Capstone by Misty Provencher

Author:Misty Provencher [Provencher, Misty]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Misty Provencher

11

Everyone goes out. The door to the cell slams shut.

I'm gonna need luck. A frackin' dump truck full of it.

The fear is all over me, covering my skin like a sweater made of centipedes. It's finally time. All this worry about if I'm taking Garrett or leaving him, if I'll be able to find my way to the Core, if I'll be able to make it out of the hotel--all of it is heaped on this one very breakable moment.

My heart starts pounding and no matter how hard my hands shake, they still can't bounce the centipedes off. The binding box rattles between Garrett and I. He reaches for my hand.

"I'm right here," he says. He doesn't really look any better than I feel. I try to pull off a smile that is all cheeky and calm, but all I pull out is jittery.

The lights blink off.

My skin is wiggling with the willies, but I'm friggin' paralyzed. The centipedes skitter all over my last, flimsy bits of calm. I've got to suck it up, right now.

I force out my whisper in the dark, "Time to go."

Maybe Garrett's nodding, but it's pitch black and I can't see it. My energy surges back into my legs in a rush, knocking the centipedes loose, but when Garrett doesn't move with me, I tug on the cable.

"Don't leave me," his whisper crumbles. "Promise me that when we get to Robin, you're not going to cut me loose."

"I won't."

"You won't or you won't promise? Promise me, Nalena. I need it."

I understand him. I've only ever been the student, the daughter, the new Contego, the Waste, and now, the long shot. All my life I've been decided against, underestimated, let down, left behind. I can see how he's not sure I'm for real, even though it's a done deal in my own head.

It's a bizarre that I'm the one making the decision now and it's a little scary to realize how much impact a decision has. The tension rises off him and rubs me like a steel brush. All it's going to take, to make or destroy Garrett, is a couple of words. The power rests on my tongue.

I reach through the dark and bump into Garrett's skin. I take hold, sliding my fingers the length of his forearm, to his hand, opening it and intertwining my fingers between his.

"I promise," I say. "I will never leave you behind."

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