Cheating Time (Longevity, #1)

by T. R. Graves

Chapter 29

  Red Sky at Night

  Carlie

  Thorne took the lead, and I couldn't have been more grateful to him.

  "President Barone, is there something I can do for you this evening?" Thorne was over and in front of Barone, blocking Sean from his line of vision, with the speed of someone determined to please his president.

  "I'm in search of Carles. It seems I've been here all day, and I haven't laid eyes on her once," Barone said loudly enough to be heard all through the tent. And anywhere near.

  I dashed Thorne's way, knowing it would be better to give myself up than for Barone to get too nosey about what was going on behind the curtain where Sean was. On my way past, I turned toward my wayward charge and put my fingers to my lips, daring him to say the first word.

  Based on the contempt on his face, he was like millions of other Aspects and would love nothing more than to slit the throat of our president.

  With my most menacing face, I mouthed, Don't you dare get up.

  "President Barone, I'm right here. I went for a run earlier with Jayden and have been here ever since with Thorne. No need to worry about me," I said sweetly. The way he expected me to answer.

  Pretending with him was something I had plenty of experience doing.

  "Ah, my dear, there you are. I've been worried you were avoiding me. My dear…" He eyed me with the same worried stare Thorne had earlier. "What happened to you?"

  I looked down and as quick and easy as I'd lied earlier, I told him about the hog.

  "Carles," Thorne called from behind me.

  I glanced around, and he threw a clean T-shirt toward me.

  "Thanks," I murmured as I caught it.

  "Go change in that exam room." Thorne motioned toward a much smaller exam room at the back of the tent.

  Without another word between us, I hid myself behind the room's curtain, pulled off the blood-covered shirt, and threw on the clean one. I felt a lot better after I'd rid myself of the most visible memories of the Outcasts and their bigotry.

  As soon as I made my way back to the president, his face lit up. "Ah! That's better. I'm going to have to talk to St. Romaine about having you out in these forests and in such danger."

  "It won't do any good, sir. He's always tried to keep me in Mom's lab and out of the forest. I refused that lot. I love being out in the woods in the middle of the wilderness more than I love anything. He couldn't keep me out of the forest if he wanted to." I lied so perfectly that I was sure there wasn't an award-winning actress who could have done a better job.

  "You and I'll have to come to an agreement. I can't have my rising star putting herself in danger," the president said like a man who always got what he wanted. Always.

  "As you can see, I'm fine. Jayden made sure of that. After we made it back, I worked with Thorne taking care of patients. It was a little like being back in Mom's lab. Because I miss it and her, I like being here. Thorne's been letting me help him. He's a very good teacher," I said, glancing over and giving Thorne a more genuine smile than the one I gave Barone.

  Barone slapped Thorne on the back. "It's good to see the two of you getting along so well. You're going to be a formidable team of researchers by design."

  Making a rash decision and deciding I was going to need to explain it to Thorne later, I leaned over and kissed his cheek like we were a lot more intimate than we actually were. When I did, his stare jerked my way. He'd been taken off guard, and based on the shy smile he gave me, he was pleasantly surprised.

  I ignored Barone's glare toward Thorne and instantly regretted what I'd done. The last thing in the world I wanted was for Barone to target Thorne or Rorie. I stepped quickly away from him.

  Just as fast, Barone recovered and donned the political mask that said to everyone near that he was calm, cool, and collected.

  "My dear, take a walk with me. I'd love nothing more than to spend time with you and hear all about your time away from the capital," Barone said, putting his elbow out for me to take hold of.

  I did as expected.

  "Would you like me to join you?" Thorne asked bravely.

  Letting go of the president, I turned toward Thorne and away from Barone, giving obvious and significant signals about where his priorities lay. My eyes darted several times toward the curtain where Sean was laid out. Thorne's nod was infinitesimal and would have been undetectable by Barone.

  I put my hand on Thorne's chest and said, "No, thank you, Thorne. The president and I need time to catch up. I should be back within the hour, and we can finish what we started. I-if you don't mind, I'd like for you to check my MicroPharm. I got tired way too soon during my earlier run. Jayden was irritated that it took us twice as long as it should have and mocked me and my weakness the entire time. I want to see if my MicroPharm needs to be refilled or if the bites are still weakening me."

  Barone, a man who was used to getting his way at all times and taking charge of every situation, answered for Thorne. "Of course he'll check your MicroPharm, Carlie. He's at your beck and call. Here to treat you before he treats anyone else," Barone arrogantly assured me.

