A knock at the door stole her away from her thoughts. It was Cam. She’d forgotten he was coming, otherwise she wouldn’t have changed out of her clothes into lounge pants and a tank top. At this point, though, it was too late to do anything about being in her pajamas.
When she opened the door, he wasn’t quite his normal, carefree self. His hair was a bit more disheveled than was typical and his blue eyes looked tired. When he entered, the weight of his mood fell over them. This melancholy side of Cam wasn’t something she was used to.
She greeted him with a sympathetic smile. “Hey. How are you?”
“I’m all right. I’m just glad it’s over and Chloe’s home safe.”
“How did it go at the hospital?” Jade asked, leading him into the living area. He plopped down on her sofa and she sunk in next to him, tucking her legs beneath her and turning sideways to face him.
“It wasn’t as bad as I thought. Like I told you on the phone, she just got a couple of stitches, and there’s no permanent damage. She keeps assuring me that she feels perfectly fine. But that’s what worries me the most. Would she know if something was wrong with her? At least on this one I have the doctor backing it up.”
“I’m glad she’s all right,” Jade said. “That girl has the worst luck.”
“I don’t know how much of it is luck.”
“I’ll call her tomorrow and see how she’s doing—unless you think she needs to rest for a few days.”
“I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to her.” Cam took a deep breath and as he released it, Jade felt the negative feelings ebb away. The mood lifted and morphed into something new.
“So.” He tossed his arm over the back of the sofa and rested his head on his shoulder. “How are you doing? I really hate that this whole ordeal happened right when we first got back. You and I haven’t even had a chance to catch up. How was your week, Jade?”
“Pretty uneventful. It’s weird, now that school’s over and I don’t have homework anymore, how much free time I have. It was pretty dull here without you guys.”
“I wish you could’ve come with us. Ocean Beach was awesome. But it didn’t keep me from missing you.” He picked up her hand and linked their fingers together.
“I missed you too, Cam.” She looked down at their hands. She meant the words, but not in the way he must think, and she couldn’t bear to look him in the eye.
He was silent for a moment, and when she looked up, the intensity of his gaze arrested her. He leaned in and before she could think what to do, his lips touched hers, softly, tenderly. She yielded to him for a moment before breaking the contact.
The thought of hurting him was too painful to consider, so she turned her head into his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him in a conciliatory embrace. His arms followed suit around her, and when his lips found the spot behind her ear, she realized he had misinterpreted her intentions.
He ran his fingers through her hair to the base of her neck where his hand cradled her head gently. His warm breath grazed her ear, and his lips trailed down her neck. Her head began to swim, and not the way it had earlier that day. Goose bumps of pleasure trailed over her skin, but every alarm in her head was going off.
“Cam, wait.” She pulled away. “I need to talk to you.”
“What is it?”
Jade sighed, knowing the time had finally come, and wishing there were some way to avoid what she had to do. She looked down at her lap while trying to come up with the right words.
“The thing is… about our relationship… it’s just that I don’t feel the same way about you that you feel about me.”
“Jade,” Cam said, his voice low and throaty, “I know that’s not true. I can feel the heat between us, the way you respond when I kiss you. Why are you denying it? I know you feel the same.”
She looked up at him, wondering how to explain, but as their eyes locked, a surge of intense passion overtook her, making her dizzy, and before she could regain her composure, his lips had found hers again. For a moment she wondered if she was going to black out, but then the blur focused and her mind cleared until all thoughts merged to one singular thing: Cam. There was nothing else in the world, no other thoughts or emotions.
His lips were like fire on hers, heating her skin wherever they lingered. He kissed her mouth, her jaw, her neck, her mouth again. Needing more, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled herself closer until she was in his lap. His arms encircled her waist, cinching him to her like a permanent fixture. She kissed him back, her lips thirsting, seeking, tasting his mouth. She kissed him like there was no one else in the world.
When she came up for air, her heart was racing so fast she thought it would leap out of her. She was pressed against him so tightly it must be drumming that rhythm into his own chest. His lips were on her ear again, tracing the arc up and down, and his fingers entwining in her hair. She sucked in a deep breath, feeling everything, thinking nothing.
“Jade,” he murmured softly in her ear. It was a declaration of devotion, not entreating a reply. But at that word, his voice broke the spell over her, sending her back into reality.
She pulled back, wide-eyed and gasping, fighting the strong feelings that still threatened to suck her in like a black hole. She needed distance. Untangling herself, she moved to the edge of the sofa.
“See what I mean?” Cam grinned as in triumph at her loss for words. “There’s no denying… that. The chemistry between us is intoxicating.” That description was more true than he knew. She was completely out of her senses when she was around him.
“Cam, you do make me feel amazing,” she muttered. “But the problem is, it’s not real.” He looked confused and ready to protest her statement, so she continued before he had a chance to speak. “I have something really important to tell you. It’s very personal, and it would make it easier on me if you could just listen for a bit and not interrupt.”
He held her gaze, but didn’t answer.
She took a deep breath. Where to begin?
“You know how you and Chloe have these… special traits that make you different from other people? Your déjà vu and her lack of pain?”
