Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
For a moment, anger flashed across her face. “FEA has been holding me back. I always felt like a failure. They made me feel like less, especially Major. I’ve been with Abel’s Army for only a couple of weeks and they’ve already helped me more perfecting my Variation than FEA ever did. I feel like everything’s possible, like I can do great things.”
I touched her hand. “That’s good,” I said tentatively. “So you want to stay here? You don’t want to return to the FEA?”
She tensed, her eyes hard. “I won’t ever go back to the FEA. Why?” Suddenly she sounded worried. “Do you want to?”
“I—” Before I could reply, the elevator opened with a ‘bing’ and Zach stepped out. His eyes found me and he smiled hesitantly.
“I think he wants you to go with him. Abel’s probably waiting for you,” Holly said, rising from the chair. My expression must have dropped because she added. “Don’t worry. We’ll see each other later.” She gave me a quick hug. I turned slowly, unwilling to leave her behind, but she was already heading toward the cook.
“So how was your reunion?” Zach asked the moment I reached him.
“It was good.” Holly looked at ease as she talked to the cook who’d finally torn his gaze away from the TVs. This wasn’t how I’d imagined my rescue mission to end.
Zach didn’t press for more, but I could tell that he was curious. He led me into the elevator and pressed the button with -6.
I took his hand and squeezed. It felt surreal to be able to do that after all these years, and I needed his support. His turquoise eyes scanned my face. “Are you all right?”
I squared my shoulders. “Yeah. This is just a lot to process.” I swallowed. “And I’m nervous. This is the first time I’m meeting my… my dad.”
“I know,” he said with a smile.
The elevator halted and the metal doors slid open with a soft whoosh. I took a deep breath as I followed Zach out. Except for the lack of windows, this room, too, didn’t look like we were underground. The walls were painted a bright, clean white and the floor was covered with birch flooring. I could smell vanilla and maple syrup. The room we entered was huge and square—at least eight hundred square feet. From the looks of it, it was a living room, kitchen and workspace in one. Several doors led to other rooms. One of them opened and a man stepped out. He was smiling.
“Finally,” he said. “I thought the pancakes I made were going to get cold. I didn’t know what you like, but I figured everyone loves pancakes.” He was tall with short graying brown hair and, of course, those turquoise eyes.
I froze. I couldn’t move, couldn’t say anything.
“They’re made from a mix, though, and probably burned, so don’t get too excited,” Zach said, looking over his shoulder at me.
There was something in his eyes I couldn’t place. Maybe excitement mixed with anxiety. We’d all been waiting for this moment. I really didn’t want it to get awkward, but I was tongue tied and could feel my eyes tear up.
Abel raised his eyebrows. “You like pancakes, don’t you?”
He talked to me like it was perfectly normal for us to be in the same room, perfectly normal for him to be offering me pancakes, like we’d been spending all our lives together, like we weren’t practically strangers. And maybe for him I wasn’t a stranger. He could remember the memories Zach had showed me, and probably many more. I only wished I could remember them too.
I gave a jerky nod. “I love pancakes.” My voice was so quiet I wasn’t sure he’d heard me.
He was striding toward me, his smile warm and welcoming. There were crinkles lining the corners of his eyes. From smiling too much? I wished I’d shared more of the moments that had carved those lines into his face. I felt a lump rising into my throat.
“I’ve waited so many years for this day,” he said as he stepped in front of me.
He left a few feet between us like he was worried that coming closer might spook me. I looked up at him. Tiny worry lines appeared around his mouth. I probably looked like I was going to burst into tears any second.
“Have you?” I croaked.
He bridged the distance between us and wrapped his arms around me. I relished in the feel of his heartbeat against my ear. He felt warm and strong. My dad. This was how it was supposed to be, how it should have been all my life. My mother and the FEA had kept this from me. After all the years of searching for something, of feeling like there was a piece missing in me, I had all the pieces of my story. I finally felt whole. Warmth filled me up as I tightened my hold on him, and he, in turn, did the same. Tears squeezed out of my eyes.