I Am Not Junco Omnibus: Books Four - Six Read Online Free PDF Page A

you, I can't even explain it. And we fought over how it ended back there. A lot. I'm partly to blame because after I came out of the medical tank I turned it all around and made it his fault that you were taken. And he was stupid enough to believe it, so I rubbed it in, used it. It's my fault he's angry and now that he knows you're OK and safe, all that shit that scared him is coming out, that's all. He still loves you. He'll come back around."
    I wipe my nose on my arm as I pull myself back together and take a deep breath. "I need my dad, Gideon. Does he have a comm? Can I call him? I need to—"
    "Sure, Junco." He pulls his comm out of his pocket and makes the connection, then hands the little tech over to me. I walk out on the terrace and listen as it buzzes over and over again.
    A woman finally answers. "How can I help you, Gideon?"
    "It's Junco. May I speak to my dad, please?"
    She draws in a breath. "He's not here, Junco. But I can take a—"
    I end the connection and hand the comm back to Gideon. "He's not there."
    Selia is suddenly in my space, her head dipping under my hair to look me in the eye. "Junco, let's go out tonight. You want to come with me over to the main atoll?"
    I keep silent.
    "It's better than sitting here crying, Junco. It's your birthday, so let's just go check out the island. You've been cooped up on this little private beach long enough. You need to get out."
    I hear the crack of a suborbital entering the Sargassum air space and nod my head as I shed the hurt like skin. "Yeah, OK. You're right. I need to get the fuck out of here."

Chapter Five
     

    The door to my dorm room is ajar when I finally make it back to school after picking up the weapons. James was right, there were no issues. They did the code test in front of me for both the SEAR knives. I had a hair sample from Gideon to check his knife. I was worried for nothing. They were nice guys and even gave me the name of a professional who needed some extra help down in Low Dallas.
    I walk in silence towards my door and take out my gun.
    Listen.
    Snoring?
    I kick the door open and Aren jumps up from my bed, looking around wildly as he tries to wake himself up.
    "What're you doing here?"
    He smiles as reality comes back. "Waiting for you, beautiful."
    I cock my head at him. "Beautiful? You drunk or something? Does my dad know you're here?"
    He walks towards me and flashes me one of those winning smiles that make his eyes brighten, even in this dim light of pre-dawn, but keeps silent.
    "What?" I ask.
    "He knows I'm here, Junco. I told him I wanted to come back and teach tactical strategy for a year."
    "Why?"
    He takes my hand. "To spend this last year with you, Junco. Shit, you're so dumb sometimes. Ya know that?"
    I pull my hand back, confused. "What're you talking about? Since when?"
    He shrugs. "Since now. That's not good enough for you?"
    I throw my pack down on the bed. "You want to date me?"
    He laughs and pulls me close to him. I think about resisting, but I don't. I like Aren. I've thought about kissing him more than once and I'm coming up short on people who care about me these days, so I let him keep hold.
    "Just go with it, Junco. Don't fight for once." His face loses the smile and I tip my head up to look at his expression. It's serious. "I wanna love you, OK? We have a whole year together, your dad even said so."
    This draws me out of my trance for a second. "Did you talk to him today?"
    He nods. "He's real busy, said to tell you hi."
    I pull away and turn around to let my smile out. The relief washes over me so completely I have a moment of dizziness, but I hide it by rubbing my eyes and sitting on the bed.
    "I've been waiting for you all night, where the hell were you?"
    I huff out some air and my hair blows up over my face. "Doing a whole lot of illegal bad shit, Aren. That's where I was." I let out a deep breath. "God, I'm so glad you're here. I was even thinking about you on the drive home, ya know?" He sits down next to me. "I