  Thorne nodded in agreement and, instantly looking concerned for me and my health, reached for my elbow, pulling me toward him.

  "I wish I'd known sooner. I'd have already checked you out," he said with all of the concern I was sure he really felt.

  I shook my head. "I'm fine. I just want to make sure this is the normal progression of the illness. I'll be back within the hour, and you can do a complete assessment."

  Barone intervened yet again. "Well… not a complete one. I'm not sure she needs to be checked out from head to toe. Just her MicroPharm," Barone said, chuckling, but his tone was serious enough for Thorne to understand his warning.

  "No, sir. I'll only be analyzing her MicroPharm and the bites to make sure they're not infected," Thorne said, still focusing every ounce of his attention on me and making it hard for me to leave the safety of his side.

  Barone put his elbow out again, and I dutifully grabbed it and let him lead me from the tent. It was late evening and the sun was just about to set in the horizon. The sky was a stunning shade of red that had me stopping and staring.

  "Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailor's warning," Barone quoted as he stared wistfully toward the skyline.

  I wasn't sure where it came from, but it certainly fit the scene before me. In response, I offered the only red sky adage that came to mind for me, ignoring the fact that it was about the morning and not the evening. The quote was by William Shakespeare and came from Venus and Adonis, and I'd learned it in my literature class right before we'd left the capital.

  "Like a red morn that ever yet betokened,

  Wreck to the seaman, tempest to the field,

  Sorrow to the shepherds, woe unto the birds,

  Gusts and foul flaws to herdsmen and to herds."

  When I remembered that the poem was from Shakespeare's most sexually graphic writing, my face flushed, and I prayed Barone didn't know that tidbit of information.

  When he chuckled, I suspected he did and that I'd played into his hands.

  "Interesting choice of quotes, Carlie," he mused, pulling me farther away from Thorne. And Jayden.

  As surreptitiously as possible, I gave the forest a quick scan. I couldn't see him and secretly hoped he couldn't see me. I didn't want him to worry about me or get himself in trouble.

  "Have you eaten?" Barone asked.

  Suddenly, it occurred to me that I hadn't.

  "No, sir, I've not eaten all day. I've been so busy that I totally forgot."

  Barone pulled me tighter and, with a voice meant to be obeyed, said, "I'll not have you starving yourself while you take care of patients or do research. Your mother has put everyone else before her health for years. It hasn't gotten her anywhere. If I have to surround you with people who will monitor you closer, I will. If Jayden's not doing that, I'll find something else for him to do."

  Holy hell! I c
an't be separated from Jayden ever again.

  "It's not Jayden's fault, sir. I promise. It was mine. He tried to make me eat. Actually, that was just one of the many disagreements he and I got into today. I wasn't hungry until now. My appetite is taking its time returning, just like my strength," I shared, mentally noting I couldn't be completely honest with him about anything.

  "It's just a good thing I had the mutant from the kitchen set up nice meal in my tent for the two of us," Barone hummed, pulling me closer within his personal space than I was comfortable being.

  I wanted to tell him the mutant had a name, but I didn't want to bring any sort of attention to Rorie. Good or bad. The longer he considered her a nonfactor, the better off she'd be.

  I knew the second we made it to Barone's tent. It was the biggest one at the camp, was surrounded by guards, and glowed there was so much light illuminating it.

  The Surrogate guard at the tent's flap held it open for the two of us and right before he let it drop closed, Barone turned to the guard and said, "I don't want to be disturbed by anyone. Do you understand me?"

  His tone was harsh, and the Surrogate, avoiding all eye contact with me, bowed his head and said, "Certainly, sir. Your privacy will be my primary duty."

  By the time Barone turned back toward me, there wasn't the first trace of the harshness he'd just leveled on the Surrogate. He was all hands and smiles. I wanted no part of either of them.

  He took my hand and led me over to the table that reminded me so much of the meal I'd had in Thorne's tent that I knew even without Barone mentioning it that Rorie had set it up.

  Ever the gentleman, Barone pulled my chair out for me before lifting the stainless dome covering the meal Rorie had so carefully created.

  The instant the sight before me and the aroma registered, my stomach convulsed with hunger. In fact, if I hadn't been so hungry, I wasn't sure I'd be able to eat. Rorie had gone out of her way to artfully arrange the food on the plates in such a way that eating it seemed wrong.

  Both Barone and I had a salad plate that included three miniature toothpick kabobs standing tall and proud that was made of the bottom of a cherry tomato, a small mozzarella ball, topped off with the top of the cherry tomato and a leaf of basil. All of the kabobs had been drizzled with an olive oil dressing.

