Cheating Time (21 page)

Gran pretended as if he'd never said
anything about his plans for me. He walked over to Tawney and
palmed her cheeks before kissing her forehead. I watched him
closely and knew his every move was that of him assessing her. Face
to face, he looked into her eyes. With his hands, he felt her skin.
With his lips, he checked her temperature.

After his infinitesimal nod, I let out a
breath I didn't know I was holding. Tawney was good for travel
today. For that, I was grateful. Before either of them stepped away
from each other, I turned around and began taking down the
tents.

Over my shoulder, I issued orders, making
sure Tawney's chores were the least taxing and included things like
folding sleeping bags and helping me pack everything. She was more
than willing to assist.

Soon, the camp was packed and Jayden was
still nowhere around. I pretended as if that was not a problem. The
best use of our time would have been that of grabbing something to
eat and hydrating. Just when I was about to go foraging in Jayden's
pack, Gran stepped in front of us and handed us two foil packs of
ready to eat military rations.

Grinning, Tawney and I looked at each other
like we'd just been given Christmas stockings instead of packets
filled with honey-glazed granola and freeze-dried strawberries,
blueberries, and pineapples.

In other words, heaven on
Earth.

Before long, the
Ohs
and
Ahs
of how
wonderful the fruit tasted was too much for Gran. He ripped his own
bag open and tested out the fruits we'd been gushed over.

"These are a lot tastier than I remember,"
Gran said, grinning, after trying a pineapple.

At the same time, we all heard a limb creak
and turned in the direction from which it came. A miserable Jayden
stood staring at us like he thought we'd all lost our minds.
Determined to lighten Jayden's mood also, I grabbed one of the
granola packs, tore into it, and offered it to him as the only
olive branch I had at my disposal.

He just stared at it. Then he stared at me.
Like me, he wanted to talk, but we both knew a private discussion
wasn't possible while Tawney and Gran were focused on us and our
every word.

Timid, I smiled, and with it, he softened,
took the granola from me, and popped a few clusters into his mouth.
When his brows rose, I knew he was as surprised as me that the food
was so good.

"Sir, I didn't realize you had these types
of rations," Jayden said to Gran.

My great-grandfather shrugged. "I paid
attention while we spent years' worth of weekends in survival
training."

Suddenly suspicious, Jayden rounded on Gran.
"Did you have these every weekend, sir?"

Gran chuckled. "Surrogate, I tried to endure
the wild game and found eggs you and Sam were able to provide, but
after about six months, I found out there were better options, ones
Sam would never agree to because he wanted us to survive off
nature. It was the reason we were out there. I ate tiny portions of
the camp meals and used these packs to supplement my diet."

Jayden smirked. "You know… Sam swore you
were doing just that, and I told him you'd never undermine our
training like that."

With a mischievous glint in his eye, Gran
shrugged. "Now you know."

As if seeing my great-grandfather in a new
light, Jayden replied, "I've learned all kinds of things about you
today, sir. That's for sure." Turning back into the soldier charged
with our safety, his eyes landed on Tawney and me. "Now, let's get
moving. We've wasted enough of our daylight hours."

Without a backward glance, Jayden grabbed
his pack and headed out. We followed his lead, picking up ours and
trailing behind him.

* * *

The misty, muddy day of hiking was similar
to the day before, when we walked and stopped and walked some
more.

Jayden was a man on a mission, and it seemed
to me he could have walked forever. If it had been just the two of
us, I'd have let him keep going. Unfortunately, Tawney and Gran had
gone as far as they could.

I ran ahead of them and caught up with the
Surrogate Soldier who'd not spoken a word since the morning. I slid
my hand in his, an act that stunned him based on the way his
attention snapped my way.

I offered him a lopsided smile and said,
"Tawney can't go any farther, Jayden. Can we stop for the
night?"

His eyes darted behind to Tawney and Gran.
When their fatigue registered, he nodded. "Yeah. Sure. I-I just
lost track of time. Have them sit down and grab some of those
rations Gran has so carefully hidden from me. I'll get three tents
set up. We're switching out guard duty so there's no need to set up
four."

