Gifted Connections 4

“Are you mad at me?” Rachel asked tentatively as she sat down beside me.

/> I sighed. “No,” I finally admitted. “I know you were just saying what most people are thinking. I really can’t shoot the messenger.”

“Thanks,” Rachel said in relief. “I feel like I’m already walking on eggshells with Jemmy. I don’t need someone else being…testy with me.”

I forced a laugh. “What a mess we are.”

“A beautiful mess,” she said cajolingly.

“Did you find out how Lincoln’s doing?” she asked after a few moments of silence.

I sighed and rubbed my face. It had been four days since I last talked to Lincoln. Ever since our late-night conversation, he hadn’t texted me, and I refused to text him. He couldn’t continue poking the bear without expecting to get bitten.

But I had spoken to Anna, and she’d told me he was released from the hospital the next day and seemed to be doing better. She had eagerly agreed to alter some of the pieces that I sent back to her. Dawn had given me all the girls’ measurements, along with photos of the girls that Anna had requested.

“He’s better, but he’s not talking to me,” I admitted now to Rachel as I slid back on my boots.

“You know if he ever meets Jemmy, she’s going to be shamelessly flirting with him, and I think the main reason will be because of Gavin. She’s been trying to get a rise out of him, and I wish she would knock it off. If I could, I would trade places with her in a heartbeat, even if I had to share him,” Rachel admitted quietly.

I widened my eyes in surprise. I hadn’t realized she might be harboring a small crush on Gavin. Admittedly, he was attractive, but I also knew she was in a relationship with Sam. I wondered if she was bored of it already. I knew constant proximity to each other may have helped garner their relationship, but they were cute together.

“Hey girls, sorry I’m late,” Sierra stated as she ran into the room. Her hair was messy and her clothes slightly disheveled, so it didn’t take too much of an imagination to figure out what she had been up to.

“I’m sure you had a good reason,” Dawn commented with a knowing smile.

“I wouldn’t know of those reasons,” Jemmy said peevishly.

“Because you’re so busy pushing him away,” I finally snapped at Jemmy after Sierra’s face fell in hurt. She shouldn’t feel guilty because she was working on her relationship with Gavin. “Why are you taking out your insecurities on Sierra? Why are you so hell-bent on ruining your relationship? Gavin cares about you, and he’s trying, yet you belittle him and push him away—everyone away—every time you get a chance! You knew you had a connection out there. No one said it was going to be easy. All relationships need work, ours more so!”

“How do you guys have a right to tell me how I should act? You guys aren’t perfect. It’s like the pot calling the kettle black,” Jemmy snarled before storming away.

“Simulation terminated,” the robotic female voice stated.

I let out a frustrated yell as I slapped the stone wall.

“Relax,” Drake said soothingly as he embraced me from behind.

“How can I relax,” I bit out. “We’re damn near useless!”

“We came close to finishing the simulation several times,” Remy reassured me although I could see his own frustration in his eyes.

“One more time,” I said in determination.

“It’s past lunch,” Jaxson groaned dramatically as he rubbed his stomach.

“I’ll make something when we go back to the apartment,” Drake said. “We’ll run through it one more time, and then we can go get some lunch.”

“Okay, fine.” Jaxson sighed.

“One more time.” Jace turned and held up his pointer figure at the booth. Gavin and Sierra were no longer running through the simulations but had stayed and were currently up in the box with Darren and his coworkers. In fact, all the Knights had stayed, with the exception of Jemmy.

Since Christmas, we adopted the slogan One team, One fight. Sam and Marcel had really, really hated the PJs, but Dawn quickly guilted them into it with the slogan. Even though we were ‘wounded’ we were all still a team, and we were all fighting the same fight.

“We can do it this time,” