Lincoln and I turn to her. Her hands are glowing bright white. The biggest arteries and veins under her now-translucent skin are all visible. Blueish-white against iridescent white.
“Whoa,” Lincoln gasps.
“Isn’t she incredible?” I say.
She smiles. “Don’t distract me.” She squeezes her eyes shut tighter. “It’s like … as long as I really focus. I can keep it in my hands. Before it felt like as soon as I started feeling this way it would spill over into the rest of me. And then when I pull it back, that’s when I feel sick. I don’t feel bad right now. I feel good.”
Her eyes shoot open. She looks wildly from Lincoln to me. “But are you guys okay?”
“I’m great.”
“Me too,” Lincoln adds.
“No shortness of breath, no dizziness? Sometimes, people exhibit signs of heat sickness when they’re near me.” She stares intently at her hands until the light fades away. Then she presses her fingers to my forehead.
I’m more than fine—I’m in awe—but her worrying over me is nice. I say, “Maybe that’s only when you lose control?”
She shakes her head and laughs. “I don’t know. I’ve never thought it would be possible. What if I really can control it?” Her voice shakes with emotion.
“Are you okay? How are you feeling?” I ask.
She glances up with shining eyes.
“Hopeful.” It’s the most wonderful thing she could have said. She feels the hope I’ve held in my heart since I met her. There’s no way some wonderful person like this strolls into your life without it meaning something. I hold her gaze and feel emotions making my chest swell. Lincoln shifts next to me and clears his throat.
I break my gaze away first and nod to the Quickstop bag on the floor. “So Lincoln, what did you just have to have?”
Lincoln and Julia look at each other and burst out laughing.
