Kallie sat on the couch, knees drawn to her chest.The early-morning light filtered through the curtains.She hadn't slept.Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the glitch pulling at her, sensed the storm shaking the feedstore, and heard Copper's voice telling them the rift was reacting to them.
She stared at her fully charged phone, her thumb tapping the screen over and over, praying for a signal.No bars.No satellite.No emergency 911 connection.
"Shit."She shook the phone as if that would magically fix it.When that didn't work, she pressed it to her forehead and muttered a prayer.When that failed, she muttered threats under her breath, promising to throw it across the room.
Nothing.
Everstill had cut her off completely.
She'd gone from ecstatic about being with Finn to hating how trapped she'd become in a place that scared her to death.
She hated how helpless she was.
Most of all, she hated that she'd dragged Finn into this.If she hadn't wandered away from her foster home as a little girl, Finn would be content to live here without her.
It killed her to know that her love was causing them both pain.
The floor creaked softly, and she looked up to see Finn standing in the room's archway.His eyes were still heavy with sleep, and his hair and beard were mussed.He took one look at her face and crossed the room in three long strides.
"What's wrong?"he asked, his voice low and rough.
She let out a shaky breath."Everything."
He sat beside her and gently pried the phone from her grasp."It still won't work?"n
"No," she snapped, then winced."Sorry.I'm just mad at myself.At this place.At the stupid veil."Her voice cracked."It's hard to accept that my ten-year-old self started something that ruined your life.I feel like I forced you to love me."
Finn jerked back and frowned."Kallie—"
"If I had stayed at the foster home instead of wandering off, mad at the world, I never would've found the road to Everstill," she said, her words tumbling out in a rush."You wouldn't be suffering.You wouldn't be fighting storms or glitches or whatever the hell that thing was last night.You'd still be numb to all of this.Now I've hurt you, and you'll experience how painful life can—"
"Stop."Finn grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.
"But it's true," she whispered, tears burning her eyes."I came back and woke everything up inside you.I made the rift angry.I made Everstill angry.And now you're stuck in a world where you'll suffer because of me."
He shook his head fiercely."I'm not stuck.I'm awake."
She swallowed hard."And, you're miserable."
He flinched—not because she was wrong, but because she was right.She saw it in his eyes, the pain of memory, the ache for more than Everstill could give him.
She grabbed his hands, squeezing them tight."Come back with me.To my world.To my apartment.We can figure it out.Together."Her breath trembled."You don't belong here anymore.Not after everything you've experienced.Not after everything you feel.We could be together.No one where I come from will care if we're together.Nothing will pull us apart or punish us for loving each other."
Finn's gaze searched hers."Kallie..."
"Please."She leaned closer, her forehead brushing his."Don't stay here and fade away.Don't let this place take you again.I love you.I can take care of you.We can be happy."
He closed his eyes, his breath shaking against her cheek.
And for the first time since she'd arrived in Everstill, Kallie felt the terrifying possibility that he might say no.
"Oh, my God, Finn.Please.You must listen to me.I promise, it'll be okay once we get back to where I live," she pleaded.
"I don't know."He rubbed the back of his neck.
He stood from the couch, running a hand through his hair as if trying to drag the right answer from his skull.Watching him pace, conflicted and hurting, pained her.She'd expected fear.Maybe some hesitation.But not knowing what he needed to do?
"Finn."She approached him."You could leave with me.You could have a life with real growth.A home.A future.We'll be safe from storms trying to tear us apart.We can stay away from the veil.People won't stare at us like we're breaking a rule the way they do in Everstill.You can do more than wander the town every day."
