Forget Tomorrow - Pintip Dunn Page 0,49

Logan is saying to defuse the situation. The pain in his voice is too raw for that.

I ache to comfort the boy in him, the one who lost his brother at too young an age. I want to smooth away the long-standing cracks in his heart, but I can’t. Logan has never let me into that part of his life. And besides, I wouldn’t know what to say. I don’t understand what Mikey is talking about. Logan’s only seventeen. How could a teenager from Eden City put the entire community of Harmony at risk? It doesn’t make sense.

Mikey places a hand on his brother’s shoulder. With a single touch, he offers solace where I cannot. A pang runs through me, but I can’t bring myself to be jealous. Not when Logan has finally gotten what he’s clearly wanted for so long—to be with his brother again.

“I’m happy you’re here,” Mikey says. “More happy than you will ever know. But that doesn’t change the facts. This girl is nothing to you. Your life wouldn’t have changed one iota if you left her to FuMA. But us? We can’t make it without you, Logan. What were you thinking? How could you do this?”

Logan’s got to confess now. He’s got to explain the guilt he felt when they took Mikey away. How his sacrifice for me was a way to make up for his inaction all those years ago. But he doesn’t. He just bites his lip, taking the criticism, as his fingers trace a pattern on his leg.

“You weren’t thinking. That’s the long and short of it. No brother of mine would deliberately make such a stupid decision.”

I remember, all of a sudden, something Logan said about his brother. I want him to be proud of me. And I can’t stand it anymore, can’t stand to watch anyone tearing him down, most of all the brother he so wants to impress.

“He didn’t do it for me, okay?” I say. “Yes, I was there, and yes, I needed his help, but it wasn’t for me. Logan jumped into the river because of who he is—because he’s brave and honorable and selfless. The most selfless person I’ve ever known. Maybe it makes no difference to you what happens to me. But I’ll never forget what your brother gave up to save me.”

“What he gave up?” Mikey’s lips twist into a smile. “His life, sure. He’s welcome to throw that away if he pleases. But the future of Harmony? The stability of our very community? I really don’t think that’s his to sacrifice.”

“What are you talking about?”

Mikey glances at Logan. “You didn’t tell her?”

“Of course not.” He won’t look at his brother. Won’t look at me. He studies the woven mat like he’s counting the number of fronds. “I don’t go around blabbing our secrets to strangers.”

Okay, I get that he’s frustrated with his brother. But he offered me his hand. He said we were in this together. Hearing him call me a stranger slams me right in the chest.

“So she has no idea what she’s caused?” Mikey asks, his voice so hard it feels like it’s reaching across the hut and slapping me.

“Don’t be so dramatic. It’s not that big a deal.”

“It’s a big deal, all right. We can improvise a lot of things in the wild, but there’s a whole lot more we need from civilization. We depend on those backpacks, Logan. We need to be able to communicate with the Underground.”

“I understand,” Logan says. “But you’ll figure something out, Mikey. You always do.”

I’m listening as hard as I can, but I still don’t follow.

Mikey slumps on the mat. It’s as if the conversation’s drained him, and he doesn’t have the energy left to be angry. “Callie, do you know why FuMA took me?”

“Yeah,” I say. “You made a racquetball hover above the court.”

“I suppose everybody knows that. What people don’t know is I’m not the only Russell brother with psychic abilities. Logan’s more discreet about it, that’s all.”

I blink, and then his words register. Logan has psychic abilities? To do what? Hide information? I shift my gaze to Logan and wet my lips, almost afraid to ask. “What…what can you do?”

The brothers look at each other. Something passes between them, but it’s too subtle for me to catch. The air feels like it’s about to burst with pent up energy, and Mikey laughs a little, shaking his head. I think he’s going to ignore my question, but then he turns to me.

“The