Twice as Hot (Tales of an Extraordinary Girl #2)(109)

I held out my hand and sure enough, an ice ball formed. Small, but perfectly round. Clear, dangerous.

Doused as Rome was in that experimental chemical, we wouldn't have known the true effectiveness of this method if I hit him with it. So, rather than toss it at Rome, I launched it at the wall behind him. The moment of contact, the ice spread, covering the entire span.

Rome never turned, never stopped eyeing me. "You did it." His voice was flat. "You really did it."

"Yes." I'd known any increase in my abilities could sever the bond between us, but experiencing it this soon? No. "Not fast enough for a battle with a scrim, though."

"With practice, you will." The flatness did not abate. "You'll have the elements at your disposal, just like that." He snapped his fingers. "Now," he said, stalking to the far corner and grabbing one of the fire extinguishers he'd brought along. "Melt the ice with your fire." I nodded, already closing my eyes. Already willing the ice away. Not with emotion, not with my mind, but by backing away, letting my body take over and do what it wanted. Heat. Pure heat. "I'm burning," I told myself. "So hot. Sweating, blistering."

Again, to my surprise, my body gradually obeyed. Almost as if it had been waiting for this moment, ready to act as it had always wanted. My blood heated...heated...the ice melting away until only molten lava remained.

When I opened my eyes, my fingers were on fire, tiny flames smoldering. Mentally I commanded those flames to leap together. They did, a ball forming in the palm of my hand.

I tossed it at the wall. Orange-gold instantly spread, ice melting and pooling on the floor. When the final droplet fell, Rome used the extinguisher to douse the remaining conflagrations. Soon the wall was black with soot and white with foam.

"You were faster that time," Rome said, and dropped the extinguisher.

Again, his tone had been flat. But now, his eyes were flat, too. "Yes."

"That's good. That's very good."

Was it? Was it really? He was stiff, harder in that moment than he'd been when he'd first awoken without his memories. Harder than he'd been the night he'd first invaded my apartment all those months ago, determined to neutralize me. "Rome, I - "

"That's enough for now," he said, cutting me off. He turned, giving me his back. "We don't want to exhaust you when you've got a big date tonight." There was no bitterness in his voice, no jealousy.

Suddenly I couldn't move, could barely breathe. Had he already decided to wash his hands of me? "Are you going to be there as promised?"

"I don't think so."

My mouth went dry. "Why not?" I asked shakily. I knew it was wrong to do this here, in front of Jean-Luc, but I couldn't help myself. I had to hear him say it. We're not meant to be together, after all.

How would I react? What would I do? I still loved him. Still wanted him, craved him.

He shrugged, didn't face me. "No reason to, really."

And there it was. My answer. He was letting me go.

"Sunny wants to see you," he said. "I'll bring her by before dinner. If that's okay?" At one time, he wouldn't have had to ask. I guess he planned to formally dump me with his daughter in the other room. That way I wouldn't throw a fit or burn something down. Well, wait. Would I burn something down in a fury now that I could summon the elements without emotion? I laughed bitterly. Did that matter now? Rome wanted out of my life.

Part of you knew this was coming. It's what you've been preparing yourself for.Fine. We'd get it over with. Do it tonight. Tears burned my eyes. "Bring her by, but I want to talk to you afterward. Okay?" Would I beg him to stay with me? Or would the future Lexis had predicted finally begin to fall into place?

I want my old future,I nearly screamed.

Rome ignored my question. "Go get cleaned up. I'll see you tonight." For the second time in recent memory, he walked away and never looked back.

After playing with my puppies for half an hour, avoiding Jean-Luc's probing gaze, a shower and a change of clothes, I stood in front of my locker, packing up to go home. My eyes were still burning, tears hovering at the corners, just waiting to fall. How had my life reached this point? A few weeks ago, I'd been the happiest woman on the planet. Love had been mine. A magnificent, sexy, strong man had been mine. Now...I had nothing.

Well, I had a few dates with a man I didn't and couldn't love because my heart would always belong to Rome.

And he was about to end things forever.

My gaze landed on a piece of folded paper. I hadn't placed it in the locker, so I grabbed it. From Rome? Jean-Luc? Footsteps suddenly echoed, growing louder and louder. I stiffened, stuffed the note in my pocket, thinking to read it later when I was alone, and buried my head so deeply inside my locker that whoever it was would surely pass me by without trying to begin a conversation. I wasn't ready to face anyone. Might not ever be ready.

But then the footsteps stopped. By me. Damn it! No reprieve for me today or any other day, it seemed.

"I'm sorry."

My fingers clenched on the door, and my teeth gnashed together. Lexis. I didn't face her, but busied myself with straightening the clothes and weapons I had stashed inside. She was lucky I didn't use one of them on her. "That doesn't change what you did."