Fast-Tracked Page 23

  “Nothing. As I tried telling you the entire way here, Zandria is upset with the whole Trisha situation, not you. Ignore her misplaced anger and let her cool down.” Autumn stood up and headed out of the room. Avery stood and followed.

  The last thing he said before he disappeared from view was, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  The tablet continued to play as I sat in shock trying to absorb everything. How could I have been so blind, naïve and gullible? Everything that had happened since I first opened my assessment letter had been arranged by Avery. It was my fault that Byron had been sunk and had to suffer humiliation, starvation and worse. Even worse, I had foolishly believed Avery was trying to help me fix it all.

  All my efforts to gain power were pointless. I wasn’t trying to gain enough power to be able to persuade an insulted businessman to change his mind or let me fix it on my own. I had seen Avery’s jealousy firsthand. He would destroy Byron and I before he’d ever let the two of us end up together. In his mind all the lengths he had gone to for me made me his.

  I don’t know how long I sat on the couch in my frozen state of shock before the sound yelling from my tablet pulled me out of it. I looked down and watched Avery lead a bloodied Slade and Grayson into the room. Avery yelled toward some unseen servant to hurry up.

  “Damn Hayden and his friggin’ dogs! Who the heck takes fluffy white attack dogs out for a walk without a leash?” Grayson growled as he dared to peek under the red cloth that covered his forearm. “I think the bleeding finally stopped.” He poked and prodded the puncture marks.

  “Mine hasn’t,” Slade grumbled.

  “That’s because you’re still walking on it, stupid. Why don’t you sit down before you drip on Avery’s rug.” Slade took Grayson’s advice and flopped down on a small couch, propping his injured leg up on the armrest.

  Avery barked, “Will the two of you stop your damn whining and help me figure out what to say to Zandria when she realizes he’s missing?” Both boys jumped.

  “Hell, I don’t know. You’re the one who lost it and went berserk on the guy. I mean, geez, you said we were only going to rough him up a little bit. Make him understand his place,” Grayson whined.

  “It wasn’t my fault. The dumb prick fought back and then he was stupid enough to try to provoke me.” Avery started pacing back in forth.

  “Why are you so worked up about it? He got what he deserved. You don’t think Hayden’s going to say anything do you?” Slade asked, looking suddenly worried.

  “No, he wouldn’t be that stupid, no matter how powerful his father is. Besides he promised he’s take care of the mess for us. But it’s just a matter of time until Zandria notices someone different is picking up the trash. What do I say to her then?” Avery pounded his fist against the desk.

  “Dude, why do you have to say anything to her? Orange level workers go missing or die every day. No one gives a shit about what happens to them. Play dumb and sympathetic. She’ll be upset, but then you can be there to comfort her. Win-win, buddy.” For a moment he grinned at his unexpected cleverness. Then he focused his attention back on his still dripping shin.

  Several servants entered the room with arms full of towels, bandaged and disinfectants. One stood right in front of the camera, so I couldn’t see what was happening, but I could hear that their discussion had ended and they were now focused on cleaning their wounds.

  I had been so quick to feel betrayed by Byron and assumed he had chosen to partner with Hayden because his life had become too hard. I should have listened to Byron when he begged me to. I should have known he’d have to be near death before he’d allow himself to fall into his current situation. And as much as I hated Hayden for using Byron that way, from the sounds of it, he had saved Byron’s life by letting the others think he was dead.

  Oh God. I had thought everything was totally messed up before. Now I knew just how completely screwed up and evil everything and everyone was. All along I had been fooling myself thinking I was using Avery so I could save Byron. The truth was I couldn’t help Byron – I couldn’t even save myself. I had just been too naïve to realize it. I had willingly befriended and fallen for the very person who was the cause of the pain and grief that tormented Byron and I.