  On each dinner plate, there were two almond-crusted lamb chops with the bones crossed and connected by rosemary sprigs. In the center of the chops sat a perfect potato soufflé topped with a dollop of sour cream, finely chopped chives, and sprinkles of bacon. For the vegetable, Rorie had grilled asparagus, sautéed them in a creamy butter sauce, and tied them together with red, green, and yellow sweet pepper ribbons.

  The finishing touch for the meal was the bowl made of chocolate and filled with chocolate mousse and garnished with thick chocolate shavings straws, mandarin orange sections, and candied mint leaves.

  Holy hell! Rorie should be working in the presidential house and serving royalty.

  There was no doubt in my mind that if she could concoct a meal like this out in such a remote area of woods, she could create award-winning meals in kitchens where anything and everything was at her disposal.

  "Oh my gosh, President Barone! I can't believe this gourmet meal is one anyone could create out here in the wilderness," I said, voicing some of my words aloud.

  Rorie had worked hard and she deserved every bit of her due.

  "I've asked you before to call me John. I understand why you don't do that when others are around, but when it is just the two of us, I expect our relationship to be a lot less formal, Carlie," Barone said.

  Once again, he was setting boundaries for me.

  Take care of yourself, or I'll assign people to you who will. Call me John, or I'll spank you.

  I acquiesced and tested out his name. "John, forgive me. It's just that I've been raised to respect you… your position. Calling you by your first name will never feel natural to me. You're a man bigger than an ordinary name."

  Barone considered what I'd said to be the ultimate compliment, though I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be a person who was only known for their position and not who they were inside. It seemed like a lonely existence to me.

  "That's better. I love hearing you call me by my name. So few people do it," he admitted, mirroring what I'd just been thinking. "Coming from you… it… it does things to me. It makes me want you in ways I shouldn't. At least, in ways I shouldn't until we've gotten to know each other better… until we've let the world embrace the fact that their president has fallen hook, line, and sinker for someone who is less than half his age."

  With his admission, Barone reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it as if that act alone explained his inappropriate feelings for me and how deeply they seemed to go.

  I cleared my throat. "John, I have feelings for Thorne, and last I was told, he and I were supposed to marry and have our one allotted child together."

  Barone watched me carefully. "I'm the president, Carlie. No one gets what I want. I've been prepping you for greatness since before you were born. In the seventeen years since then, I've watched you grow into one of the most beautiful women to ever exist. I'll allow you to share your scientific research with Dr. Angleton, but you'll never share your bed with him. You'll only ever know one man in the biblical sense and that will be me."

  My face flushed as my tearing eyes darted to my lap where my napkin now sat.

  Attempting to lighten the mood, Barone shook my hand and changed his tone. "I didn't mean for this meal to get so deep so fast. You have an entire year before our first philanthropic activities together will be made public. From there, we'll be seen together so much and so often that no one will question our engagement when you turn nineteen and our marriage when you turn twenty."

  Barone spoke about my future like a man who'd planned it out for years.

  Suddenly, I was no longer hungry. The rebellious teenager in me wanted to tell Barone that I'd rather die than live a life planned out by someone else, live a life where I wasn't allowed to choose between Jayden and Thorne. They were both great men.

  I might have known Jayden most of my life, but a new Jayden had joined me a few days ago, and I'd been enjoying getting to know the person he'd become. He'd been kinder, gentler, and more loving toward me. When we kissed… holy hell… when we kissed, I wanted him unlike anyone has ever wanted anyone. I was sure. He still had secrets that had to be shared so I could make an educated decision about him, but I trusted him enough to know he would eventually do just that.

  As for Thorne, I'd not met him before a few days ago, but in that short time, I was able to see he was a man with morals and ethics comparable to my own, interests similar to mine. The way he loved Rorie enough to give his life for hers reminded me of how much I loved my own family.

  Barone intertwined his fingers with mine. "I've said something to upset you."

  I shrugged. "I-it's just that it seems to me that all of my choices have been made for me."

  Barone consoled me. "I have luxuries you don't. For example, I know there are few people more compatible than you and I, and I've had years to plan our future. You've only had months, and I was too aggressive when we talked the first time.

  "I should have moved slower. I learned a lot from that mistake. I've spent months beating myself up for making you uncomfortable. If I hadn't been so anxious, I'd have stuck to my plan and spent time with you. Eventually, you'll see what I've always known to be true. You and I are the perfect union in every way. I offer to you any lab you want to work in, any research you want to do, and any project you want to work on."

