Bang on the windows. Get Jack to look up at you.
I stepped toward Jack and the clone—but it was too late. Jack leaned in and kissed her, and I hadn’t done enough to stop it.
Their lips touched once, then two times. I could see him press harder, increasing the intensity of the kiss.
Jonas banged on the windows. Jack broke contact with the girl and looked up. The color of fresh blood was smeared across his lips.
I watched as realization dawned on him—probably with a few mindspoken words from Jonas. His smile faded, and his eyes darted around the courtyard.
I wanted to run, but I knew I couldn’t. I had to face this clone and find out who she was, how she got the tracker. Would our troubles with rogue clones ever end?
At last I stepped out from behind the boxwoods and took a few steps toward the clone and Jack.
Jack saw me, then turned back to the clone. “Who are you?”
Instead of answering, she smiled. Not the sweet smile from earlier, but a knowing grin that screamed victory. She pushed past Jack and walked toward me, tugging on the lacy sleeves of her dress as she did so. The passionate kiss had dulled her lipstick a bit. When she reached me, she bowed her head, gathered a section of her dress, and curtsied. “Hello, Lexi. It’s so nice to finally meet the princess of clones.”
“You know who I am?” I already hated this girl.
“Of course I do. You’re my long-lost sister clone. Sandra swears we’ll get along famously, but I’m here to promise you… I have no intention of becoming your friend, let alone your sister.”
“You have a tracker at the base of your skull. Who put that there?”
Her smile faltered. “How did you… Oh, right. You can see inside our brains.”
“She has a tracker?” Jonas now stood behind me, and Briana hovered a short distance behind him. “Are you being controlled? Did someone lead you here?”
“Don’t be so dramatic. No one forced me to come here. I volunteered. As far as who put the tracker inside my head…?” She turned to me. “You should ask your mother.”
I gasped, and my spine tightened.
Jack reached out and grabbed the girl’s arm. “Why are you here? And what the hell was that?”
She batted her eyes at him. “That… was ‘Hello,’” she said in a low, sexy purr. Then with a wink, she patted his cheek. “Don’t worry, sweetie. You’ll be seeing a lot more of me. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” With another small curtsy, she turned and exited the courtyard.
A Lincoln Town Car I hadn’t noticed before was at the turnabout waiting for her. We all watched wordlessly as a man opened the back door for her, she disappeared inside, and they drove off.
Chapter Four
We watched the Town Car drive toward the gated entrance of Wellington. By the time the brake lights faded and the car pulled away from the school, Jack, Jonas, Briana, and I were all facing my cloned twin’s grand exit.
I stretched my fingers out straight before curling them into tight fists.
“Someone tell me what the hell just happened,” Jack finally said.
I couldn’t look at him. I squeezed my eyes shut. As I did, I was reminded of two things: Jack kissing another girl—my twin clone, a “gift” from Sandra—and the thumb drive that I’d received from Sandra earlier that day.
This had been Sandra letting me know that her note was no bluff.
“Apparently, there are two of each of us. Well… there were two of each of us.” Jonas’s voice was quiet. He stood right behind me.
My eyes snapped open, and I turned to face him. “Did you know about her? That clone of me?”
Jonas just stared at me, pinned by my glare.
“You did know.” This is what Sandra meant when she claimed you could give me the password. That clone was the second part of my gift.
I knew a second clone of Sandra existed, Jonas mindspoke back, but that doesn’t mean I purposely hid her identity from you. You keep distancing yourself from everyone around you, Lexi. Keep picking fights. Eventually, you’ll push us all away.
Jonas turned to Bree as if his conversation with me was over. “Bree, how about we finish that dance?”
She nodded, and he reached out and grabbed her hand. But before they walked away, he looked at me again. The wide look in his eyes demanded my attention. “Just because we managed to run Sandra out of town doesn’t mean she’s gone from our lives,” he said. “Obviously she’s finding ways back in, and she’s seeing to it that we’re all at odds. This battle we’re in isn’t over, and we’re all going to need each other.”
