The Skylar Experiment : Dead Ending (second draft)

96. Prove It

RILEY

MY HOLLOW BELLY led me to the kitchen, where I plucked a string cheese from the fridge and a green apple from the fruit bowl. My eyes hooked onto Luc's figure standing on the patio. He leaned on the railing, his back to the glass door, muscles hitching his shoulders as tension rolled off him.

As if he sensed my gazing, he turned around.

The panel slid aside in his path and he stepped in, a familiar broodiness to his expression. He peered down at me holding the apple, and a tingle pooled in my chest.

"Hungry?"

"Yeah." I bit into my apple to avoid looking at him and keep my mind clear.

"Me too." He rummaged through the fridge and nabbed enough food to build sandwiches. He dumped the ingredients on the marble island. A cupboard flung open and two ceramic plates floated in front of him.

He began piling the vegetables over the generous portion of turkey breast with nothing but the rapid chatter of Lauren and Raymond in the background. I studied his careful hands, thinking of how they were so skilled at many things that were at odds with each other.

I'd witnessed how he could kill efficiently with those. But he also did interesting things with them to my body.

The mayo was slathered on the last slice of bread, and he pushed a turkey sandwich over to me. It didn't occur to me how hungry I'd grown until I stared at it, halfway through my apple.

"Thank you." It was almost six and all I'd had was that milkshake and breakfast.

And I was inexplicably embarrassed that Luc was making food for me even after broadcasting how he wasn't happy with me. My cheeks went hot.

By the time I finished the apple, he was already onto his second sandwich. Like with most things in life, he was fast at it. It never ceased to amaze me. Was he even tasting his food?

He waited for me by the sink, washing his meal down with water. "We should talk." He offered his hand. "Come with me?"

I knew where he wanted to go—the only space in this house that was ours. It was hard doing anything here without the others nosing in. Nodding, I placed my hand in his, reveling in the warmth of it as we walked to the basement door.

Over his shoulder, I caught Raymond in his chair winking at me. I rolled my eyes and shut the door.

Once down the stairs, I pulled my hand free and dragged my feet in front of the fireplace. I knew he wasn't going to yell at me. Knowing that didn't help, though.

Luc's attention dipped to where I was standing, and in no time, the fire was alive and crackling beside me. "I have to tell you something," he started, surprising me. "Your dad had a suggestion for us."

"Us four?"

"Yes. He said he'll stay somewhere in the area and we can all meet regularly to train—brush up on our skills, talk plans. For you, it would be better to practice your abilities elsewhere than in this small space surrounded by humans."

"You say elsewhere like we have a forest nearby. We don't. I don't know how we can..."

Luc nodded. "Gyms. Indoor football fields. When they close for the night, we sneak in for a few hours. They'll never notice. It'll be an opportunity for you to learn how to fine-tune your speed for places with walls."

He did have a point. I could run and run in the woods and through the valleys, unrestrained, but I struggled with stopping when and where I wanted. While the others in this house popped in and out of a room with ease, I still couldn't manage.