Pivot Point (Pivot Point, #1)(83)

“I thought I’d just influence your emotions a little at first, make you feel happy around me. Then I thought that happiness would translate into liking me, and I wouldn’t have to do it anymore. You’d see us together in the future and be able to tell me which school to pick. This one decision will affect my entire life. If I make the wrong choice, I could end up with nothing. But …”

“But …” I wait for him to continue.

“But every time I let up on the emotions, you backed away or started to question us or me.…”

I shift my position, and the paper on the table beneath me crinkles loudly. “In other words, when you took away my feelings of like for you, I didn’t like you?”

“Exactly.”

“It’s because I don’t like you, Duke. You’re not my type. I didn’t like you before, and I especially don’t like you now.” I don’t want him to know how heartbroken I am. He had accomplished his goal of making me fall for him, but then he had ripped away my ability to ever trust him again. Even now I wonder why he’s in my room. What he wants from me.

And something else is bothering me as well. “Why Laila? Was she just for fun?”

“No. I thought what Bobby was doing was harmless. He was going to teach Laila to extend her ability. He told me if I could talk her into it that it would help you learn how to master the future. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“I don’t believe you were willing to play this game for years just because I have a convenient ability. Don’t you want to be with someone who likes you? Don’t you want to like someone?” I look up and realize through the course of our conversation he has gotten closer. If I wanted to, I could reach out and touch him. I don’t want to.

“I do like you. A lot.”

“No … you’ve manipulated emotions so much in your life that you can’t possibly know what real feelings are.…”

“I do, Addie.”

“You need to man up and come clean about your ability. Why did you feel the need to lie about it to everyone in the first place?”

“Do you honestly think the coach would’ve put anyone short of a mover in the quarterback position? On the team for that matter?”

“I have no idea.”

“Well, he wouldn’t have, no matter how amazing my aim is without Telekinesis. My dad thought it was the only way to make sure I got on the football team.”

“Which is very important to you.”

“Yes.”

“So important you’re willing to soothe people’s emotions so your teammates can deliver career-ruining injuries?”

He doesn’t say anything.

“How does Ray do it? How does he injure people?”

“He can move a lot more than just footballs. Muscle, bone.”

I hold up my hand, needing him to stop.

“If Coach finds out my true ability, he won’t let me play on the team.”

I’m ready for him to leave now, so I stand. “That sucks. I’ll make you a deal. You get your team to stop using their abilities when you play Norm schools, and I won’t tell Coach about your real ability.” I walk toward the door. He brushes his hand along my arm as I pass by, and I immediately jerk it away. “Oh, and you wanted my help picking a college?”

“Yeah.” It kills me to hear the hope in that single word.

“I think that school in California might be your best choice after all. Unless there is something even farther away.” I walk out the door.

Laila is nowhere around. Did the Healer come by to discharge us?

Halfway down the hall I see my dad walking toward me. I run the distance between us and throw my arms around his waist. “What are you doing here?”

“They flew me out to interview the suspects. I would’ve come either way, to see you. Are you okay?”

“I will be.”

“I was thinking …”

I look up.

“Maybe you’d want to stay with me in Dallas for the holidays to get away from the Compound, away from everything, for a while.”

I see Laila coming down the hall behind him. “Did they discharge us?”

“Yeah.” She nods to my dad and gives him a side hug. “The Healer said it looked fine.” She touched her neck.

“You okay?” he asks her.

She shakes out her hand. “My knuckles are a little sore, but I’m all right.”

“I was just telling Addie that she needs to come stay with me for the holidays. You should come too.” My dad reaches into his back pocket and pulls out two tickets. “The high school football team is playing in a holiday bowl.”

I raise my eyebrows at Laila. “You can see your Norm boyfriend. What was his name? Rowan?”

She laughs. “Whatever. If I remember right, there was a certain cowboy that you set your sights on.”

“Cowboy?”

“Yeah. He had the boots, the relaxed pose …”

An image of his brown eyes and dark hair come into my mind. “Trevor.”

A warmth spreads through my chest, and suddenly Trevor’s there, his image so clear that I almost reach out and touch him. The hallway, the hospital, is gone. He’s kneeling in front of me as I sit on a wooden staircase, an intense expression on his face. His chest brushes against my knees, and my heart picks up speed. “Are you okay?”