Summer and Jeremy moved toward Ace. I took one last look at Summer, wishing I could tell her to shove off but knowing it wouldn’t do any good, and headed out.
I was being watched by someone other than Summer? I couldn’t imagine why anyone else would be watching unless I’d somehow given up my identity to the thugs from Sécurité Un. But Division had blocked all the cameras when I’d gone in that night. And a cleanup crew had scrubbed the feeds from the three cameras that had caught me on the other rooftop and alley. Besides, no one had been close enough in the dark to get a good look at me. Then a horrible idea climbed into my brain. What if Summer took pictures of some random people and then claimed they were following me just to make me look stupid?
I continued to the metro, and after I transferred trains, out of the corner of my eye I noticed Summer get on the same one with me. I hadn’t even known she’d gotten on the first one. When had she stopped talking to Siron? Seriously, how was that possible? I was spidey senses personified, yet here she was again, and I hadn’t even known it until my eyes saw her. It bugged me to no end that I had not sensed her the whole day. Instead I’d most likely been sensing the other guys Summer said were following me.
Sitting on the train, I zeroed in on her, trying to assimilate her into my mind, my body, or my soul to force myself to pick up her shadow somehow. Maybe she was the best. I hated to even have the thought, but I couldn’t help it. I’d never had to do anything like this before and had no idea what I was doing. I just knew I couldn’t let her keep shadowing me without my knowledge. It made me feel violated.
Heat started in my belly and radiated out through my body. I had to figure something out and fast because I had things to do that I didn’t want her to be privy to. Once off the train, Summer turned left and I went right. Relief swirled around me, glad that she didn’t live on the same block as I did. At least I was free of her the rest of the night. Feeling extra rebellious and very insecure, I got back on the train and headed for Halle. I wouldn’t wait for tomorrow. I’d start my squeeze on Kamal tonight, and Summer would not witness it. Maybe I’d luck out and get the information on the whereabouts of the drive.
Chapter 12
I showed up at the fountain in the same clothes I’d had on earlier in the day, jeans and a t-shirt with the addition of a zip-up hoodie, without my board and slumped onto the cement bench, placing my elbows on my knees and holding my chin in my hands. The smells of rich sauces wafted out of the various restaurants in the area. It was still muggy, but the hope of relief during the night filled the air.
Kamal was the first one to notice me. He put his arm around my hunched back and said, “You ok?”
I angled my head to the side, pressed my lips together and just stared at him.
“What’s wrong?” One of the others in the group asked.
I covered my eyes with my hands and rubbed them over my face and sighed.
Kamal crouched down and took hold of my wrists, moving my hands away from my face. A genuine look of concern graced his face and he said, “So, what’s up? What happened?”
I shook my head. He still held my hands. I let the tears come. By this time, the whole group surrounded me.
“Talk to me, Eva. Talk to me.”
I shook my head all the harder, stood up abruptly and ran away. I hoped Kamal would tell the rest of them to stay and he’d follow. If I’d read him right, I knew he would. He needed me.
I was rounding the corner of a restaurant when he caught up with me. He grabbed my arm. “Hey. Hey. Slow down. Let’s talk.”
“No. You won’t understand. I just don’t know what I’m doing.” I shrugged off his hand and ran away again. I wanted to get to the park just up the street. It was a good place for us to talk. He caught up with me again when we were about a block from it.
“Whoa!” he said, grabbing me into a big bear hug.
I squirmed in his arms, but he held tight. I finally gave in and relaxed, melting into his hug. I let the tears pour out of my eyes and made sure to sob loudly and violently. He relaxed his grip on me and rubbed his hand from the crown of my head to the middle of my back, shushing me the whole time. I burrowed my face in his chest, and he rested his chin on the top of my head until my body no longer jumped with my sobs.
“What’s this all about, Eva? What happened?”
I pulled back from him, wiping my nose on my jacket sleeve. I closed my mouth and shoved a breath out my nose before squeaking out the words, “I can’t do this anymore. I have to go back to Portugal.”
He frowned. “I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”
I threw my hands out to my sides and put my chin on my chest, hoping I looked completely dejected.
A group of people passed us, staring the whole time. He took my arm and said, “Let’s get to the park where we’ll have more privacy.”
I nodded and wiped my nose again.
He put his arm around me, and I leaned into his side as we walked the last block to the park. I totally had him. And a part of me was sad about it. I was about to play on