Golden specks flickered like fire in the dark amber of his eyes. If you need to break up with Jack, then do it. But stop pushing him and the rest of us away under the guise of mistrust. It’s not us that you mistrust. We’re just the ones within reach. He and Bree walked off, hand in hand, back toward a party that was supposed to be a new beginning for all of us.
Jonas was right. I didn’t want to push Jack away, but Sandra gave me no choice. She’d always get to us. And I knew she meant what she’d said.
Wait, Jonas. I need the password to the thumb drive.
I’ll meet you later.
I practically growled when he brushed me off. Nothing was ever urgent with him. And he knew I wouldn’t come after him right now, since Jack still didn’t know the thumb drive existed, and I didn’t want Jonas with me when I pulled up the files Sandra had sent. Sandra wouldn’t have sent anything unless she had a plan to hurt one of us. And I wouldn’t let Sandra hurt anyone else I loved.
“Why’d you do it?” Jack’s voice was low, barely loud enough to be heard above the wind and the music from the party. “Why’d you let me kiss her?”
I swallowed hard. There was so much more going on here than that kiss, although Jack’s lips on that clone of me would haunt me forever. “I don’t know. I guess I wanted to see if you would know it wasn’t me.” I raised my fingers and wiped the cherry red from his lips.
He backed away from my reach and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “You were testing me?” He asked it as if it was the most absurd thing he’d ever heard, because it probably was. What sane girl would let another girl kiss her boyfriend? “You wondered if my love for you was great enough to know the difference between your warm, tender lips and the lips of a cold, cloned replica?” To drive his point home, he ran a thumb lightly across my lower lip.
When he put it like that, additional guilt moved in where jealousy had settled minutes earlier.
His fingers brushed down my arm, then wrapped around my forearm and took hold. He tugged me closer, forcing my eyes to meet his. “I guess you’ll never really know the answer now, will you?”
The slow burn of his gaze was much different from the short fuse I saw in Jonas’s eyes. “I tried to stop it,” I whispered.
“I don’t think you did. I think this is just you picking a fight. What I haven’t figured out is, why?”
“You’re insane.” I brought my other hand up and tried to push away from him, but he snaked his arm around my body until it pushed into the small of my back, holding me tightly against him.
“Let me go.” I struggled against him. His closeness sucked the breath out of me.
He stared down into my eyes. I knew if he looked deeply enough he’d see the ugliness churning there: the hate and revenge that were manipulating my thoughts and actions. He’d see the many ways I dreamt of hurting Sandra Whitmeyer each night as I lay awake in bed.
“I loved you the minute I discovered you on this campus,” Jack said. “You were larger than life. I didn’t know at that time if you were like me in any way. I didn’t know you were cloned from another, but I knew I had to find out. I was drawn to you. There was no escape.”
“And tonight? Were you drawn to our newest cloned ‘friend’ the same way?” I regretted the words the moment they left my mouth.
He loosened his grip on me, allowing me to back away a step. I immediately felt the chill as his heat left me. �
�Let me ask you this,” he said. “Are you attracted to Lin?”
I pictured Lin, Jack’s identical twin clone. He was gentle, like Jack, but unsure of himself, a trait I didn’t learn about until I got to know him a little. Even though he lacked Jack’s confidence, the similarities between them were uncanny, yet I was in no way attracted to him.
Jack didn’t wait for my answer. “And what about Jonas? Are you going to stand there and tell me you’ve never felt the least bit attracted to him?”
I looked away. I wanted to deny the pull I’d felt toward Jonas, a desire I didn’t understand and one I tried to ignore time and time again. But I didn’t love Jonas. “This isn’t helping. None of this matters right now. What matters is that, according to the newest freak in our lives, my mom knows about her. And she has a tracker at the base of her skull.” It didn’t make sense.
What also mattered—what had always mattered—was that my best friend was dead. My father was dead. And the woman I held responsible was now sending me cryptic messages, including a clone twin with a tracker in her brain.
