Ultraviolet Catastrophe

by Jamie Grey

  There was a shocked gasp, and then my dad’s murderous voice. “Alexa Kepler, what the hell are you doing in here?”

  Asher and I sprang apart. I could feel my cheeks blazing, and I stared at the floor, the walls, anywhere but my dad’s furious face.

  “It was my fault, Dr. Kepler,” Asher said. “I wanted to be alone with Lexie, and this was the only unlocked office.”

  Dr. Danvers shook her head. “That’s impossible. Security sealed it.” Her eyes narrowed. “What did you do, Rosen?”

  “Me?” He blinked innocently at her and adjusted his jacket. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Both of you need to get back to the party. Now,” Dad growled. “And, Alexa, we will be talking about this later.”

  I hung my head and shuffled out of the room, Asher right behind me. My dad slammed the door behind us.

  Asher grinned like the Cheshire cat. “Guess it worked. They didn’t even question why we were in there.”

  I blinked a few times. My head still felt kind of swimmy from that kiss, but I should’ve realized he’d only done it to save us, to give us an excuse for being in there. I forced a laugh. “Good one. Totally fooled them.”

  “Let’s get back to the ballroom. We need to get everyone together and tell them what we heard. Branston wants to take over QT. I didn’t even think something like that was possible.” He shook his head and set off at a sprint.

  I didn’t bother to try to keep up. My knees weren’t steady enough for that sort of speed yet, and my pulse still raced faster than I thought possible.

  Asher stopped at the doors and waited for me. “You okay, Lexicon?”

  Pull it together, Kepler.

  I nodded and pushed past him into the crowded room. “Just need a drink.”

  He peered at me for a minute, concerned. “There’s a chair over there. I’ll go grab a soda for you and be right back.”

  I sank down into one of the chairs against the wall and watched him push through the crowds. People laughed and greeted him, and he’d switched back into actor Asher mode. Hell, he might even be more charming than usual if that was even possible.

  Amy must have been watching for him because she appeared a moment later and gripped his arm like a lifeline. A surge of jealousy shot through me. The kiss hadn’t meant anything. I had to let it go. Asher and I were better off just staying friends.

  Across the room, I spotted Max and Zella entering together. She had her head tilted close to his to hear better, her face glowing with happiness. There was another situation I couldn’t read. Zella obviously liked him, so why didn’t she just tell him? The music started up again, and Zella grabbed Max’s arm, tugging him toward the dance floor. He shook his head, but she kept tugging and finally he smiled and followed her.

  I frowned at them. Maybe I understood Zella better than I thought. I wasn’t really having much success with accepting my own feelings about Asher. It was freaking terrifying.

  At the drink table, Amy had draped herself all over Asher, but he shrugged out of her reach and nodded at one of the other guys standing nearby. He looked like he was our age, but I didn’t recognize him — probably in a different level. The guy’s eyes widened, and he nodded enthusiastically before holding out his hand.

  Amy pouted at Asher, but he shook his head. Finally, she grabbed the other guy’s arm, her hips swaying as she headed for the dance floor. She glanced back at Asher to make sure he was watching the show, but he’d already picked up two cans of soda and was headed back toward me.

  Amy stared at me from across the room. Her eyes narrowed before her partner spun her away into the crowd. I felt my skin crawl at the raw hatred in her expression.

  “Amy looked pretty pissed you abandoned her,” I said casually, taking the can from Asher as he sat down beside me.

  “I’m more worried about what’s going on here. Not really in the mood to dance with her.”

  I chewed my lip. The image of Asher and me twirling to the music, the feel of his hands on my hips as we danced popped into my head before I could stop myself. And there I went again. So much for my promise to not think about him like that. “So, um, what are you in the mood for then?”

  The corner of his mouth twitched. “What are you offering?”

  “Uh-uh. I’m not crossing that line. Amy already hates me enough as it is.”

  “What we do together is none of her business.” His slow smile made my knees weak, but I pushed it away.

