Saven Deception (13 page)

“I know what you mean. It’s incredible.”

The look on Neve’s face says she doesn’t
understand the fascination, but she astutely keeps those opinions to herself.

The train stops at various stations to
deposit people, and it’s a full thirty minutes before we reach our destination.

Piling out behind Vin, we walk out of the
station and into the waiting Autovee. Five minutes later, we pull up at the
gated entrance to a large white-walled apartment block. Several vehicles
enclose us at both ends, and we have to wait in line until our vehicle is granted
access.

Pulling up alongside the entrance, the
vehicle slams to a halt and we hop out. The sky radiates glorious sunshine, but
there’s no real heat in the rays beating a line over my body. Thanks to
atmospheric regulation, the air is warm and pleasant even though the artificial
sun lacks natural intensity.

Sudden awareness raises all the tiny hairs
on my body. An intrusive hacking pain strikes deep in my skull. I wince,
pressing my fingertips to my temples. The sensation is abnormal, like I’m being
attacked from within. Then, as suddenly as it came on, it disappears.
Inquisitive, I spin around, eyes sweeping my surroundings.

Logan is rigidly propped against the side
of an Autovee unashamedly staring at me. Pain explodes in my stomach at the
myriad of conflicting emotions threatening to engulf me.

Scrubbing a hand over his jaw, he eyeballs
me with fierce, almost desperate concentration. My breath hitches painfully as
the yearning to run to him hits me like a bolt of lightning.

Logan is the type of boy you never recover
from. It’s no wonder I’m struggling to dismiss him from my mind: He is
completely and utterly total crush worthy material, and his effect is only
magnified at close range.

His eyes fizz with profound interest as he
stares at me in a way that’s definitely not socially acceptable. My throat
constricts as stupid hope starts to raise its soul-crushing head. Glancing
sideways, he sneers as his look hardens on the spot. His lips pinch together as
he pushes off the vehicle and walks away. My hope shatters into itty-bitty
pieces.

Immense confusion devours me, and I jump
when Neve’s arm lands unexpectedly on my shoulder. “Forget that tool. Come on.”

Silently cursing myself for my inherent
weakness, I solemnly vow to forget him. I know I have more self-respect than
this. Considering he has some unnamed power over me and that I appear to fall
into stalker-slash-starer mode whenever he’s around, I decide the only course
of action is to avoid him at all costs.

It should be easy to do considering the
residual anger that still lingers in my tissues. He’s played both his
unsuspecting girlfriend and me for fools, and I want nothing more to do with
him.

I only hope I have the requisite strength
to follow through on my conviction.

***

Scanning my wrist at the entrance to our apartment, I step
back as the metallic silver door glides open.

Jenna brushes past me. Thankfully, she’s
managed to ditch Dante somewhere en route. “Wow. Look at this place!” she
squeals with barely contained delight.

We have a large, open living space with a
fully equipped kitchen, dining area, and plush sitting room. Two large black
leather couches are positioned across from each other in front of a gigantic
wall-mounted screen. Various cushions in matching shades of gray, white, black,
and blue, are artfully positioned on the couches, and a massive, soft, white
rug lines the white tiled floor.

On the other side of the room are two
glossy white internal doors. Jenna opens one and runs into the room, flopping
down on a large double bed, dressed in light lemony linens. I laugh
enthusiastically as she kicks off her shoes and bounces up and down on the bed.

Entering the other room, I stop abruptly,
as if my feet have grown roots. My bedroom has a large window, which overlooks
a massive garden stretching extensively for miles at the rear of our apartment
complex. Walking briskly to the window, I press my nose to the glass, imagining
the floral scent wafting from the brightly colored flowerbeds that surround the
impressive garden on all sides.

I turn and explore the rest of the room.
I’ve the same-sized bed as Jenna, also dressed in cool lemon-hued linen. A
massive mirrored closet takes up most of the space in front of my bed, and
there’s a decent-sized desk I know I’ll make good use of. Stepping into the en
suite bathroom, I hug myself in glee. I’m only short of dancing a full-on jig.
A wide freestanding tub occupies the entire left side of the bathroom, and
there’s an enclosed shower, toilet, and sink on the other side.

