Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 51038 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 255(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51038 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 255(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
“Fuck!” Quaid says. He starts tapping on his sunglasses. “What the fuck did you just do?”
I sneer at him. “What did I do? I didn’t do anything. You’re the one who wanted to put this stupid collar on me!” I grab at it, trying to find the clasp so I can take it off, but there is no clasp. It’s just leather with silver embellishments all the way around. “Take it off,” I say. “Take it off right now!”
Quaid reaches for the piece of jewelry around my neck, scoffing. “Gladly. You’re a mistake, that’s all you are. I’m not sure why Apollo thought you were so important, but you’re obviously not. You’re just a bit of interference.”
I flip a hand at him. “Whatever. Just take it off.”
“I’m trying,” he says. “I can’t find the clasp.”
“That’s because there is no clasp. I don’t know what kind of magic, or whatever, you used to put it on, but do that in reverse right now, please.”
“I didn’t do any magic. It’s not magic. It’s science.”
“Again. Whatever. Just take it off!”
“I can’t.” He slips his fingers underneath the leather and they’re sliding around my neck. This sends shivers up my spine and suddenly, the world blinks.
“Stop it,” he says.
“I didn’t do anything. Why is this thing still on me? Get it off.”
“I’m dead serious here, Star. Whatever little game you’re playing with my sunglasses, stop it right now. You’re fucking up the program.”
“I’m not doing anything.” But he’s touching me again, moving my hair out of the way to get a better look at the collar and he’s very close. So close, his warm breath is right against my ear. Another shiver goes up my spine, making my skin prickle up.
The world around us glitches again, but this time, some of it disappears. Which is kind of a good thing because when the whole world is nothing but green outlines, it’s very hard to make sense of that.
But when all the closest outlines flick off, I can suddenly see very, very far. Literally, looking through walls. Hurriedly, I scan around, searching for Declan. If that really was him screaming, he’s in a lot of danger.
There’s a flash of movement far off in the black distance. I can’t really make anything out, but I know in my heart, that’s where Declan is. I point in that direction. “We need to go over there, Quaid. Right now! Before anything bad happens to Declan!”
“Fuck Declan,” Quaid mutters under his breath. Which shoots right up my neck, and in this same moment, his fingertips thread up into my hair in the same place. A sudden spark of arousal shoots through me, and the outline flickers off.
“Dammit, Star! What did you just do?”
“Stop blaming everything on me! This is all your fault. You’re the one who put—”
“Don’t move.” He jerks me towards him. “I’m trying to figure this out.” Then grabs my hip, pulling me closer to him. And at the same time, the world flicks on again. “See,” he sneers. “I told you it was you. You’re doing all of this.”
I scoff. But don’t continue the argument, because there’s a lot of movement over in the distance again. “Quaid! We need to go over there, now!” I take a step forward, but this time he wraps one arm all the way around my waist, encircling me in a light grip.
He grabs my shoulders, turns me around, and leans way down into my personal space so that I’m looking right into his sunglasses. “How many times do I have to tell you, stay still!”
There’s light in there, so I get preoccupied with it. I can see his eyes through the dark lenses and they’re glowing. I stare right into them and suddenly, they get brighter.
Then I notice that he’s breathing a little heavy. His hands come up to my face, one on each cheek and we stay like this for what seems like a very long time, but probably just a few seconds.
Suddenly the sunglasses light up with a bright flash. So bright, I have to close my eyes, and even then, the residual flash remains on the inside of my eyelids.
But the really weird thing is, when I open them again, I’m looking down at my own face.
“What the fuck, Star!”
And these words, though they are not mine, they’re his—in his voice and everything—I feel like they are coming out of my own mouth.
“Get out of my head!” He pushes me away and whatever was happening, it abruptly stops and I’m me again.
I’m breathless when I speak. “What the hell was that?”
“You were inside me! I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but—”
But I’m not listening. I’m repeating his words back in my head. You were inside me.
I was! I really, really was.
But the funny thing is, I think I… liked it.