He was right. I bobbed my head and headed
back toward my cousin and great-grandfather.

"What's wrong with Jayden, Carlie? I've
never seen him like this. So… so intense," Tawney said.

Her exhaustion was obvious in the heaviness
of her breath and the drag of her words, but her health wasn't her
primary concern. Jayden's burdens were.

"He's just worried, Tawney. Dad charged him
with taking care of us, and you know how serious he is about his
assignments?"

Her head bounced. My explanation seemed to
have appeased her.

"Gran, whip out some more of those meals.
You and Tawney eat them. Jayden and I'll eat the jerky later while
we're standing guard," I said.

"Carlie… everyone's had guard duty but me.
It's my turn," Tawney mumbled.

I laughed. "You're exhausted, sweetie.
Jayden and I are fine. We'll trade off tomorrow night. I promise."
I lied.

A tribute to her fatigue was the fact that
she agreed with my plan. She didn't even appear jealous that I
would be spending time with Jayden that didn't include her. Under
normal circumstances, she'd be inserting herself every time she
thought we might be together.

While Tawney and Gran enjoyed cold cheesy
lasagna and chicken teriyaki, Jayden and I teamed up and erected
three tents. Almost as soon as we were finished, Gran and Tawney
made their way over.

"Carlie, do you need me to help you put up
your tent… or do you want to double up with me?" Tawney said
innocently.

I glanced toward Jayden. I was silently
pleading for him to tell her what the plan was and for him to do it
in a way that spared her feelings. Tawney was brilliant and knew
instantly what was not being said.

"Oh… I'm sorry. I see. I-I didn't know," she
said, and there was no mistaking the tears as they pooled in her
eyes.

Jayden intervened, stepping in front of
Tawney. "It's not what it looks like. We can't sleep at the same
time so I decided we could switch out, using the same tent, rather
than waste our energy putting up a tent no one really needed."

Tawney reluctantly looked up at Jayden
before nodding. She tried to pretend as though she believed there
was nothing going on between Jayden and me, but her heart wasn't in
it. I felt like the biggest heel in the world and wanted to beg her
forgiveness. Not because there was anything really going on between
Jayden and me, but because I couldn't stand the thought of hurting
her.

The last thing in the world Tawney needed
right now was a broken heart.

"Tawney… tomorrow night, I'd like it if you
and Jayden stood guard. I'm going on three days with barely any
rest. Tomorrow will be four. If you can stand it, I'd like for you
to take a night so I can rest," I said.

Tawney smiled and nodded. "I-I'll try to
save up some energy tomorrow, Carlie. You're right. You do need to
rest."

I decided right then and there that Jayden's
idea of flirting with Tawney wasn't a bad one. In fact, I was going
to tell him to revisit it. Tawney had very little time. There was
absolutely no reason for me to begrudge her the one and only person
she'd ever loved.

A few minutes later, Tawney and Gran were
nestled into their sleeping bags and sound asleep. For whatever
reason, I felt relieved. I wondered if this was what it was like
for parents whose toddlers had finally crashed after they'd spent a
hard day catering to the child's every whim.

I wasn't comparing Tawney or Gran to
toddlers, but I had been spending a whole lot of time watching out
for them, anticipating their footsteps, and intervening every
single time they tumbled or tripped. I had to make sure they were
fed and hydrated. I had to set up their beds and take them down. If
parenting was anything like this, I'd never be ready to mother
children.

"What are you thinking about so seriously?"
Jayden said after he slid down the tree and next to me.

"I was thinking what a horrible mom I'd be
and how there's no way I'm going to take on the assignment of Eve,"
I said truthfully. "I mean,
dear
Lord
, I worship the ground these two people walk upon,
and I can only sigh with relief that they're asleep and I can stop
catering to them… stop worrying about them."

Jayden glanced toward the tents. "Yeah. I
know how you feel… Except for me. One of my charges is still
kicking around. Why don't you sleep first tonight? I'm not ready to
sleep yet. I need some peace and quiet to think."