Our family apartment only has one bathroom
to accommodate the six people who live there. Sharing a bathroom gets old quickly,
and swift, cold, showers are the norm. Having a bathroom to myself is a luxury
I’ve never dared dream about before.

Jenna comes bounding into the room like a
whirlwind. I scrub my hands over my damp cheeks. She somersaults onto my bed
and giggles. “Do you think it’s possible to fall in love with a bed?” She
stretches back and folds her hands under her head.

“Hell, yeah. I want to marry the
bathroom,” I joke, flopping down beside her. “I think they’ll have to forcibly
remove me from this city once the six months are up.”

“Do you think we’ll get the option to stay
on?” She twists around onto her stomach, and I mirror her action.

“Oh God, I really hope so. I’m going to be
so depressed if I have to return to normal life after this.” I lay my head on
my outstretched arms and sigh contentedly.

“We should make a pact.”

I arch a brow.

“Sit up,” she commands, pulling herself up
and sitting cross-legged on the bed.

I sit in the same pose facing her.

“We are going to enjoy every single
solitary second of the next six months, and we are not going to worry about the
outcome. Right?”

“Right.” My voice resonates with steely
determination because Jenna
is
right. There’s no point worrying over
what’ll happen in six months’ time, and I don’t want such concerns to
overshadow this amazing experience. I need to cherish every minute, every moment.
There’ll be plenty of time to worry about the future once “The Experimento” is
over.

“We need to pinky swear,” she says,
wiggling her little finger. I wrap mine in hers and grin. “We solemnly swear,”
she starts, and I giggle. “To enjoy every minute of our time in Thalassic City,
and we promise to make this the best adventure of our lives. We will try new
things, make new friends, explore the entire city, laugh and have fun, and
shop, and wear lots of makeup and skin-tight clothes …”

She’s really hitting her stride now. I
click my tongue and throw a disapproving look at her.

“You are definitely changing up your
style. Don’t argue with me on this, Sadie. Your body cries out for a makeover,
and I hereby nominate myself your new style advisor.”

“God help me.” I roll my eyes to the
heavens. “What else?”

“Um, where was I before I was so rudely
distracted.” She taps a finger on her lower lip, and her eyes light up
mischievously. “And we also solemnly swear to date up a storm, kiss tons of hot
boys, and have loads of wild, hot—” She stops mid-flow at my obvious
expression.

“I’m not pinky swearing to that!” I poke a
finger in her gut.

“What? I didn’t say anything!” she
protests, mock-innocence written all over her face.

“I know what you were going to say, and that’s
a deal breaker for me.”

“Okay, scrap that last part. But you’re
agreeing to the rest.” She smiles sweetly at me and I laugh.

Maybe she has a point. If I weren’t so
inexperienced, I wouldn’t have gotten my panties in such a knot over Logan. I
should broaden my horizons if I’m to stick to the whole “steering clear of him”
lark. “Okay. We’re on.” I squeeze my pinky around hers and we’ve sealed the
deal.

“Yee-haw! Giddy up!” Jenna shrieks and I
roll around laughing.

Soon she’s joining me and we’re doubled up
on my bed in convulsions, shoving and swatting one another playfully.

“Is this a party for two or can anyone
join in?” a booming voice says out of nowhere and I scream.

Dante sprawls against the wall, one foot
propped up as if he owns the place.

“How did you get in here?” My eyes narrow
to slits as an icky feeling drips down my spine.

“The door was open.” He saunters toward
the bed and gestures with his hands, as if he’s Moses parting the Red Sea.

“You’re not sitting on my bed. In fact,” I
say, brushing my messy hair back off my face. “I’d like you to leave my room.”

“Sadie,” Jenna says, pleading. “He was
only being friendly.”

Or pervy, but I keep that observation to
myself.

She climbs off the bed and threads her
hand in his. Dante smirks as he drapes an arm around Jenna, pulling her in
close to his side. The look of adoration on her face catches me completely off
guard. Suddenly, I realize I’m fighting a losing battle, and I’ll have to find
a way to tolerate Dante if I wish to retain Jenna’s friendship. Although the
realization makes me want to hack out my insides with a chainsaw, I value Jen’s
friendship too much to forgo it because of a douche like Dante.