I hugged myself tighter, trying to hide the fact that I was shaking in my thin ball gown. I would not let Jack see the vile need to strike back at Sandra within me.
Jack crooked a finger under my chin and angled my face toward him. “This is just one more puzzle piece. We’ll find a fit for it.” He sounded so sure. So in control.
“I don’t want to fight with you,” I whispered.
“We’re not fighting. We’re just getting to know each other better.”
“Is that what you call it?”
“It’s better than what we’ve done the last two weeks.” He leaned in and kissed my temple, and instead of pulling away, I let him. I relaxed in his arms. I wanted to tell him how much I’d missed him. I wished his warm touch could be enough to thaw the coldness that settled in with every contact Sandra had with me.
But instead I did exactly what Sandra wanted me to do. I picked a fight that would separate us. “Jack, you knew my mom had come to town, and you kept it from me.” I leaned my forehead against his chest, then willed myself to back away and put needed distance between us.
“It’s not that simple.”
Nothing in our lives ever was. “It is that simple.” My voice rose slightly before I reined it in. “I have to know you’ll be honest with me at all times. And right now? Let’s just say, this feels awfully familiar.” I was throwing our past troubles—troubles I had long since forgiven him for—back in his face.
“That’s so unfair. I didn’t tell you about your mom because you were trapped inside The Farm. You were being held hostage, and you needed full concentration while you got away from Sandra.” Jack backed away from me and tugged at his hair in clumps. “Come on, Lex. This is ridiculous.”
“Is that supposed to be some sort of apology? Because all I’m hearing is how you decided—again—what was best for me.”
He turned away, walked a few steps, then whipped back around. “No. It’s not an apology. I’m not sorry for trying to protect you. I won’t apologize for loving you.”
The music suddenly got louder. I looked up at the window, where our classmates were dancing and having a good time.
“I know you would never intentionally hurt me,” I said. What was I saying? I had to be strong. This was for his own good.
Jack shook his head. “I would trade my own health and happiness to make sure you didn’t suffer. Hell…” He paced. “I would trade my own life to secure your safety.”
I would trade my life to keep him safe, as well. And I would start by putting distance between us.
He lifted both hands and framed my face with his hands. “Please stop the silent treatment.”
I nodded between his hands. “No more silence, but…”
“But?”
“I need time.” Jack’s brows inched closer together, and the pain in his eyes was like a scalpel to my heart as I said what I had to. “So much has happened, and I think we both could use the space.”
His cheeks fell slightly. “Space.” He nodded. “Do you realize how ridiculous this is? You don’t want to push me away. I can see it in your eyes.”
I looked down at my twitching hands in order to hide the real reason I was asking for time. “It’s what we need.”
“I don’t know why you’re talking about this horribly clichéd need for space, but fine. I’ll give you space if that’s what you need. Just don’t tell me ‘we’ need it.”
I met his intent gaze again. That had been too easy. “Great.”
“Yeah, great,” he said, though it sounded more like a frustrated “whatever.” His eyes squinted like he wanted to say something else, but hadn’t quite formed the words. But then he glanced up at the windows to the party. “Can I escort you back to the masquerade? As friends?” He held out his hand, and I wanted more than anything to take it, but that would just delay what I needed to do next.
“You go ahead. I need to find my shoes and mask. I’ll find you in a few.”
He started to walk away, but turned. His jaw was set. His shoulders rotated back like he was preparing to fight. “I’ll respect your wishes for space for now, but Lexi? Don’t think for a second that I think this has anything to do with your mom being back in town. You’re hiding something.” When I didn’t argue with him, he continued. “Don’t shut me out completely. Too much has happened. Sandra and my father are not gone.” His words echoed what Jonas said earlier.
I didn’t want them to be gone. Revenge is harder when you can’t find the enemy. I smiled and gave Jack the nod I knew he needed.
We are not over, he mindspoke.