  “Really? That’s why she’s spending the night at your house and bragging about you guys getting back together? I’m getting seriously mixed signals here. If you’re not interested, just tell me and put me out of my misery already.”

  Oh my god, had I really just said that? I clapped my hand to my mouth and bolted to my feet, turning away before he could see my beet-red face.

  Asher grabbed my hand before I could run away and forced me to turn and face him. “Misery, huh?”

  I tried to tug my hand free, but he held it tighter. I stared down at the tips of my shoes poking out from beneath my dress. I couldn’t stand to see the gloating in his eyes. It was bad enough to hear it in his voice, for him to know I’d been stupid enough to fall for him. Because I had. As hard as I thought I’d been fighting it, it had been a losing battle from day one.

  “Lexie, look at me.”

  I shook my head and stared past him. Across the room, I spotted Jordan dancing with another scientist. Which meant Dad and Dr. Danvers were still in Avery’s office. Maybe if I caught the shuttle home, I could escape the dreaded discussion with him.

  Asher put his hands on my shoulders and forced me to face him. “Amy and I aren’t together. We haven’t been since last year. We’re just friends.”

  I finally met his gaze, hating that I sounded almost jealous. “Then why all the kissing and hanging out and whatever?”

  “I told you. I’ve been helping her with her homework. And we haven’t kissed, Lexie. She knows we’re over.”

  My eyes flicked to Amy, still gyrating on the dance floor. “I don’t think she does.”

  Asher followed my gaze. “Not for lack of me trying. Honestly, I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Especially you.”

  He looked sincere and I wanted more than anything to believe him, but what about all the other girls he’d dated? Was I going to turn into another Amy, desperate to hold on to him after he’d moved on to the next shiny new thing?

  The bars of a slow song filled the room, and Asher’s grin turned suggestive as he held out a hand. “Dance with me?”

  It was all I could do not to jump into his arms, despite my misgivings. I tugged at the bodice of my suddenly-too-hot dress. “I’m not much of a dancer.”

  “Me either. But somehow I don’t think anyone will mind.” Asher led me out onto the dance floor. His hands snaked around my waist and pulled me against him, and I awkwardly placed mine on his shoulders. What the hell was wrong with me? I’d danced with guys before. But none of them had Asher’s sparkling blue eyes or the dimple in his cheek.

  “Relax. I’m not going to bite,” he whispered in my ear. His breath was hot and moist against my skin, and I shivered.

  Couples moved slowly around us. I tried to focus on them instead of on the way my fingers ached to touch his hair or how my pulse threatened to turn into a drumbeat. Slowly, I relaxed into the feeling of having his arms around me. I looked up to find him watching me with a crooked smile that made my skin erupt into flames.

  “How many broken hearts did you leave back in Ohio?” he asked.

  “Not nearly as many as you’d think.” I tried to keep it light, to hide how much just being this close to him made me feel. I couldn’t push away my feelings for him anymore, but did I really want to cross that line right now? I swallowed as he arched a perfect eyebrow at me. Most definitely yes.

  “The guys at school didn’t usually choose brains over beauty,” I added.

  “Then they’re idiots. Especially since you have both.”


  He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers leaving a trail of heat against my skin.

  I let out a shaky breath. “Can I ask you something?”

  He nodded. “Anything.”

  “Why me? You could have any girl here. You probably have. So why do you keep doing this? Why do you care if I like you or not?”

  Three bars of music played before he answered, staring into my eyes. The spotlights above us shifted his eye color from blue to turquoise to twilight. “Because you’re different. And because no matter what you think, you’re special. I know you’re suspicious of me and my past, but I promise, most of it isn’t true.” For the first time since we’d met, his smile was unsure. “Let me prove it to you? On a real date? We’ll go somewhere quiet, just the two of us, and talk.”

  I wanted to believe him, more than anything else I’d ever wanted. Finally, I nodded. “All right.”

  “Yes!” He grabbed me around the waist and swung me in a circle.

  I giggled and struggled in his arms. “Put me down! People are watching us,” I hissed, though I would have stayed like that the rest of the night.

