Persuade

by Wendi Wilson

  My eyes widened and I leaned back in my chair. “What did you do?” I asked, accusatory.

  “The doctor was running a study on the Alt children. He put them through physiological and psychological testing, ran blood work and performed CT scans and x-rays. He…experimented on them.”

  I must have looked as horrified as I felt, because Dad jumped in. “We were desperate, Savanna. There was still mass hysteria where Alts were concerned. The Purist group was forming and they were calling for executions, or at the very least, mandatory abortions. They wanted to kill children. We didn’t want that life for our unborn child, and we were willing to do anything.”

  “He said he was close to a cure and, if we were willing,” Mom continued, “he would give me a series of injections that could make you human.”

  “Alts are humans,” I said, my voice cracking.

  “Normal, then,” she amended. “And it worked. At least, we thought it did. You were born, all blonde hair and blue-eyed perfection. You took right to the breast and we were so relieved, so thankful, we agreed when the doctor came to us and said he needed to run tests on you.”

  I sat up a little straighter. “What kind of tests?”

  “Nothing too serious,” Dad said. “He took some blood and saliva, gave you a basic physical exam. He told us that though you appeared to be a normal baby, some of your genetic markers were off. Not the same as the Alt children, but not that of a typical human baby. He told us we should bring you in every four months for check-ups and additional testing.”

  “Everything went smoothly until you were three years old. He put you in a room with some Alt children, to see how you’d all interact with each other. The first thing he noted was that when the other children got angry or sad and would have used persuasion on a regular person, it didn’t work on you. It’s like you were immune.”

  “Yes. I discovered that last week.”

  “Did those boys try to persuade you?” Dad asked, his voice angry.

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “It does matter, Savanna. Tell me what they tried to make you do.”

  The way he said it, it sounded like he thought they tried to persuade me to do something dirty. I found myself getting indignant on their behalf. I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. Dad didn’t know them like I did. Besides, getting into an argument right now would be counterproductive, to say the least.

  “The day I met Jett, he bumped into me in the hallway and I dropped all my books. You know me, I couldn’t let it go, so I called him a jerk for just walking away without helping me pick everything up. He was having a bad first day and apparently tried to silently persuade me to apologize.”

  “That’s all?”

  “No. He told his brothers and they tried, too, just to see if they could. They couldn’t. Now, back to your story. What happened next?”

  He looked like he wasn’t going to let it go, but Mom put her hand on his knee and shook her head. “Toward the end of your appointment, you were getting tired and cranky. One of the little girls took a doll from you and you lost your temper. You looked her in the eye and yelled at her to give it to you.”

  “Let me guess. She gave it back. That doesn’t prove anything. Maybe she was just scared of me.”

  “Oh, she was scared, all right, but not like you think. You were three years old, Savanna. A toddler. That little Alt girl was six. She started screaming that you were a witch and had cast a spell on her. You yelled the words “be quiet” and the room fell silent.” She shook her head and sniffed, like talking about this was becoming too much for her.

  “So, I used persuasion on her?” I asked, trying to nudge her to keep talking.

  “Not just her, Savanna,” Dad said. “There were seven Alt children in that room. When you yelled at that girl to be quiet, they all fell silent and lost the ability to speak. You persuaded all of them at once, but you only had eye contact with the girl.”

  “Wh-wh-what?”

  Mom nodded, seeming to get her emotions under control. “Your father and I decided that the solution was to keep you away from other Alts. Other than the persuasion ability, you were a normal, happy child. We moved to this tiny town and never looked back.”

  “We planned to tell you after you graduated high school, before you go out into the world on your own,” Dad added.

  “That’s why you didn’t want me to hang out with the boys,” I said, looking at Mom.

  She nodded. “But I know you. If I forbade it, you’d do it anyway and then wouldn’t be able to talk to us if something like this happened.”

  She knew me too well.

  “What happened to the doctor? Did he just let us go, losing his greatest medical achievement?”

  “The injections he gave me were not approved by the government or even the hospital. It was all hush hush,” Mom said. “He couldn’t stop us from leaving, but…”

  “But, what?”

  “A couple of years later, he followed us here. He never approached us and we’ve managed to stay away from him, but he lives three miles away.”

  “Who is it?” I asked, assuming I would have at least heard of him in this tiny town.

  Mom and Dad looked at each other, grasping hands before looking back at me. Dad answered my question, his words sending a shiver down my spine.

  “His name is Dr. Earl Patton.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “What?”

  “Incredible.”

  “No way.”

  Jett, Beckett and Wyatt said the words simultaneously in response to my revelation that I was some sort of freak mutant Alt. I held up a palm for silence, taking a seat at the same picnic table where I agreed to date them all. It had only been two days, but it felt like much longer. I had already grown to trust them and knew they would keep this secret if I asked them to.

  I told them everything, from my mom’s participation in the XRT-90 trials to me persuading an entire room of Alt children. Wyatt’s mouth opened and closed a few times at that, like he wanted to say something but was at a loss for words. Jett pinched his lips together, one eyebrow cocked, trying to determine if what I said could be possible.