  "You… you did scare me. I have to admit that. I'm still scared," I confessed.

  "I know. I'm intense, and I'm trying not to be that person with you. The fact is I'm never going to be able to go back to the person I was twenty-five years ago. I'll never again be rebellious against the government. That's who I was as a teenager. That rebellion made me the man I am today and ga
ve me the wherewithal to become president.

  "I wish I could say I'll never again be angst-ridden, but every time I'm near you, I turn back into that person. I worry about everything I say and do when it comes to you. I get so nervous I feel like I'm a teenage boy again. You've been around me enough to know I've had a few women who escorted me to events, but none that have been anything more to me. I know this sounds like a lie coming from a man my age, but I've been saving myself for you ever since the day I saw our genetic compatibility scores."

  "How long ago was that?" I asked, deciding I needed to know exactly how long he'd been plotting and planning my life.

  Having the good sense to be embarrassed, Barone shrugged. "Seventeen years and five months."

  I had no idea what to do with the information Barone had given me. There was no doubt in my mind that at least some of it was true, including his nervousness about my reaction to him. Unbelievable as it seemed to me, the president of our nation was almost as tormented as Jayden when it came to sharing his feelings with me.

  I nodded. There really wasn't anything I could add to the information I'd been given, but one question did bubble to the surface of my mind.

  "Have you ever talked to either of my parents about your plans for me?"

  Barone shook his head. "No. I was sure Sam would have killed me on the spot and prevented me from ever seeing you again. He wouldn't have seen the bigger picture. I didn't have your longevity results until a few months ago, but when I finally got them, I found out the union of our genes will result in the closest thing to immortality that has ever existed. From our union, people will be born healthier, be productive members of our society for more years, and live to be older than anyone ever thought possible. That is what we can do together. You and me."

  Barone was used to dealing with my mother and her ambition, her unbridled desire to do things that had never been done before. He, however, wasn't accustomed to dealing with me. Having my name tied to a discovery like longevity or immortality wasn't exciting at all for me.

  Barone was intuitive if he was nothing else.

  "Don't forget the offer I've just made you will give you the power to take all of our nation's scientific resources and pour them into finding a cure for lymphoma. It was recently brought to my attention that Tawney has been cursed with the same disease that took her grandmother and her aunt… that she doesn't have much time left. Imagine what you and I could do together if I declared lymphoma a national emergency that will require around-the-clock research by anyone qualified… if all research funds were directed to finding a cure."

  Now he's got my attention.

  "She doesn't have long enough for us to find a cure no matter what kind of demands are put on our scientists," I informed him.

  He nodded his head. "You're right, but I have a team of researchers who've been successful at halting the hands of time. Basically, they can put a person's body in a state of inertia, one that prevents the progression of disease. She would basically be comatose. We could put Tawney in a state of inertia until we've found the cure. After we have the cure, we could leave her comatose until we made sure the cure worked."

  "Why would we have to leave her comatose while she's going through the treatment?" I asked, deciding there was something significant behind that fact, something he didn't really want to share with me.

  Barone took a long, deep breath. "Carlie, if we bring her back before she's cured… she'll die instantly. When we reverse the inertia, the cells speed up and age, die, and mutate as if they'd never been in the state of inertia. If the person would be dead when it's reversed, he or she will instantly die. If the disease would have progressed, it will be at whatever stage it would have been if the person had never been put in a state of inertia."

  "Has this worked on anyone else?"

  Giving me hope, Barone nodded. "It's worked on treatable illnesses that have inadvertently progressed. For example, we had a priest who'd attempted to help a group of Outcasts. He got tuberculosis from them and was afraid to tell anyone… afraid we'd find the boys and kill them for their treason. He nearly died.

  "We put him in a state of inertia, treated him aggressively, and when we reversed the inertia, he was weak from the muscle atrophy but cured of the disease. Since that time, he's worked with physical therapists and is up and around. Claims he's never felt stronger.

  "I'm offering this technology to you… to Tawney. Without me, you're never going to get it. It's a gift I will only offer if you agree to be my wife. If you do that, you can consider everything at my disposal to be at yours," Barone explained, spreading his arms wide and signifying the fact that everything in sight would be mine if I agreed.

  "It's an offer I can hardly refuse, John. I'm sure you know that," I said with as much sweetness as I could muster, knowing no matter how hard I tried for compliant, my words were tempered with the pure hate and loathing I felt at being brought to heel.

