V? What?—
“But he’s not here.” Whisper’s voice cut off Austin.
“I don’t know what to tell you. The bridge leads right inside his own walls.”
Are you okay, baby?Austin reached out, I guess he could feel me there.
Sorry, Whisper started talking. I’m good, just training. I gotta scoot. I’ll tell you all about it when you get home. Also, thanks for sending him with sushi, I was craving it.
His laughed echoed through my mind.Something told me you were. I’ll be home in an hour. I love you.
I love you.I blew a kiss down the bridge before I opened my eyes. Whisper was staring at me with disbelief all over his face.
“Hem said… I thought he was fucking with me.”
“What?”
“We were drinking one night and he told me about a girl he had a crush on in university. She was dating this guy and every time he hung out with the two of them he swore they were talking to each other, mind to mind. He said that he asked her about it once. She’d just winked and asked him if he’d ever heard the rumour about soulmates. Then moved on like nothing happened. At least, that’s what he said. I thought it was so stupid. I don’t know that I believe we even have souls. But…”
“That sounds...” Crazy.
“You should ask Hem about it. Maybe he can get in touch with his friend and you can learn more that way?”
“I don’t think it really matters. Either way, I clearly don’t have a power like yours… One thing at a time. I figure out my powers, then maybe I’ll see if Hem can dig up some more info for me.”
“Speaking of Hem, I should probably run. We’re supposed to hit up a couple bars tonight. He’s probably wondering where the heck I am.”
“Of course. I didn’t mean to take up so much of your time.” I walked with him the five steps it took to get to the door.
“You can have as much of my time as you want, V.” He winked.
I shook my head. “You villains and your flirting. It’s probably a good thing you’re leaving before Av gets home.”
“Actually, before I go, why have you and Hem been so weird around each other since Christmas?”
I sighed. “I was really hoping you’d just let that go.”
“Nope.”
“During one his check-in calls I was…preoccupied…distracted, if you will. And…I…let him…listen.”
I didn’t have to elaborate on what I was preoccupied with, I was sure my rosy, red cheeks did that for me.
Whisps keeled over with laughter. “No! That’s so much better than I’d imagined. Did he just listen? Or was he an active participant?”
I groaned, pulling the door open and pushing him through it.
“Wait, if I do your bedtime check in tonight, can I listen, too?”
I slammed the door in his face.
36
THE VOLUNTEER
“He can listenif he wants. You seemed to enjoy it so much last time, who am I to say no?”
“Austin!”