  “If I must.” He let me down slowly, our chests pressed together.

  The beat of the music changed to something fast, and he slid a hand to my lower back and lowered me into a dip.

  His lips were millimeters from mine, his breath caressing my face as he whispered, “But I have a feeling they’re going to be doing more than watching us by the end of the night. They’re going to be talking about us.”

  The smell of coffee woke me the next morning, and I padded out into the kitchen. Dad lounged on the couch with his tablet, and he glanced up as I entered.

  “There’s plenty left in the pot for you.” His gaze was appraising, and I wondered how many people had been gossiping about me and Asher last night. Especially after it got around that we’d been found together in Avery’s office. I had a feeling it was Asher who’d let that little fact slip.

  I poured myself a cup, cradling it in my hands as I sank into one of the armchairs.

  Dad raised an eyebrow at me. “Do I even need to ask if you had fun last night?”

  Heat flooded my face, and I stared down into my mug. I so did not want to have this conversation with him. “Dad, we were just…”

  “I know what you were doing.”

  My head snapped up. He couldn’t. It wasn’t possible. Asher said he’d been careful with the scan of Avery’s files.

  “I know you like the boy, but he’s bad news. Don’t get involved with Asher, Lex. No matter how attractive you think he is. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “Dad, it’s not what it looks like.” I wanted nothing more than to spill everything. He was an assistant director; he’d be able to help us figure out what was going on. Maybe even stop it. But Asher and the others had agreed to wait. I couldn’t break their trust.

  “Lex, I was a teenager, too. I know what you two were doing. And where it might have gone if we hadn’t stumbled in on you. Promise me it won’t happen again. Promise you’ll be careful.”

  I nodded, though the smart-ass part of me wanted to ask if he was being careful himself. The way Jordan had been hanging all over him last night had led to his own brand of gossip snaking through the dance floor.

  Dad sighed. “Since you were…busy during Dr. Danvers’ speech, did you hear the news?”

  “What news?”

  “I’m taking over as head of Project Infinity.”

  I stared at him in shock. How could I have been so distracted by Asher that I’d missed news like that? “What? That’s fantastic, Dad!”

  He tried to keep his expression modest, but it turned into a full grin. “It was unexpected. I thought Seth would get it since he was Avery’s right hand man.” He took a sip of coffee and shook his head. “It’s going to be a crazy couple of weeks though. We’re going ahead with the first test on Friday, and I still need to catch up on Avery’s notes. The guy was so disorganized I don’t know how he found anything.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do great, Dad. You’re smarter than anyone else at QT.”

  “I’m not sure about that, but I’m honored to be in charge. I just wish I had more time to go through Avery’s plans. I hate feeling out of the loop.”

  So did I. And as far as I knew, Asher hadn’t found any clues last night on Avery’s computer. It was up to me. “Have you heard anything else about the investigation into Avery’s murder?”

  Dad’s lips thinned. “You know I can’t talk about that, Lexie. It’s classified.”

  “Come on, Dad. Who am I going to tell? It’s not like I have friends.”

  “Asher’s not a friend, then?” He sounded almost snarky before he glanced down at his coffee. “This doesn’t leave the room. Understood?”

  I nodded.

  “The autopsy came back yesterday. Avery was injected with some sort of fast-acting toxin. The scientists have never seen anything like it before. They’re still trying to figure out who had a motive, but the guy wasn’t exactly popular. The only thing we know is it had to be someone with Division Seven access or higher. They’re interviewing everyone with clearance.” He stared out the window, and I knew he was wondering which of his colleagues had committed murder. And if there were other targets who might be next.

  I clutched the arm of the chair, remembering Grant’s serum. Branston was involved. I knew it. I’d hid the brochure I’d found in Avery’s office in my nightstand, but its presence felt like a weight on my shoulders.

  We were running out of time. Branston had already found me once. What if Dad was their next target now that he was in charge? “I’m sure they’ll find whoever did it soon.”