He nodded.
“Well, I have my own… ability… glitch… whatever you want to call it.”
“You do?” He brightened with obvious interest. “Did you have some sort of accident, too? What’s your ability?”
“‘Handicap’ seems a little more accurate, actually. And no, I didn’t have any accident. I’ve been this way since birth. I’m sort of… empathic, I guess. I’m constantly influenced by the emotions of the people around me.”
“Wow, that’s really… weird. So you’ve had this ability the whole time and never told me about it? That’s quite a secret. Not that you owe me an explanation or anything. I just hope you weren’t holding back because you were afraid of how I might take the news. I mean, with my history I’m pretty used to weirdness.”
“So it doesn’t freak you out?”
“Of course not.”
“You sure you aren’t in shock?” Was it really that easy to tell Cam?
“Nah. It takes a lot to shock me. That ability sounds a little annoying at times but also kind of cool. Man, if I knew what people around me were feeling, it would be really helpful. Dealing with my sister, for one thing. You were acting like you had some huge confession to make. But I’m totally cool with this side of you. So what’s the problem?”
Jade sighed. Telling him was more difficult than she’d anticipated, but in a different way. Apparently he didn’t grasp the significance this little fact had on their entire relationship… and every moment she’d ever been with him.
“The problem is, I can’t experience my own feelings when I’m around other people. Everything you feel, I feel. Sometimes it’s confusing. And overwhelming.” She cleared her throat. “Especially when we’re alone.” Her face grew hot as she remembered how close they’d been only moments earlier. “I can’t find my own feelings when
I’m around you, instead I only feel what you’re feeling. I’m just along for the ride.”
Cam was silent for a moment, and his mood sank as the revelation of her words finally set in.
“Just along for the ride, huh? That’s pretty harsh.”
“Cam, listen. Ever since the moment we first met, I knew I wanted to be friends with you. That doesn’t change when we’re apart and it never will. You mean a great deal to me. I haven’t regretted our friendship for a minute.” She waited; hoping, praying he wouldn’t be mad at her.
“So, friends is cool, but beyond that… what? You feel nothing? Is that what you’re trying to say?”
“Even if I did, I’d still have to figure out how to handle a relationship with my… issue.”
“I see.” He wasn’t angry with her, but his emotions were muddled with hurt, confusion, bitterness, and regret. “Does this have anything to do with that professor?” He narrowed his eyes. “Logan?”
The mention of his name startled Jade. It wasn’t anything she’d wanted to bring into this conversation. “No. This isn’t about him. It’s about you and me. Mostly me. I need to apologize. I’m sorry I waited so long to tell you about my secret. This whole thing is my fault, and I feel horrible about it.”
His silence hit her harder than any emotion she’d ever felt from him.
“I hope you can forgive me.”
Under her gaze, he averted his eyes and cleared his throat. “Yeah, sure. It’s no big deal.” She could tell he was forcing his tone to be casual. “Well, I need to get going.”
She wasn’t ready for him to go yet. She wanted to talk and laugh and hang out with her good friend. What if she’d lost all of that? If she had, there was nothing she could do now. The least she could give him was the respect of a decent exit. “All right, sure.”
“I’ll talk to you later, Jade.” He wouldn’t meet her eyes.
Even after he was gone, the memory of his hurt and disappointment burned like acid inside her.
God, take this torment away from me! she begged. Please, make me normal. Please take this burden from my mind. I can’t live like this any longer!
The grief she felt for Cam made her heart ache. Tears streamed down her face as she dragged herself to the bedroom and flung herself onto the bed.
~
The caverns sprawled for several miles underground. Dimly lit in the public areas and deep black in the tunnels and crevices closed to the public, the cave was Ethan’s paradise. Why hadn’t he discovered it earlier? It was a place where his abilities would not only be on par with those around him, but where he was vastly superior.
Apart from the well-lit areas of the underground cafeteria and public restrooms, he retained some level of vision in the entire cave. When he traveled to the prohibited areas of utter darkness, his sight was flawless. The irony of the fact that an unlit tunnel with a rusty gate and an off-limits sign was enough to keep wandering tourists out caused him to smirk in disdain. People were so weak.
For several days Ethan explored the caves, primarily the uncharted areas. When his trek deep into the unknown realms led him to a serendipitous discovery of an unpopulated series of chambers, he took his backpack of essentials and stowed it there. At night, when the cave was closed down and all lights were turned off, he used the facilities and snuck food from the cafeteria.
Settled in at his new residence, all he had to do was wait for his guests to arrive.
Jade barely had a chance to worry about the status of her friendships with the Schuylers before Chloe had texted her three times. Chloe had heard about the breakup and about Jade’s ability.
“How are you feeling?” Jade asked when Chloe came over after work the next day.
Other than the small piece of tape across her left cheekbone, Chloe appeared completely normal. “Oh, I’m fine. Hopefully it won’t leave a scar, otherwise I’m going to start looking all banged up.” Chloe’s mood was cheery and her tone was as light as ever.
Jade shook her head. “You sure are tough.”
“You’d be the same way if you couldn’t feel pain.”