  How dare he blackmail me and only do the right thing if I give in to his demands? I will, of course, agree, but it pisses me off to no end that he's holding Tawney's life over my head.

  At that very moment and because there was absolutely nothing left to lose, I decided there were several other people's safety that needed to be bundled within this whole damn marriage deal.

  "We've talked so much that you've barely had time to enjoy your meal. I know you have lots more questions, and we have lots more things to discuss. Let's eat, and we'll talk more afterward," Barone suggested, watching me to see if I was going to do as ordered.

  I did.

  In any other situation, I was confident Rorie's meal would be better than anything I'd ever put into my mouth. After hearing Barone's indecent proposal and coming to terms with my fate, food made of cardboard would have tasted exactly the same.

  We ate in complete silence while I considered a way to keep everyone I cared for safe. Not just Tawney. Mom, Dad, Gran, Jayden and his newly found family, and Thorne and his family.

  After I broke apart the chocolate bowl and moved the mousse around enough for it to look like I'd eaten more than I had, I cleared my throat.

  "John, I've considered your offer and am prepared to agree to marry you when I'm twenty if you can guarantee that Jayden will remain the Lead Surrogate for as long as he wants to hold the position and you can guarantee the safety of my family and a few other people who've become important to me. Without that promise… one I'd like in writing and embedded with your genetic seal, I'm going to have to respectfully decline your offer and work toward curing lymphoma the old-fashioned way," I bluffed, knowing full well, I was going to agree no matter what Barone said. Saving Tawney was my most pressing problem.

  Barone sighed deeply in relief. "I think you'll find, Carlie, that I'll do anything for you. You ask me to put my promise in writing and signed in blood and I will. You add the names of these people who mean so much to you, and I will assure you that I'll do everything within my means to keep them safe," he promised.

  "I don't just want them safe. I want them with me. It's the only way I'll ever feel their safety is a priority." I continued bargaining.

  "And… they'll be allowed to live wherever you live and travel wherever you travel… if that is what you desire. I'm going to limit the number of people under your protection to fifteen. I know you well enough to know you'll try to add every person in the nation in hopes no harm will ever come to anyone," Barone countered with an indulgent smile.

  "I understand."

  "Are you going to tell me who besides your family is important enough to warrant presidential security?"

  I shook my head. "I'll write the names in later."

  "You'll have your requested fifteen, and the list can be fluid, meaning you can add others by taking away some," Barone said, humoring me, the seventeen-year-old girl he'd completely underestimated.

  I nodded.

  Barone grinned widely before tapping the side of his watch and waiting as the hologram of a man I'd never met before hov
ered above the dial.

  "Sir, how can I help you tonight?" the uber professional man sang.

  "I need the agreement amended to include the permanent placement of Jayden Thomas St. Romaine in the Lead Surrogate position and the unconditional housing and safety of fifteen people who will live near and travel with Miss Enoche," Barone described.

  "I'll make those updates, and the contract will be there in five minutes."

  "I look forward to it."

  True to his word and after an uncomfortable five-minute wait with Barone staring at me, the printer spit out a ten-page contract. Barone put it in front of me, and I did my best to read through it.

  There was so much legal jargon that I really had no idea what I was signing. Rather than focus too much on that, I fast-forwarded to the last page, where the fifteen blank lines were, and began filling in the blanks below the legal verbiage that would ensure the following people's safety:

  1. Sam Enoch

  2. Selma Enoch

  3. Peter Panzini

  4. Tawney LeCroix

  5. Jayden St. Romaine

  6. Thorne Angleton

  7. Rorie Angleton

  8. Dr. Angleton

  9. Mrs. Angleton

  10. Sean Serkis

  11. Simon Serkis

  12. Jayden's surrogate mother

  13. To be named later

  14. To be named later

  15. To be named later

  After I'd completed the names, I signed the document.

  "Please forward a copy of this to Jayden and me."

  Barone was salivating as if he were a dog and I were his favorite bone when I handed the contract back to him. I sat at his desk and watched as he read the names. His face turned beet red and the vein in his forehead popped out when he saw I'd included Sean and Simon.

  "Are you suggesting Serkis warrants your protection, Carlie?" he asked after he was able to control his temper.

  I remained as calm as I possibly could. "Yes. We believe they are Jayden's brothers, and as long as he has family, I'd like them to be cared for and safe."

  Standing behind me, Barone did the same thing he did when he'd signed Jayden's document earlier. He pulled a pen from his pocket and signed the contract before pushing a button on the pen, pricking his thumb, and embedding his genetic code within the document.