  There had been signs there all along. Avery had been eerily familiar when I met him on the air-tram. But I had dismissed it instead of making the connection to the little boy I had once seen with his father on one of the rare occasions when I had visited my dad at the plant. Avery had even introduced himself as a scoundrel at heart; I had laughed it off as a joke.

  But even after that there had been little things that should have raised suspicion or alarm. I had chosen to ignore them as well. Like when he knew I had always been at the top of my class. He had once said, “I’ve always loved you, since before I was old enough to know what love was.” And then there was the time I realized he had used Camille’s name when I was pretty sure I had never told it to him.

  And every time I had found a way to dismiss my worries.

  I wrapped my arms around myself and watched the rest of the recording. If there were any more devastating revelations to be learned, I might as well learn them now when there was no possible way I could feel any more distraught.

  In the end there was nothing else to be found – at least not on the recording. I wrapped my arms around myself and stared blankly at the wall as I replayed all the painful scenes over and over in my head. I was still in this catatonic state when Wendy finally arrived home.

  I was in no state to tell her what was wrong, so I showed her the footage. She wrapped her arms around me and shared my horror and shock. She had never liked Avery, but had never imagined him to be half the monster he really was.

  Chapter 22

  Between the two of us, coming up with a plan was never usually an issue, but by Friday afternoon we still had no idea how to proceed with our new knowledge. In the end Wendy and I agreed that until we figured out our next step, it was best to pretend that nothing had changed. But I had my doubts about my acting ability around Avery. Right now I didn’t even want to be in the same room as him, but Wendy asserted her confidence in me and reminded me I could always blame Byron’s new sordid relationship if I gave a less than stellar performance.

  So in the end, I got dressed for my date with Avery and pretended that nothing was wrong. He wouldn’t tell me where we were going, but insisted I dress in ballroom attire. So I was dressed as fancy as possible by the time he knocked on my door.

  I opened the door to find Avery dressed in a full tuxedo and carrying a dozen long stem roses for me. I thanked him and handed them to Wendy to place in a vase. Then he led me to the tram. He kept smiling mischievously, but still refused to tell me where we were headed. I didn’t press the matter. I really didn’t care. It took all my restraint to keep from gouging his eyes out as it was.

  Once we stepped off the tram, he insisted on covering my eyes as he led me the rest of the way to our destination. When he finally uncovered them I saw that he had brought me back to the Capital Fare. Great: another night of over-priced under-seasoned food, and I needed to act surprised and excited about it.

  “Oh, Avery, you shouldn’t have,” I gushed and then mentally rolled my eyes at him for not noticing the sickeningly sweet candy tone my voice had recently adopted.

  We were led into a different room than last time. This room was smaller, but it had its own private balcony that overlooked the city. Despite the crisp bite of the October air the room didn’t feel cold. I realized that was because the balcony had its own space heater.

  The entire room was decorated in cream and gold. From the gold-plated sconces on the wall to the bows tied around the chair covers. Its overwhelming effect made me feel like a cherub had thrown up and this room was the ending result.

  But the room wasn’t the worst of it. Right after we were served the main dish, a man with a violin came by to serenade us. I smiled politely as if I was enjoying the music, but I had al
ways been of the opinion that a violin was not like a guitar and should only be played as an accompanying instrument and never alone.

  I was ready to leave after dinner, but Avery insisted on dessert, even though I told him I was full. “Trust me, you’ll love their dessert tonight,” he asserted. Apparently he didn’t just want to control me, but what I ate too.

  When the waiter returned he placed a slice of cake in front of me, but neglected to give any to Avery. When I finally glanced down at the cake I realized why. Instead of a cherry resting in the cake’s dollop of whip cream, there was the largest solitary diamond I had ever seen. I glanced back over at Avery in shock only to realize he was now down on one knee and reaching for my hand.

  “I’ve been dreaming about this night since the moment I first laid eyes on you.” He grasped my hand. “You’re the most beautiful and amazing woman I’ve ever met.” He plucked the ring out of the dessert with his free hand and wiped it on a napkin. “Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?” He slid the ring on my finger without waiting for me to respond.