Briefly closing my eyes, I prepare to eat
humble pie. Stepping forward, I look directly at Dante. “We may have gotten off
on the wrong foot.” His mouth twitches. I work hard to quell the distaste
building in my mouth. “How about starting over?” I’m surprised I don’t choke on
the question especially considering I don’t mean a word of it. I’m solely doing
this for Jenna.

“I’m game for pretty much anything,” he
says, smugly. “Apology accepted.”

WTF?
I revisit my little speech. Nope, I can’t think of anything I said that
constituted an apology. The guy is even more arrogant than I assumed.

Reaching out, he captures my hand,
planting a wet kiss on my skin. He eyeballs me with fierce concentration and a
look that promises retribution. Fear substitutes the blood in my veins as he
winks and says, “I can’t wait to get to know you better.”

I rise well before Jenna the next morning. My entire being
buzzes with nervy anticipation. Neither Jarod, Neve, nor Jenna has enrolled in
school, so I have to face this all on my own. While I’m a teeny bit scared, I’m
also chomping at the bit.

Overexcited, I barely slept a wink all
night. Sleep deprivation and attractiveness do not go hand in hand I decide as
I examine myself in the mirror. I look like the walking dead. Pale, dry skin
and dark, bruising shadows under my eyes greet me in my reflection, and I sigh.
Even my normal cherry-red lips appear lackluster today.

“Hey, you’re up bright and early.” Jenna
drifts into my room in her pajamas. Stifling a yawn, she throws herself down on
my bed.

I perch on the edge of the bed. “I
couldn’t sleep. I’m too keyed up.”

“Are you worried about school?” She
slithers up the bed, leaning against the headrest.

I mirror her position. “A little. Mostly,
I’m super excited.” I grin, cementing my point like an idiot.

“You’ll be fine.” She briefly pats my
knee.

“What about you? Are you anxious about
starting work?” I wrap my arms around my legs.

“Not a bit. I can’t wait!” Her eyes gleam
and I smile.

Jenna has secured a customer service
position in a large well-known-brand women’s retail department in the new
shopping district.

“I’ll find out how much of a staff
discount I receive today, and then we can plan a shopping trip.”

“I’m sure that’ll be the last thing on
your mind today.”

“I’ll have you know that I’m taking my
role as your personal style advisor very seriously,” she quips, swinging her
legs off the bed. “Which reminds me. What the hell are you wearing?” She walks
around the bed and stands in front of me, hands on hips.

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I
squint at my black pants and white shirt combo.

“It’s way too boring, Sadie. That’s what’s
wrong with it. You’re dressed as if you’re going to work in the factory. It’s
time to mix things up a bit. Remember, you pinky swore?”

“I know. But my options are rather
limited.”

Jenna darts to the closet with purpose and
yanks open the door. Shifting through the rails, she plucks out a pair of worn
denim jeans, a white vest top, and a pink shirt. “You’re not wrong,” she says,
spinning around. “We definitely have little time to waste. Put these on,
they’re not great, but it’s a slight improvement.” She flings the clothes at
me. “Get changed while I get some stuff from my room.”

“Yes, boss.” I mock salute her.

I’m wearing the jeans, vest, and shirt
when she reappears with a small red purse.

“Sit,” she commands and I drop onto the
bed. Opening the purse, she removes a small tube of gloss, some blush, a
pencil, and mascara. “Close your eyes.”

I do as I’m told and try to subdue my pale
lashes while she brushes the wand over them. Next, she applies a layer of blush
to my cheeks and slicks a dab of gloss on my lips.

“Wow, Sadie. That really suits you. Go
look.” She shoves me into the bathroom.

I stare in amazement at my reflection.
Outwardly, it doesn’t look like I’m wearing any makeup at all, but the
enhancement is unquestionable. Color has returned to my lips, and my skin is
flushed pink. My eyes look wider, more startling, now that thick, black, sultry
lashes fan them, and my almost albino brows are colored a muted shade of brown.

It’s given me the necessary boost that I
needed. I’m already feeling more confident about the day ahead. “Thanks. You’re
going to be brilliant at your job.”