  Beckett asked, “What happened after that?”

  “My parents dropped everything and moved here. They thought if they kept me away from Alts, I could live a normal life, like they always wanted.”

  “Then you met us,” Jett said, frowning.

  I reached across the table, squeezing his hand. “I don’t regret it for a second.”

  Wyatt, sitting beside me, took my free hand in his. “So, this doctor. He just let your parents take you away?”

  “That’s what I asked when Mom and Dad told me. There was nothing he could do about it. Whatever he gave my mom, it wasn’t government approved or sanctioned by the hospital. He had no choice or legal recourse. Except…”

  My words trailed off, unsure how to continue. I thought a lot about it on our way to the park, and I had a theory about their uncle Earl. I was certain they weren’t going to like it.

  “Except what?” Beckett said, prodding me to continue.

  “Except to follow us here.” I looked into each of their faces before releasing my grip on Jett and Wyatt and folding my hands into my lap. “The doctor is your uncle, Earl Patton.”

  Silence. It was worse than if they had exploded with shock and questions. They looked at each other, seeming to use some sort of silent communication. I felt the urge to speak, to fill the silence.

  “I think, and this is just a theory, that I’m the reason he fought so hard to get custody of y’all.”

  Three sets of gray eyes shot toward me. I held each brother’s gaze for a moment before looking down at the table. I hoped they wouldn’t resent me for being the catalyst that brought them here, away from their friends that would have given them a better life.

  “He brought us here, enrolled us at your school,” Jett said.

  “He wanted us to meet you. He must’ve known that we�
�d eventually discover that you couldn’t be persuaded,” Beckett added.

  “He’s using us,” Wyatt said, his voice low.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said, my gaze not budging from the table top.

  “Savanna, look at me.”

  I blinked a few times before raising my eyes to meet Beckett’s. The look on his face was fierce, and I looked at the other two, whose expressions matched his. Beckett and Jett extended their palms to me and took mine in each of theirs. Wyatt looped his arm around my waist.

  “We could never blame you,” Beckett said.

  “This isn’t your fault, so you shouldn’t blame yourself,” Jett added.

  “Yeah,” Wyatt said, “and I think we all agree, meeting you has made all the upheaval worth it.”

  Beckett and Jett nodded in agreement. I had to fight back tears of gratitude. I didn’t know what I did to deserve the acceptance and loyalty of those three boys, but I was determined not to take them for granted. I looked at each of their faces, a small smile turning my lips up at the corners.

  “Thanks,” I said, clearing my throat. “I think your uncle wants to continue his research. He needed Alts for me to interact with, and his brother’s death gave him three.”

  “But why wait all this time?” Beckett asked. “Why wouldn’t he just find another expectant mom from the test group and give her the same offer he gave your mom?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “Maybe he tried,” Jett said, a far off look on his face. “Maybe he couldn’t find another willing guinea pig. Or he did and the concoction didn’t work.”

  “It’s possible,” I replied, bringing his focus back to me. “The only way to find out is to ask him.”

  “You want to ask him?” he asked, arching a brow.

  “No,” I said after a brief pause. “Not really. I’d rather not go anywhere near him if that’s possible.”

  “Don’t you have questions?” Wyatt asked, tightening his grip on me. “Uncle Earl has to know more than your parents.”

  I knew they were probably right. The thought of facing him, the man that made what I am and was using his nephews to get to me, made me want to throw up.

  “Maybe,” I said, biting my lip. “I’ll think about it.”

  Three heads nodded in unison before giving each other pointed looks. Each boy released his grip on me and Wyatt moved to the other side of the table to scoot in next to Jett. A spark of fear shot up my spine at the serious expressions they each wore. Wyatt wasn’t smiling, and that scared me most of all.

  “What is it?” I asked, unable to stand it when they remained silent.

  “We have something else for you to think about,” Jett answered.

  “Okay,” I said, drawing out the word.

  “While you were talking to your parents, the three of us had our own talk,” Wyatt said.

  “We all like you, Savanna,” Beckett added.

  The street lights came to life with a metallic buzz as the sky darkened around us. The western skyline burned with orange and pink streaks, throwing their faces into dark contrast. I struggled to decipher their expressions, certain that I heard a “but” at the end of Beckett’s sentence.

  “But?” I asked when the silence stretched between us.

  “But, nothing,” Jett said. “We all like you, a lot, and the thought of you choosing one of us, leaving the other two assed-out, scares the hell out of us.”

  “So, you don’t want me to choose?” I asked, feeling my throat tighten. “We can still be friends, right?”

  My extremities began to tremble. If they told me we couldn’t be friends and cut me out of their lives, I would be devastated. The thought of never holding hands, never kissing any of them again was bad enough, but if I didn’t have them at all? I’d survive. I always had. But life would suck a little more, knowing what it was like to have people of my own, then have them ripped away.

  “We don’t want you to choose,” Beckett said, his silver-rimmed eyes reflecting the glow of a nearby streetlight. “We want you to be with us,” he said motioning between himself and his brothers. “All three of us. As our girlfriend.”

