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“Are you crazy? No. Of course I didn’t tell him about my dad.” The only people that knew exactly who and what I was were my mother, Roan, and Jorge. Telling Haden was too big of a risk. One I couldn’t afford to take.
“Maybe you should’ve.”
I shrugged off his suggestion. “I just didn’t get that feeling. That click. And I knew I couldn’t tell him the truth.”
“But you told me like five minutes after we met, and I’ve never said anything.”
I glanced at Roan for a second as we waited for the next crosswalk to light up. There were too many people around to really talk openly, but I knew what he meant. Roan could’ve turned me in and become one of the richest people on Earth. The bounty on an average halfer was big enough to set a person up for life. But the bounty on me and my mom? It was astronomical. But he hadn’t turned me in. I’d be shocked if he told me he’d even considered it.
Roan stared at me pointedly, giving me his best see, it’s okay to open up expression. But he was wrong. For me, opening up meant death.
“You’re different. I trust you.” I wasn’t sure what was different about him, but it was a gut feeling. I’d learned the hard way to trust my gut, and it said that hanging out with Haden was okay—he was damned pretty to look at—but nothing more.
“You could always just date me,” he said way too loud, and I laughed. He gave me one of his big, infectious grins.
The light changed, and we started making our way closer to the intersection. Some girl pushed me into Roan as she wove past us. “Aww! Give him a chance. He’s cute!”
I snorted. “Nope. Not happening.” The idea of being with Roan was icky. I didn’t have a sibling by blood, but Roan was more than my friend. He was my brother. He felt the same way, but we hung out so much everyone l
iked to think we were a couple. It’d turned into an inside joke with us.
Roan cupped his hands around his mouth. “Thanks for the support.” He climbed up the light pole to stand above the swarm of the people moving across the intersection in all directions. “Maybe you could meet me one night? I chill at Starlite every Thursday. It’s iced,” he shouted.
The girl laughed and waved as she disappeared from sight.
Roan looked down at me. “I might have scored a date!”
His grin was infectious. “Dude. You’re living in dreamville. She didn’t even turn to wave at you.”
“No way. I’m so in with her. Trust me.”
I laughed a real, gut-deep laugh for the first time in weeks.
He gasped, pretending to be hurt. “If I didn’t know you as well as I do, I’d be offended right now.”
“That’s why I love you. Now will you get down from there before we get into trouble.” He was attracting way too much attention.
“Don’t worry so much.” He hopped down. “I love you, too. I just wish you could be happy.”
“I’m as happy as I can be given my circumstances.” That had to be good enough.
He dragged me across the intersection as the light changed to yellow.
I jerked my hand from his. Roan knew I didn’t like to break any laws—even jaywalking—but it was already too late. We were the only people in the intersection now and that was bad. I hurried across, dragging Roan behind me.
“Chill out. It’s still yellow,” he said as the light turned to red.
Shit.
“Freeze!” A booming voice came from behind us. “IDs. Now.”
I froze as ordered and closed my eyes. The words echoed in my ears. IDs. Now. IDs. Now.
I couldn’t show him my ID. It would never pass an official inspection, but running now would be worse.
This so wasn’t happening. It was a bad dream. A nightmare.
I opened my eyes to find a SpaceTech police officer standing in front of us in his navy and gray uniform. He didn’t have any medals over his right pocket, so I knew he was a newbie, but that was almost worse. Newbies liked to find ways to prove themselves. The traffic and commotion around us had stopped as lookie Louies all stared, waiting to see what the officer was going to do to us.