Jade very much doubted it. Chloe was like a rock, refusing to surrender her happiness to anyone or any situation.
“So… you aren’t mad at me?”
“Mad? Why would I be mad at you?”
“You know, about Cam. I feel really horrible about it.”
“Don’t,” Chloe said. “It didn’t work out between you two. I get that. Some people are meant to be together and some aren’t. I love my brother, of course, but I don’t blame you. You did what you had to do.”
“How’s he taking it?”
“Oh, he’ll be fine, in time. I think his pride was wounded more than anything. He’s not used to girls turning him down. He’s spoiled, if you ask me.”
“I’m glad he’s recovering.”
“Yeah, he’ll be fine. So, are you still up for this weekend?” Jade felt Chloe’s excitement rise. “Carlsbad, remember? You said you’d come.”
“You’re still going?”
“Heck yes. This is our last chance before Josh and I go back to school. So did your boss let you off work?”
“I haven’t asked yet.”
“Why not?”
“Well, um… I don’t know… ” She studied Chloe’s face, carefully choosing her words. “I’m not sure about going. I think things with Cam could be a little… awkward.”
“It doesn’t matter that you guys aren’t together anymore. I want you to come.”
“I know. But…”
“Jade, you mean a lot to Cam,” Chloe said, turning serious. “You hurt his feelings—big deal. The point is, he’ll get over it. If he knows what’s best for him, he won’t let this ruin your friendship.”
“It might be too late for that.”
“Give him time. But come with us so I’ll have someone to hang out with. You won’t be alone with him. The guys are doing the expedition where you have to belly-crawl through muddy tunnels. You’ll barely see him.”
Jade doubted that.
“Come on, Jade. I don’t have the stomach for the hard-core stuff. I’m way too claustrophobic. Don’t let me be stuck by myself. Please?”
Way to lay on the guilt trip. “Oh, all right,” Jade said. “I’ll ask about getting Friday off.”
“Yay!” Chloe beamed at Jade.
Those Schuylers and their powers of persuasion.
~
At Carlsbad Caverns, Jade was thankful when Cam and Josh took the elevator down into the heart of the cave for the ranger-guided tour, leaving her and Chloe to explore on their own. The car ride had been awkward, with Cam unusually but understandably quiet.
“Wow, this is so cool!” Chloe said when they approached the large, arced amphitheater that encircled the cave’s natural entrance. “I wonder what this is for.”
“I read something about a bat-flight watch on the brochure,” Jade said. “I think it begins at nightfall.”
As they crossed the empty amphitheater, Jade peered over the low rock wall, searching for the cave below. A wide, paved trail wove back and forth on itself, easing down the steep descent into the mouth of a great oval in the rock that opened below them. Either Chloe’s or her own excitement grew as they began the first few paces that would lead them down into the depths of the cavern.
Jade and Chloe covered possibly half a mile of the sprawling trails inside the caverns. Huge and open, the expanse of the Big Room was breathtaking—a large building would fit inside. It amazed Jade that anything like this could exist underground.
In no rush, they took their time snapping plenty of pictures on their phones and discussing the shapes that decorated the cave’s interior. Jade was enjoying herself in Chloe’s easygoing company. She felt vivacious and happy, a projection of her friend’s attitude, but something that, in this case, she chose to embrace as her own. For once she was thankful for the distance from her own guilt-laden feelings regarding Cam.
“Look at that stalag
mite.” Chloe pointed to a tall formation. “Doesn’t it look like Cam?”
Jade studied the shape, confused at first, but then as she saw a likeness, she chuckled. The wide, stocky form and the exaggerated ‘head’ on top resembled Cam only if he were looking in a fun-house mirror.
“And that one,” Chloe said, pointing at another. “It’s totally Josh’s profile. Look, there’s his sharp jawline and that ridge is just like his serious eyebrows pulled down over his face.”
Picturing Josh’s typically somber mood, Jade grinned. She could see it. “This must be the Schuyler Hall then.”
“Hmm… In that case, which one is me?” Chloe said. The girls began to search for likenesses of themselves, their parents, and professors in the formations. After a while, hunger took over, and they decided to stop for lunch.
“What time is it, anyway?” Chloe asked.
Jade reached into her pocket to check her cell phone. The low-battery warning had been nagging at her for the last hour, every time she took a picture. When she pulled it out, it shut down in her hand.
“Aw, crap. Guess I’ve been taking too many pictures.”
“It’s okay, let me check mine,” Chloe said. “Nearly twelve-thirty.”
“Were we going to meet the guys for lunch? What time were they supposed to be done with their tour?”
“I’m not sure. Cam was going to call me when they got finished. I guess I could call him and see if they’re getting close.” Chloe dialed the number but frowned at the phone’s lack of response. “Great,” she muttered. “I have absolutely no reception. It won’t even dial.”
“Well, that makes sense,” Jade said. “We’re about eight hundred feet underground.”
Chloe groaned. “Why didn’t I think of this earlier? How will we know where or when to meet them?”
“We could find the information center and ask someone for help. Surely they’d have an idea of what time the tour usually ends.”
Empath: The Flawed Series Book One Page 18