course, that had been true long before sheâd begun to experience fear.
âHey,â he said, slightly nervous. Clearly the awkwardness of last nightâs argument hadnât completely passed. âYou werenât outside world lit before.â He gave her a half smile that said he wasnât sure how to make things better between them, a feeling that Gaia could relate to.
âOh, she let us out early,â Gaia babbled. He had waited for her? He wanted to make up? She haddodged him all morning, not sure of what to say to compensate for the awful conversation of the night before. âJake, Iââ
âMe tooâ Jake agreed, cutting her off but looking visibly relieved. âI know we both said some stuff we shouldnât have said. I mean, heâs your uncle, for chrissake.â
Gaia was torn. Jake was obviously as eager to put last nightâs weirdness behind them as she was, but she got the distinct impression that Jake was telling her he forgave her for being suspicious of Oliver. The problem was that Gaia didnât want Jake to forgive her; she wanted him to understand her. She wanted him to trust her when she told him that she thought Oliver was dangerous. If Gaia and Jake were now headed toward reconciliation, it wasnât exactly on Gaiaâs terms.
âJake,â Gaia replied quietly, wondering even as the words came out of her mouth if she was shooting herself in the foot. âI should tell you that I meant what I saidâ
Jakeâs eyes darkened. He looked distinctly displeased with this comment. âJeez, Gaia, here I am trying to compromise, trying to make things right again, and all you can do is stick to your paranoid point? Nice.â
âNo! Itâs justâ¦â
Itâs just what, Gaia? Itâs exactly that. You had a fight with your boyfriend, and now heâs trying to make up with you, and you canât even meethim halfway
. Gaia swallowed. She knew that by agreeing with Jake, she was perpetuating the misunderstanding, possibly making things substantially worse in the long run. But she couldnât bear to leave things on bad terms, and nothing short of pretending to see things his way was going to solve the problem, it seemed. âYouâre right. I was overreacting, and I didnât want to hear you tell me so. Letâs just forget about it for now.â She pasted a bright, conciliatory smile across her face.
âDonât just say that, Gaia, because you think itâs what I want to hear. Thatâs not going to get us anywhere.â Jake was not to be easily placated.
So much for feminine wiles.
âHey, donât be so serious,â she chided, trying to lighten the mood. âIâm just saying, youâre right. Isnât that what guys live to hear? That theyâre right?â She slid an arm around his waist and directed him down the hall toward their next class.
As Gaia laced his fingers through her own, he kissed her on the top of her head, sending shivers down her spine. âYouâre right,â he conceded. âIâm a sucker for a beautiful girl telling me what I want to hear. Youâve figured out my weak spot.â Jake was obviously more partial to a contrite and touchy-feely Gaia than to a stubborn, hard-ass Gaia, with or without fear.
Gaia allowed herself to relax as they walked down the hall. To the casual observer they looked like any other happy couple. She knew how to play the part these days; fear was good for that, at least. If she could keep it up, sheâd have her wish: sheâd be a normal girl with a normalâalbeit amazingly hotâboyfriend.
If
she could keen it up.
Living Dangerously
âI CANâT LET YOU DO THIS.â
Chris Rodke looked up questioningly to see his sister gazing down at him with deadly intent. âHuh?â he asked. He couldnât imagine what he was doing that would engender such a response.
âSeriously,
Nikita Storm, Bessie Hucow, Mystique Vixen