  He got to his feet. “I hope so, Lex. Because until they do, QT isn’t going to be a fun place to work.”

  Dad was right. Starting Monday, new security protocols were implemented at QT. We had to go through two full body scans, and our bags were searched both on entry and exit of the building. Divisions were locked down and security revoked for non-essential personnel. It took an extra fifteen minutes just to get into the building in the morning, and I was glad I didn’t have normal classes or even a specific schedule. As it was, Max, Zella, and Amy were working off-site, Asher was locked in the lab, and I spent most of the time in the library trying to figure out how Avery’s calculations fit in with the ultraviolet catastrophe information I’d already researched.

  People still whispered about Avery’s murder, but most of the project members were too busy getting the first test ready to have time to hang around gossiping. Dad slept at the lab a few times that week, leaving me to take the shuttle back and forth and generally fend for myself. It worked out well since Asher wanted to get us all together to go over the scan of Avery’s computer on Wednesday.

  I got to Coco’s before everyone else and had a seat at the bar while I waited.

  “So what’ll it be?” she asked. “I make a mean pumpkin spice latte.”

  “That sounds perfect.” I stifled a yawn and watched her brew the espresso.

  “You meeting someone or just getting some studying done?” Coco asked over her shoulder.

  “Meeting Asher and the gang.”

  She nodded. “Looks like you’re fitting in here just fine, huh?”

  I gave her a secret smile. Asher had asked me out, and Max and Zella were being friendly. Things were starting to look up.

  Coco laughed. “I know that look. ‘Atta girl. Asher’s a great guy.”

  The bell on the door jangled, and everyone walked in together. “Hey, guys.” I slid off my stool.

  Asher slung an arm around my neck and held me in a headlock for a second. “Did your dad give you a hard time about finding us Friday night?”

  I couldn’t stop my grin. “It could have been worse. He just warned me you weren’t trustworthy and I should be careful.”

  “Smart man.” Asher let me go as we headed toward a round table in the back of the restaurant.
/>   I tried to ignore Amy’s glares as I slid into the chair beside Asher. She, of course, sat on his other side.

  “Guess he’ll just have to get used to me being around, huh?” Asher bumped his shoulder into mine.

  “Guess so. We still on for dinner Friday night?” I tried to be casual about it, to hide the kick of my heart at the thought of going on an actual date.

  “I’m not letting you out of it now. I’ve never worked this hard for anything.”

  My smile was a little bigger than it needed to be as I turned to Zella on my other side. “Hey, I like that sweater. That color green is gorgeous on you.”

  She blinked at me. “Thanks.”

  “Yeah, Lexie’s right,” Max said, tilting his head as if noticing for the first time.

  Zella let out an uncomfortable giggle. “I’ve had it forever.”

  “Well, I like it.” They smiled shyly at each other, and I stared down into my latte, trying not to giggle myself.

  Beside me, Asher took a deep breath. “So I finished running the analysis on Avery’s files.”

  Amy leaned forward and put her hand on his arm. “What did you find?”

  He slid his hand away from hers, and a hurt expression flashed across her face. “Nothing. It was wiped before we even got there. His whole system was just too clean.”

  I shook my head. “What does that mean?”

  “There was a back door into Avery’s files. Someone used it to erase the incriminating ones. He was up to something, and either his killer knew it and wanted that information or someone else is covering for him.”

  We all stared at each other in silence, and suddenly, it felt real. My skin crawled. A man was dead, and someone we might know had killed him. But why? What was it they wanted?

  Amy stretched out a hand to touch Asher’s arm but paused. “Ash, the first test is Friday. If someone is targeting scientists or trying to sabotage the project, we need to tell them or we’ll put everyone at risk.”

  He jumped to his feet to pace in front of the table. Coco looked up from where she was cleaning the bar, but Asher waved her back. “Give me the rest of the week. If we don’t make some sort of progress by then, we’ll tell someone. Please.” His voice sounded desperate, and my skin pricked with unease wondering what else Asher wasn’t telling us.