  He handed me the pen and waited while I did the same. Less than a minute later, it was done, and Barone took full advantage of his position. He leaned into my neck and rubbed his cheek against my skin. I shivered.

  Mistaking my response for lust, Barone chuckled. "There's no rush, Carlie. You and I will be together day and night soon enough.

  Yeah. That's what I'm afraid of, you piece of shit.

  Barone grabbed up the document after slipping on a pair of MicroGlasses. He snapped a picture and had his retina scanned in order to certify the signature as his. Then he handed me the lenses. I stood still while the red light verified who I was and certified my signature and our genetic codes.

  I kept the lenses on until I saw the document had been emailed to Jayden and myself. Our agreement had been signed, sealed, and delivered.

  I'd sold my soul to the devil in order to save Tawney and protect my family, Jayden's family, and Thorne's family. I'd done all I could do.

  Resigned to my fate, my shoulders slumped. Barone took that to mean I was relieved.

  "I know you're only seventeen, but I think this all calls for a toast."

  Barone dashed over to a bucket of ice and pulled out a bottle of champagne. The explosion that came when he popped the cork was loud enough to make the Surrogate standing guard quickly poke his head around the tent's flap in order to make sure the president was still safe. Barone was oblivious as he poured the champagne into two tall flutes.

  Standing in my personal space, he handed a glass to me and offered a toast. "To the most beautiful woman I've ever seen… the woman I'll one day marry… the woman who'll one day have our children. Thank you for agreeing to this. You have no idea what it means to me."

  Barone pinged my glass and took a long drink. I followed his lead and took my own gulp. It was quite literally the best-tasting drink I'd ever put in my mouth. Somehow, I'd gotten thirstier than I'd been hungry earlier. Rather than stop with one gulp, I drank until the entire flute was empty.

  I'd eaten little because I was so upset over my negotiations, so the drink went straight to my head. The MicroPharm was having trouble metabolizing the alcohol, probably because of how fast I drank and because it was already being taxed while trying to manage the remaining effects of the snakebites.

  As soon as my first glass was empty, Barone refilled it. Ignoring the beginning buzz I was already feeling, I drank that glass down just as quick.

  "Carlie, I'm going to let you celebrate tonight, but I don't want to see you drinking with anyone but me. Do you understand?"

  I nodded, giggled, and put my glass out for him to refill.

  He chuckled and filled my glass again. I felt lighter and less stressed than ever in my life. I closed my eyes and began swaying to the music playing in my head. I completely understood why people drank. There was something liberating about not worrying about everything… about everybody.

  Sooner than possible, I'd drunk my fourth glass. When I turned in the direction where I thought Barone was standing, I tripped. Barone caught me and pulled me into his chest and squeezed me tight.

  "Carlie, I think you've had enough. One more glass and you'll officially be drunk."

  I touched the glass to my cheek and said, "Please… just one more. I feel so good. I-I've never been so worry free in my life. I like how it feels. I like not feeling like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. I like feeling like I'm a normal teenage girl whose worst problem is making friends at the academy."

  I'm not sure where they came from, but tears sprang to my eyes and I began crying. "I-I've been so sad about Tawney. I don't want to lose her. I love her so much," I sobbed.

  Barone pulled me into his chest again. This time he kissed my forehead. "I know, sweetie. You and I are going to save her. I promise we will. We'll go down in history as the couple who eradicated lymphoma. Just wait and see," he consoled.

  I nodded and leaned my head back so I could wipe the tears from my eyes. When I did, Barone bent down and kissed me. Like before, it was sweet and gentle. There was nothing urgent or deep about it. It wasn't exciting like Jayden's.

  When my drunken self realized I'd never again kiss Jayden, that I'd never again have my heart race and my stomach flutter in anticipation, she sobbed more, and I pushed Barone away from me. I grabbed my knees, bent over, and cried harder.

  "I'm sorry, sweetie. I know you're upset. I promised I wouldn't do that, and a few minutes later, I kiss you again. I think that proves just how hard staying away from you is going to be for me," Barone said, swooping his arms behind my knees and picking me up. "You need to get some rest. You can sleep in my bed. I'll have them set up another on the other side of the tent for me."

  I wiggled and squirmed. "No. No. I need to go back to the infirmary. My MicroPharm needs to be refilled. I have to go back," I insisted.

  "The hell I can't go in there!" I heard from outside the tent and knew Jayden had arrived.