I reached my hand over. "Jayden… there is
nothing to think about. I'm going to do what Gran wants me to do.
He's not spent the first day away from me in his life. If he's
telling me I have to go ahead without him, he has a reason, and I'm
sure it's a good one. I need to respect him," I said.

"I know. I-I just need to figure out how
we're going to do this without getting caught," he said, and with
his words, I understood he'd resigned himself to Gran's plan.

"So you've never met Thorne?" I asked.

Jayden's shoulders bobbed. "At first, I
didn't think I had. While we were hiking today, I remembered him.
He wasn't a bad person. At least, that's the impression I got.

"I've never met his father, but I've heard
he's pretty ruthless when it comes to his research. There's only
one person who's willing to try out anything he invents, and that's
Thorne. Your mom and Gran won't try anything out on you unless it's
been extensively tested on animals and primates. There's just
something that can't be trusted about a man who is willing to put
his experiments above his own child's welfare," Jayden
surmised.

"Well, you and I'll get to know Thorne
better pretty soon."

"I guess you're right. Now… I'd really
appreciate it if you'd climb in that tent and get some sleep,"
Jayden ordered while nodding his head toward his tent.

I yawned and it reminded me just how tired I
was.

"Okay, but I expect you to wake me in four
hours. Understand?"

Jayden waved me away. "I understand.
Go."

Climbing into his tent and crawling into his
sleeping bag brought back memories of the night before, memories of
him holding me tight and begging me not to leave him. Every cell in
my body wanted him back. Wanted him wrapped around me again.

I fell asleep thinking just that, and I
stayed asleep until something I felt more than heard woke me. The
door of the tent was open and the light from the moon illuminated
my tiny surroundings, illuminated Jayden as he watched over me
while I slept.

There was nothing brother-sister about the
way he was looking at me, and as soon as my lids fluttered open, he
stretched out next to me.

"I didn't mean to wake you," he whispered.
"I just thought I'd lie next to you for a while before I woke you
for your shift."

I slid my hand into his, and when I did, he
didn't pull away. Instead, he squeezed so tight that I knew how
afraid he'd been for the last six months without us. I wasn't sure
what all Jayden had been made to endure, but I was certain it
wasn't good. I wanted to end the life of anyone who was sadistic
enough to mentally or physically injure my Surrogate Soldier.

Suddenly realizing how much I'd missed him
and his survival training, that I'd not been allowed until now to
show him just how much I missed him, I flung myself into his chest
and squeezed tight and shared the feelings I never admitted, much
less voiced aloud.

"I missed you, Jayden. I was so scared for
you when you didn't come with us. Why… why didn't you come? You
should have come." I cried the tears that I'd swallowed back the
night we left, the tears that had been plaguing me every day since.
Hidden just below the surface but never released or shared.

"I missed you, too, Carlie. More than you'll
ever know," he said, putting his finger under my chin and tilting
my head up toward his.

Looking into his brilliant green eyes, I
wanted him to kiss me, more than anything I'd ever wanted, but he
didn't. He just studied my face, stroked the hair off my forehead,
and squeezed me back into his chest.

"Sam would want me to keep protecting you.
I'm going with you and Thorne. Wherever you go, I'm going. Do you
understand me? Don't ever think I'd leave you again, because I
won't. No matter what," Jayden said.

"Thank you."

We lay just like that. Neither speaking.
Jayden's nearness had my heart racing and my face flushing, but I
didn't move away from him until he was asleep. I only moved away
then because I was worried I'd fall back asleep. The heat of his
body was too comfortable and the rhythm of his heart too
soothing.

It took some maneuvering to slip from his
grip without waking him, but eventually, I'd done just that and was
sitting just outside the door of our tent. I was watching out in
the darkness and thinking about all the things Gran had told me
today, about Jayden's confession.

"Carlie…." Jayden mumbled hours later from
inside the tent.

When I glanced inside, I saw he was still
asleep and he was having another bad dream based on the way he was
holding his chest as if someone had stabbed him there.