“I hope so. At least I know I’ll enjoy it.
I still cannot believe I actually get to do this every day.” She has that
dreamlike quality in her gaze again. Snapping out of it, she points at me.
“Anyway, you look great. Knock ‘em dead today.” She hugs me quickly. “I’d
better get a move on. Being tardy on the first day would not be the best way to
make a good first impression.” She turns on her heel.

“Good luck,” I call out.

“Ditto,” she shouts.

***

I’ve managed to make it from our apartment, to the RT
station, and onto the school campus without missing a beat. Off to an
encouraging start, I’d hoped. Until now. Standing in front of the humungous TC
School and University Campus, I feel like an ant in a world of giants. 

Tilting my head, I sweep the campus on all
sides. Though I’m right in front of the main building, there are numerous other
outbuildings and a huge outdoor sports arena. All the buildings glisten under
the glare of the morning sun. Looking up, I peer intently at the artificial sky,
but I can’t spot the replica sun anywhere. Fluffy white clouds coast through
the azure blue sky, and I marvel at the man-made world I now call home. It’s as
real as the real deal, and except for the shiny newness of all that surrounds
me, it’d be easy to forget this is all at the bottom of the sea, just as Jarod
predicted.

The temperature is the same pleasant
warmth as yesterday, and I’m feeling a tad bit overdressed. Shedding my black
jacket, I bend over to stuff it into my book bag when I’m knocked off my feet.
Tumbling full circle, I land flat on my back on the lush, green grass, the
contents of my bag strewn all around me. Pushing off my elbows, I sit up and
rub a sore spot at the base of my spine.

“Crap,” a male voice says. I glance over
at the boy with the long limbs sprawled on the grass in front of me.

Shooting to my feet, I’m by his side in a
split second. “Are you hurt?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” He hauls
himself up and beautiful hazel eyes meet mine, widening in surprise. “You’re …”
He stops mid-sentence, and I’m immediately uncomfortable.

“I’m what?” My throat constricts
suspiciously.

“Sorry, forgive me. It’s just you remind
me of someone.” Scrubbing a hand through his cropped chestnut brown hair, he
looks suitably shamed. I relax. “I’m Haydn. Nice to meet you.”

“Sadie.”

“I’m so sorry for tripping over you like
that. I didn’t see you there.” He bends down and starts picking up items from
my book bag.

“You don’t have to do that.” Crouching
down, I wince as a dull ache spreads over my lower back.

“Stars. Are you hurt?” He radiates
concern.

“It’s nothing a hot bath and a few pain
pills won’t fix later.” I swipe books and pens off the grass and stuff them in
my bag.

Wordlessly, he hands me the remaining
items.

I straighten up and smile. “Well, I better
get going. I don’t want to be late for my Psychology class. Nice meeting you.”

I’ve only taken one step forward when he
gently taps my elbow. “Wait up. I’m heading there too. Can we walk together?”

“Sure.” He snatches his coat and bag off
the ground. “What other classes are you taking?” I ask as we walk side by side
up the steps toward the main building.

“Government and Politics and Sociology.
You?”

He walks super-fast and I’m struggling to
match his stride. “Business and Government and Politics too.”

“Sweet. Here,” he says, reaching out and
removing my book bag from my shoulder, “Let me carry that for you.”

I’m about to protest when my eye notices
something unnerving. Logan is standing beside the main door, flagrantly
watching us. He looks furious. I shrink back before remembering he’s a cheating
jackass. Nervously linking my arm in Haydn’s, I smile up at him in an overly
exaggerated gesture. “Thanks. That’s super nice of you.”

He must sense Logan’s death-glare because
he looks decidedly unsure all of a sudden. Haydn observes the two of us.

“Ignore him. I intend to,” I say.

Haydn eyes me curiously. “What?”

His head whips around in Logan’s direction
while I steadfastly ignore him. A girl has only so much willpower. If I dare to
take another look, I risk being sucked right into those hypnotic blue eyes.
Despite strong compulsion urging me to look, I keep my eyes fixed firmly in
front of me, and Haydn allows me propel him toward our first class of the day.

***

The morning flies by agreeably. Haydn has been in all my
classes so far and his presence is reassuring. We’ve also struck up a
friendship with Fern—another regular classmate—and now the three of us are
headed to the cafeteria for lunch.