I turned away before he saw any moisture in my eyes. I hoped he was right.
~~~~~
I stared at myself in the mirror. Unshed tears cast a redness around my eyes, and color was absent from my cheeks.
I ditched the high-heels and the mask, then traded the party dress for a pair of sweats and one of Jack’s T-shirts that I’d snagged while at his house once. Grabbing my computer, I headed to the common area down the hall from my dorm room. I sank down into the sofa, folding one leg under and sitting on my foot.
“Okay, Sandra,” I said to myself, “what have you sent me?”
I had to believe Jack would eventually forgive me for pushing him away. After I got rid of Sandra once and for all.
I pushed the thumb drive into the side of my computer and braced for what I was about to see. When prompted for a password, I typed “Maya,” the name Jonas had mentioned while lecturing me earlier.
The words “The password you have entered is incorrect” flashed across the screen.
I tried her name in all caps, in lowercase, in some caps and some lowercase. Nothing.
Ready to let me help? Jonas entered my head right on cue.
I sat up tall and listened for any sign of Jonas in the hallway. I didn’t want his help, of course. Where are you? You promised you would stay out of my head.
When have I ever kept a promise? You should learn to shut me out better, Jonas challenged.
God knows I’d tried.
Do you know the password? I asked.
Yes. Come let me inside the dorm. I’m assuming you cast some sort of spell on the security guard here, because I’ve been unable to control his mind.
I smiled. At least some of my powers worked better than Jonas’s. Why would I do that?
Because I’m not giving you the password unless I can watch the message with you. There had to be a very good reason why Sandra made sure only I could give you the password.
With a heavy sigh, I set my computer aside and went to the side door of the girls’ dormitory. After convincing the security guard to take a walk around the perimeter of the building, I let Jonas in.
When I opened the door, laughter and voices carried from the direction of the art building. We climbed back up to the second-floor common area. “Is the party breaking up?” I asked as I scooped up my computer.
�
��A little. We probably should find a more private place to watch this.”
I glanced toward my room—the room I lived in alone, now that Dani was gone. A room I avoided except to sleep. “Fine. We watch, and then you leave.”
Jonas laughed. “You scared to be alone with me, Lexi?”
“I’m tired.” I wasn’t in the mood for Jonas’s antics. And I wasn’t interested in pretending that I wasn’t heartbroken. I spun and walked to my room. Jonas followed.
Once inside, I set the computer on my desk and sat in the chair. Jonas stood behind me, looking over my shoulder. When the computer prompted me for a password, Jonas said, “Maya2.0Raleigh.”
“Raleigh?”
“That’s right. Where I was living when I met Maya. The password is something Sandra made me memorize for something else.”
I typed in the password, and a video began to play. It was Sandra, wearing a white lab coat, her hair pulled back in a short ponytail. She’d obviously had her hair cut recently. Business as usual for her, I guessed.
“Hi, my lovelies,” she said, with what most would call a genuine smile. “I see you’re finally working together. And you got my birthday present, Sarah? Good.” She spoke as if I were actually answering her. “Thought you might like her. I do hope you left Jack out of this little meeting. While the birthday presents are going to keep on coming for you, Sarah, I’m not sure Jack will appreciate this next one.”
“Get on with it,” I yelled at the computer.
Jonas remained silent behind me. When I leaned my head back to look at him, he was studying the screen in such a way that I was convinced he was seeing something more than just Sandra. I twisted in my seat to look at the screen again. Behind Sandra was a series of machines, different from anything I’d seen on UK’s campus. “What is it?” I asked. “What do you see?”
Jonas shook his head. “I don’t know.” He squinted at the screen. “Nothing, I guess.” His face relaxed.
Sandra continued. “Sarah, this took some work, but I convinced the International Intelligence Agency to release some surveillance tapes to me. I know you think I was responsible for your father’s unfortunate death, but I’m not. Not only am I innocent of that heinous accusation, I have proof of who is guilty.”
Mindsurge (Mindspeak Book 3) Page 3