  “Wh-wh-what?” I asked.

  “Savanna,” Wyatt said, bringing my attention to him. “I know this is…unconventional. We’ve never felt this way about a girl. Never. We talked about it and none of us want to give you up. None of us want to be just friends.” Those last two words were accompanied by a sneer.

  “But…” I trailed off, trying to find the right words. There weren’t any. The idea of having three boyfriends was inconceivable.

  “Please, just think about it,” Beckett said.

  Silence stretched between us as I digested what they were asking me. I already knew, even with only one date each, that choosing between the three of them would be a tough decision. Maybe the toughest one, ever. But to not choose?

  “How would it work?” The words popped out and I flinched. I couldn’t believe I was even considering their proposition.

  Wyatt’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Nothing has to change. You would just keep going on dates with us, individually. We’d all still hang out as a group, too.”

  “I don’t know,” I said.

  “Are you scared of what people will think?” Jett asked.

  “We could keep it a secret if that’s what you want,” Beckett added. “We could pretend to be just friends.”

  I mulled it over, studying each of their faces one at a time. Did I want to continue to date them? That one was easy. Of course, I did. Did I care what people thought? I never had, not since I was five. The only opinion that mattered was mine alone. And maybe my parents’. I didn’t want to even consider what they’d think about this arrangement. I decided to think about them later. I needed to make this choice for myself…and for the boys.

  “What about you guys?” I asked. “I don’t want to cause you to fight or argue.”

  “Trust us to work it out, Savanna,” Wyatt said. “We love each other. We’re as close as any siblings can be. We talked through this and we know we can do it.”

  “What if you get tired of…sharing?” I asked, flinching on the last word.

  “We can’t tell what the future will hold,” Jett said. “But, it’s the same with any relationship, isn’t it? One boyfriend or three, you never know how long it’ll last or how it will end. But fear of the unknown shouldn’t stop you from going for it.”

  “You can always end it if it makes you too uncomfortable. We just want you to try,” Beckett added.

  “Okay.”

  The word came out before I knew I was going to say it. Wyatt let out a loud whoop and jumped up from his seat to the table top. He grabbed my hands and tugged, pulling me up and onto the table with him. I laughed as he danced me around, then he stole my breath as he pressed his lips to mine in a sweet kiss. I pulled away from him and jumped down to the ground, unable to look at Jett and Beckett. I was a fool to think this would work.

  Strong fingers grasped my shoulders and I lifted my eyes to Beckett’s smiling face. He pulled me into his chest, enveloping me in his warmth. My arms wrapped around his waist, returning his hug. He pulled back slightly and lifted my chin. I stared into his eyes as he closed the distance, my eyelids fluttering down as his lips brushed gently against mine.

  Cool air enveloped me and I opened my eyes. Jett was standing in front of me. He didn’t move for a moment, didn’t attempt to pull me into his arms like the other two had. I swallowed hard. More so than the other two, I couldn’t imagine Jett being happy about seeing me with his brothers. The whole deal might have ended before it ever got started, and I couldn’t ignore my disappointment.

  Jett opened his arms and I flew forward, throwing myself against him. My hands clasped his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me up high. He molded his mouth to mine as he spun around in a circle, my feet flying through the air and my heart pounding out of my chest. He slowed to a stop and I slid down until my fe
et were once again on solid ground.

  I stepped out of his embrace as Wyatt and Beckett stepped forward to flank their brother. I soaked in the sight of them as night took the last remaining rays of the sunset. Three handsome faces, three sets of sparkling eyes, three identical smiles. They were happy, and I realized I was, too. I relaxed and returned their smiles with one of my own.

  “We’re really going to do this?” I asked.

  “Yes,” all three said simultaneously.

  “Definitely,” Wyatt said with his signature grin.

  “We can make it work,” Jett vowed.

  “We know we can,” Beckett added.

  “I believe you,” I said, my voice filled with conviction. If anyone could make a crazy four-person relationship work, it was those three.

  Buckle up, Savanna, I thought. It’s going to be a wild ride.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “My parents were being weird this morning.”

  The silence in the truck was grating on my nerves so I broke it with what I considered a safe subject. I refused to bring up anything to do with our decision from the night before or their uncle’s apparent secret agenda. I decided to let sleeping dogs lie and allow them to be the first to broach either of those subjects.

  I was sitting in the front next to Jett while the other two sat in the back. I turned in my seat so I could see them all when I spoke. I could see a muscle ticking in Jett’s jaw as he kept his eyes firmly on the road. I glanced over the seat at Wyatt, who was not smiling, then at Beckett who looked downright broody. It was Jett who responded to my statement.

  “Why were they being weird?”

  “I don’t know. They were overly attentive, making sure I was okay after their big revelation. After the fourth time my mom stroked my hair and asked if I was okay, I snapped.”

  The corner of Jett’s mouth lifted. “I can empathize with her,” he said. “I’ve been the target of that hair trigger temper of yours, myself.”