The Super Jerk Trilogy (Now 3-in-1)

6. Not Dead Yet

{Sarah}

Trevor's already loading things into the car when I get down to the parking lot. It's pretty chilly this morning, and I shiver as I step outside, pulling the sleeves of my sweater over my hands. Fortunately, I can hear the car running when I get closer, which means we won't have to wait for heat. So at least we've got that going for us.

   "Hey there, Campbell," Trevor says, glancing up at me with a grin and a wink. "How're things this morning?"

   "Early," I say through a yawn. "You?"

   "I've been up since five." He shrugs. "Mostly because I was making our playlist for the drive. It takes sixteen hours and twenty-one minutes to get there, not counting stops for food, bathroom breaks, driving switches, et cetera."

   "Okay." I hand him my bag and he shoves it in the trunk. "And the playlist?"

   "Twenty-one hours." He gives me another wink. "That way you'll really get an idea of what my taste in music's like."

   "I'm sure it's terrible," I say with a nudge to his shoulder.

   He punches my arm in return. "I'd like to see you come up with a playlist that's more than ten songs long."

   "I, unlike you, know how songs should be put together. Not just tossed together randomly. But challenge accepted."

   "It's a deal," he says, and then his head moves up just a fraction. "Hey, Zachary! Changed your mind?"

   I turn around and see him coming towards us, dressed casually in sweatpants, a tan shawl-collar cardigan, and plaid slippers. He pushes his glasses up his nose and shakes his head, and waits to speak until he gets close.

   "You two look all ready to go," he says, looking us up and down.

   "We are all ready," Trevor says, stamping his feet. "But Merlin, it's freezing buns out here."

   "That's Boston for you." Zach shrugs, and then he looks directly at me. "Can I have a word with you? In private?"

   Trevor winks at me as he climbs into the car, and I roll my eyes back, making sure he sees it. Then I turn to Zach, his eyes sweeping the parking lot warily.

   "You have to be careful around my dad, Sarah," he says, raising himself up on the balls of his feet a few times.

   "That's already been established many times," I say. "But I appreciate the concern."

   "You know, I can never figure out if you're joking or not." He rubs the back of his head. "But seriously. You'd better tell Trevor and Kaelie this too. They take blood samples the second you walk in. Just a drop. But it's enough for them to know whether you're testable material. As in...a viable experiment subject."

   "Oh." That makes me hesitate for a second. "That would have been good to know earlier."

   "Yeah, sorry. I just remembered it. And I guess I got all caught up in worrying what would happen to you guys." Zach shrugs, dropping his arm. "If Cam finds out I was actually concerned, he'll be convinced he can use that against me the next time something bad happens."

   "Then he won't have to know," I say, and for some reason, I feel no regret as I do. It's not helped, obviously, by our being separated, but something's been off ever since we fought, broke up, and then gotten back together. It's like trying to put a puzzle piece into a space that looks right, but isn't. "It won't hurt him."

   "Do my ears deceive me? Am I actually hearing you say you're going to keep secrets from your boyfriend?" Zach's eyebrow goes up, and there's a hint of amusement in his tone.