The Corruption of Mila Read Online Free PDF Page B

them,” he said.
    I opened my eyes and gazed up in awe at the most beautiful starlit sky. Like, have you ever been camping or out in the middle of nowhere at night when the sky is clear? Have you noticed how there's a bajillion stars up there, and how you can see the outline of the Milky Way perfectly? That's what I was looking at. An exact replica of a perfect night sky.
    Jax sat down next to me. “I come here when I want to think. I'll turn something relaxing on and just chill out. There's something humbling and calming about nature.”
    “Even artificial nature?”
    “It's not the same, but it's something.” He shrugged then snapped his fingers. The scene above us changed. It was similar, but now instead of only the night sky, the Northern Lights were present as well.
    “I've never seen these in person,” I admitted.
    He laughed. “Neither have I. It'd be nice to try and spot someday.” He looked at me. “Anything you want to see in particular?”
    “Anything at all?” I asked.
    “Within reason, but yeah, just about anything.”
    I thought for a moment. “The bottom of the ocean.”
    “Kind of dark down there, but I've got an idea.” He snapped his fingers again. The screen changed to a jungle. Another snap and we were on a beach. One more and we were under the water watching a swarm of fish in a coral reef. The colors were so vivid and the screen so sharp, I thought they might be real.
    “All this is missing is 3D!” I marveled.
    He gave me a small smile. “I didn't want to overwhelm you with that feature. Besides, I couldn't show you all of my tricks just yet!”
    I patted the spot next to me, urging him to lie down. “You better believe you're showing me it another time.”
    “So you're going to keep me around, hmm?” He laughed.
    “I said we wouldn't work well romantically. That doesn't mean we wouldn't get along as friends.” I fidgeted with my hands.
    His gaze roamed over me; I could feel it without having to look. I didn’t want to either, because his eyes were so blue and beautiful. I might have swooned then, because the atmosphere was just right too.
    After a minute of only listening to the humming of the projector, Jax spoke. “I think we have more in common than you think, Mila.”
    “You're a nerd.”
    “So? Don't act like there isn't a comic book punch card in your purse. I saw it. I saw a lot of stuff in there that suggests you're not as cool as you pretend to be. Besides, even if I am a nerd, that doesn't mean we're incompatible. Having different interests isn't a death sentence to a relationship.”
    “It's killed a lot of mine,” I mumbled.
    He laughed. “No offense, but you seem to have dated losers in the past.”
    “And what makes you think you're a winner?” I challenged.
    “You'll just have to decide if it's worth finding out or not,” he countered.
    I groaned a little. “Great, now you're getting all coy and mysterious on me. Way to make my heart go pitter-patter for you. Because a girl never wants to know if a guy is worth the trouble or not, nope, never.”
    “All I'm saying is, I don't think I could prove it to you just through tonight alone. That's one reason why I hate first dates. It's your one chance to try and make a lasting impression, but if people have unrealistic expectations, it's almost impossible to hit the bar.”
    “So my expectations of you are unrealistic?” I guffawed at the idea. “About the only thing I was hoping for was that you'd be cute and not a greasy slime ball. Okay, maybe a little dangerous, but there's a difference between living on the edge and being a perverted, desperate, jerk.”
    He looked himself over. “I think I passed that, then. Perhaps I'm just offended by your anti-nerd stance.”
    “I'm not anti-nerd. You do a lot of great things for society, and I've come to terms a long time ago that someday your kind will rule the world.” I paused as I tried to think of the right way to express all of my apprehensions about Jax