The Luminosity Series (Book 1): Luminosity Read Online Free PDF Page B

told you I was, would it matter?” I muttered, looking down.
    “You
don’t have to deal with this alone. And I—I guess I just want to know what
happened between us.” We exchanged a sad glance, tears now flooding my eyes as
a result. “Everyone keeps asking me if you’re okay. It’s dangerous out here.
We’re… scared for you,” he said.
    “Yeah,
well, I’m scared for them too, okay?” I said in a raised, shaken voice. Just
then, he took a step closer, wrapping his arms around me before looking back
down again. But I wished he hadn’t.
    “You
don’t have to feel responsible for feeling like this, or about your mom. I’m
just worried about you. I don’t want to lose you sooner than I already have to,
that’s all,” he said. I closed my eyes, swallowing away the tears.
    “You
know we can’t do this anymore.”
    “Do
what?” he asked, beaming at me in alarm as he swept his thumb across the scar
from the collision, pushing my stubborn strands away from it.
    “This.
The odds of making it into a colony are completely against us.” Tears forced
their way down my cheek.
    “We
don’t have to worry about the colonies yet.” He winced.
    “How
do we know that? You’ve heard the news, Evan. They aren’t sure how quickly it
will happen.”
    “Maybe
not… but we’re still here now. That’s all that matters. We can still live while
there’s time,” he said.
    “No,
that’s the thing. There is no more time.” I pushed him away in frustration.
    “What’s
going on? What is the box for, Aubrey?” he asked, blinking at the forgotten clothes
on the floor.
    “I’m
leaving. Okay?” I hadn’t meant to say it, but the words forced themselves out
like vomit. And the thought of lying to him only made my stomach flip even more.
    “What?
Where? Where do you think you’ll go?” he asked, wincing in defeat.
    “My
transfer request was approved. My sister is letting me stay with her and her
husband in Grand Junction while things blow over. I’m sorry.” I gazed at the
floor. He stared at the wall as his jaw tensed up in confusion.
    “Are
you coming back?” But he already knew the answer.
    “Not
if they enforce more travel restrictions. And with my mom joining in with the
protesters downtown, I might ruin my chances at qualification here. I can’t be
held accountable for her actions.” His eyes darted back and forth, trying to
process what I’d told him.
    “But…
Aubrey, you can’t just leave her like this. What if she does something worse?
She’s already unstable. What if she gets into more trouble when she finds out
you left?” he asked. On the inside, I panicked, knowing his concerns were reflective
of my own.
    “You
can’t help people who refuse to help themselves, Evan. I—I can’t put up with her
actions anymore...” I backed away before darting up the stairs in guilt. He
chased after me as I stormed into my bedroom. Tears streamed from the sides of
my cheeks as I lifted a heavy box from off the floor to distract myself from my
remorse. When I spun around, he was standing in front of me. Crashing into him
sent the bottom of the box into collapse, a pile of clothes tumbling to the
floor, accumulating at my feet. In an instant, I twisted back around, the stick
straight strands from my long ponytail whipping in a daggering circle as I
forced my eyes closed. I was desperate to regain control, but the overpowering
emotions kept flooding out of me as I listened to Evan’s rapid breathing.
    “What
about me? What about the people who care about you , Aubrey?”
    “I
can’t stay here,” I repeated dully.
    “So
that’s it? You’re just going to leave us all behind?” His turbulent voice echoed
loudly throughout the room, shuddering me with guilt.
    “My
sister was right about my mother all along. She’s going to rebel. It’s not safe
here with her,” I said.
    “Then
let me go with you. Come on. You don’t have to do this alone,” he suggested, glancing
at the mess on the