And…nothing.
As usual, nothing happens.
I can’t fight the tears that well up in my eyes. The embarrassment. I feel pathetic that I reached out again, and that once again he didn’t want to link.
Maybe he’s too busy with Lyddie.
I swallow my bitterness and take a shower before bed. I stew and ruminate and obsess as the hot water beats down on my head, and by the time I’ve brushed my teeth and put on my sleep clothes, I’m no closer to understanding what happened tonight.
When I emerge from the lav, Xavier is on his bed, waiting for me.
“Did he reach out?”
“Who?” I say, as I run a hairbrush through my hair.
“Cross. I saw your face back there. You had that look, like maybe there was someone in your head.”
“There was.”
“So he did reach out.”
“No. I haven’t heard from him since we broke up.”
“That was months ago.”
“I know.”
Xavier groans in frustration. “What the hell does that mean? Why does everyone on this mountain talk in godfucking riddles? I hate it here.”
I laugh. “Well, you’re in luck. You pretty much talked your way into a leisure pass in two days.”
“Yes, such leisure,” he cracks. “The risk of getting my head blown off by Reed and his goons.”
“It’s better than having your head blown off by the people here.”
“True. Anyway, you’re deflecting. What’s going on with Cross?”
I sit down on my bed. “I think I might have a new ability.”
“Okay…”
“Something happened this evening. Actually, this is the second time.” I exhale slowly. “I can hear him.”
“What do you mean, hear him?”
“The first time, he was with Travis. They were arguing. And tonight, in the common room, I heard him talking to Lyddie.”
“De Velde?”
“Yeah. I don’t get how or why it’s happening. I don’t think it’s telepathy, because I didn’t open a path, and it’s not a projection because I’m not seeing what he’s seeing. I guess I’m…hearing what he’s hearing.” I stop, bewildered. “That’s not a real ability, though. Or at least not one I’ve ever heard of.”
“Why don’t you ask one of your little buddies here?”
I hesitate.
“Exactly,” he says triumphantly. “Because we can’t trust them, just like I keep saying.”
“That’s not why I’m keeping quiet. You’re supposed to disclose all abilities to the Authority, but I don’t want to say anything until I figure out what this is. Maybe I’ll go to the digital library tomorrow and do some digging. See if there are any records of someone else having this power.”