Fern looks like a little pixie with her
short, neatly trimmed jet-black hair and tiny frame. She’s even smaller than I
am, and I revel in the chance to look down at someone for a change. It’s only
an inch or two at most, but this is a major novelty and I’m going to totally
milk it.

Any other resemblance fades at that point
however. Fern glides down the corridor like an ethereal heavenly being. She’s
all light limbs and graceful movements, and I feel like an Oompa Loompa beside
her with my inelegant stride.

We chatter aimlessly as we line up,
loading our trays with food. Having skipped breakfast, I’m ravenous and could
easily eat my body weight in pasta. Haydn leads a path through the maze of the
large cafeteria as Fern and I talk animatedly about our favorite books.

Ignorant of my surroundings, I slide in
the bench beside Haydn, and Fern sits on the other side of me.

“Hi, Sadie,” a deceptively alluring voice
says. I freeze on the spot. Cautiously, I lift my chin and look Logan squarely
in the face. He’s sitting directly across the table from me. Firm, toned arms
rest on the Formica tabletop as he studies me with unashamed interest. His
dazzling blue eyes invade mine, drawing me in, attempting to suck all logic and
reason from my mind. An electrical charge stretches between us, enticing and
magnetic, and damn near impossible to ignore. All the blood rushes to my face.

Holy hell, he is frigging
magnificent
up
close. Unbelievably earth-shatteringly gorgeous, and the craving to touch him
is hitting me like a full-force tsunami. If I stay here, I won’t be able to
resist his charms. I resolutely refuse to give him that power over me, and he’s
treated me like a fool for the last time. He’s nothing but a self-centered,
arrogant, cheating son of a bitch, and I need to get as far away from him as
possible.

Fern surveys me quizzically as Logan’s
eyes settle on mine. With enormous effort, I twist sideways and level a heinous
look at Haydn. “You didn’t tell me you knew him.”

“There wasn’t time.” At least he looks
suitably sheepish.

“You should’ve made time.” Standing up, I
maneuver around the bench.

“Sadie.” Logan appeals to me with that
seductive voice of his. Summoning every scrap of willpower, I ignore him and
step away from the table. Keeping my back straight and confident, I walk to the
far side of the cafeteria. I plonk my butt down at an empty table and attempt
to control my beating heart.

Though I’m sitting here alone, like a
total loser, I’m proud of myself. For not giving in to my inexplicable desire
for him. For staying strong and true to myself.

“Okay. So you need to fill me in,” Fern
says, scooting into the seat beside me. Her eyes glimmer in anticipation.

“Nothing much to tell.” I stab my fork
into a piece of pasta.

“Yeah, right,” she says, creasing up.
“There were so many sparks flying I was afraid of getting burnt just sitting
beside you.”

I drop my fork, mouth open. “It’s that
obvious?”

“Damn right. I’d say the whole room felt
the electrical charge.”

Great. Now the whole campus will know what
an idiot I’ve been. I groan and push my plate away, appetite destroyed.

“What’s the problem?” Fern asks, her face
searching mine.

“He’s got a girlfriend.” My face contorts
sourly.

“No way.”

“Yes, way.” I throw out a casual shrug
despite my insides being tangled in knots.

“The dirty cheat.” She looks disgusted.

I don’t owe him anything, but she needs to
be set straight. “We didn’t actually do anything, though he was majorly
flirting with me.” I leave out the part where he said I was beautiful and that
he wanted to kiss me. No need to heap more fuel on the humiliation fire.

“Hon,” Fern says, stretching over. “If he
was my boyfriend and he looked at a girl the way he looked at you, I’d kick him
permanently to the curb.”

Before I can respond, Haydn appears in my
line of sight, making a beeline for us. I stiffen in my seat and Fern notices.
Haydn crouches down beside me, his hands gripping the edge of the table. “I
should’ve told you we were friends. I’m sorry, Sadie.”

“You knew who I was, didn’t you?”

He nods in confirmation.

“How come?”

“Logan told me about you, and he showed me
your picture. That’s how I recognized you outside.”

My cheeks flush beet-red with
embarrassment. How many of his other friends has he shown the picture to? I’ve
never felt more foolish or gullible in my entire life. Believe me when I say
that says a lot. I wish I could click my fingers and be anywhere but here.