  Yeah right, like I’m going to agree to marry evil incarnate when he can’t even think of something original to say. I mean, really, you could have at least thrown in a line about some little quirk of mine you found absolutely endearing. Oh crap. What am I going to say? If I tell him no, he’ll retaliate by crushing me, Byron and probably both our families.

  I felt my chest constrict. My breath slowly squeezed out of me and knew I was beginning to hyperventilate. I forced myself to take calm even breaths so I could think clearly. But it was hopeless. I couldn’t think of a way to say no without everyone I care about getting destroyed.

  Then a stray memory appeared in my mind. It was the last time I had heard Byron laugh, really laugh. It was the most wonderful sound in the world. I might not be able to save myself right now, but could still help and protect the ones I love. Suddenly a strange resolve settled over me. I just prayed that my acting skills were as good as I needed them to be.

  “Oh, Avery, it’s beautiful,” I squealed, and held out my hand to examine the ring, allowing the tears of anger rolling down my face to be mistaken for a sign of joy.

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” he crooned as he leaned in and kissed my hand.

  Jerk, you’re supposed to let the girl at least answer.

  “Well, yes and no,” I cried. I did my best to appear beside myself with torn emotions. Avery’s eyes narrowed as he scrutinized my face. “I’m sorry; the last thing I want to do is spoil such a wonderful moment, but I’ve been sick all week trying to figure out what’s really been holding me back from you. Every time we get close, I pull away. I’m sure you’ve noticed.” I paused and wiped my tears to give him the time he needed to respond.

  “I’ve noticed, but I can be patient. We’re meant to be together.” But his edge of cocky confidence had waned, and his expression was starting to falter.

  “I know, and that’s why it’s been bothering me so much. But after seeing Byron with Hayden last weekend, I’ve finally figured out what it is. Guilt. I feel so guilty over being fast-tracked when he was sunk so low, that subconsciously I won’t allow myself to feel truly happy. And being with you is the one thing I know would make me happy. So can you please, please, please convince your father to change his mind? That way I can get Byron once and for all out of my mind, shake my irrational guilt, and be happy with you.” I locked my eyes onto his pleadingly.

  “So if I get my dad to restore Byron to his proper level, you don’t want to see him, not even to visit?” Avery asked cautiously, as if he thought what I was saying was too good to be true.

  I let the disgust I felt for Avery drench my voice.

  “Of course not! Friendship only goes so far. Now that I know what he is, I can barely stand to think about him, let alone be in the same room with him.”

  Avery seemed to buy it. His face suddenly brightened and he promised, “One way or another, I’ll get my dad to change his mind. He won’t be able to refuse when he realizes our happiness depends on it.”

  “Oh, Avery, thank you. I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders.” I flung my arms around his neck. “Now you and I can finally be happy together.” I hugged him as tight as I could.

  He pulled just far enough away so he could kiss me. His lips covered mine, and I willed mine to respond. His tongue entered my mouth and I fought the urge to bite down. I felt dirty and cheap as his hands roamed up and down my sides and back, but he didn’t notice any of it. He was too caught up in the thrill of finally getting what he wanted.

  Wendy was waiting up for me when I got home. She started hounding me the moment I stepped through the door. “How’d it go? Did he suspect anything?”

  “Not a thing,” I responded. I headed straight to the fridge to rinse the taste of Avery out of my mouth.

  “Then why do you look like the world is about to end?” she asked as she watched me gargle some orange juice.

  I thrust my jeweled hand up in the air. “Agreeing to be the devil’s whore tends to give you that look.” I slammed down my glass and stormed into my room. I wasn’t ready to face Wendy and explain to her what had happened and why I had agreed to it.

