yanked out of my ass on more than a few occasions tonight. Worst Halloween ever.
“I’m sure.”
“Sorry, man.” Blaine pinches his eyes as if he’s trying to stay awake. “There are other fish in the sea.” My brother’s attempt to calm me with his dime store analogy makes my stomach turn.
“There better not be for you.” Jen bites him on the nose playfully. “Sometimes there’s just one person, and you need to let them go to see if they’ll come back on their own.”
“And sometimes”—Blaine raises his brows, never taking his eyes off hers—“you need to fight like hell to make sure you stay together.”
Fight like hell.
I speed out into the night. Cooper Flanders is about to have one hell of a fight because I’ll be damned if I lose Laken, and I mean that in the most literal sense.
“Edinger dammit, do your thing,” I shout into the powder white fog. “I’m desperate,” I tone it down to a whisper. “I need to see Laken.” I’ve asked him for favors before. I’ve begged him for things and have been denied, but I swear I’ll be eternally grateful if he comes through this time.
I close my eyes and think of her—imagine where she’s been, what she might be doing. The ground shifts beneath me. I’m already despondent by what I might see when I arrive.
Only in my nightmares is she going at it with Coop. And at the