  The next morning I told Wendy what happened. She thought it was noble that I had decided to sacrifice my happiness in return for Byron’s and our family’s safety, but she kept insisting there had to be a better solution. Tired of hearing her protests, I finally snapped at her to shut up about it until she came up with a better plan. She quieted. But she also didn’t talk to me for the next week.

  I found it odd that while I felt my life was at an end, the rest of the world still continued on normally. The Bookworm still had its grand opening. The endless fast-tracker parties never ceased, and Avery remained clueless to my misery. In less than a week we would all get our new class schedules as the new session started.

  After a brief whirlwind of gossip, my engagement to Avery became old news. After a while I was able to stop crying and start carrying on like this was and had always been my normal life.

  Of course, that was when I got the call from my dad that reminded me it wasn’t. “Honey, I have the most amazing news,” he greeted me. “Charles Levenson and the rest of his family suddenly had to relocate. He wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, but he confided in me before he left. The Assessment Committee discovered a mistake had been made against Byron. They agreed to restore him to his proper rank of purple, but only if it’s kept quiet. The last thing they want is the public to lose confidence in the assessment system. So the Levensons had to move to keep it a secret.” He beamed a smile at me and waited for my over-the-top excited response.

  “That’s great, Dad.” I tried to sound upbeat and enthusiastic, but I was on the verge of tears and failed miserably.

  He caught it and looked concerned. “I thought you’d be a bit more excited about this?” God, I hated worrying my parents.

  “I’m really happy for the Levensons, but Byron’s not really a part of my world anymore. So it doesn’t actually change anything.” I swallowed hard to keep back the tears my lie evoked. It meant everything to me that Byron and his family were free. It was even better that Byron had been given purple: now he could have the science career he always wanted. But I couldn’t tell my dad that. It would hurt him too much to know what I had agreed to just to make it happen.

  “I’m sure you realize how hard it is for me to hear that. You and Byron had been inseparable not that long ago. But now you sound indifferent, almost cold.” The disappointed look on his face tore at my heart.

  “I’m not trying to be cold or cruel or anything, Dad. The reason I’m not swooning and shouting for joy over the news is because I moved on like everyone told me to.” I let out a loud sigh as my dad’s face remained unchanged. “I had planned to give you and Mom the news in person when I saw you next, but…” I held up my hand to show off my ring. “Avery and I are engaged. Don’t worry, it’s a long engageme
nt; we’re not going to get married until the two us have completed our fast-tracker training, but we figured there wasn’t much point in putting off the engagement itself.” I took a breath to halt my rambling, before my dad suspected I was hiding something.

  “Just be careful, honey. I’d hate to see you get hurt. After all, don’t you think you’re rebounding a bit fast from Byron?” He was now using his ‘father knows best’ tone. Hadn’t he figured out by now that all that tone succeeded in doing was to annoy me?

  “Dad, Byron was just a silly schoolgirl crush. Avery and I are in love. I wish you could just be happy for me.” The lie left a bitter taste on my tongue, and I had to resist the urge to gag.

  “As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.” My dad smiled at me.

  I felt tears welling up inside of me, threatening to spill out at any moment. “Thanks, Dad. I’d love to chat longer, but I have somewhere I need to be. I’ll call you later when I have more time.”

  He waved his goodbye and I tapped off my tablet. I got up from my desk and walked over to the patio door.

  It had started to rain. I had always loved the rain: the sounds of raindrops pattering around me, the hazy sheen it gave the world – even how it changed the smell of the air. As a little girl I had theorized that rainstorms were like snowflakes: no two were exactly the same. I even thought that every storm had a personality, which coincidentally always seemed to match my mood. Some rains were grumpy old men, making a lot of noise, but not really accomplishing much. Others rains were a sleepy baby slowly drifting off to sleep with gentle, soft drizzle.

  My favorite rains were the ones that released the power of a woman’s fury, ripping the sky apart with her blinding lightning and deafening thunder. Her rain didn’t simply fall to the ground, but danced in the raging winds pelting her prey and stinging skin.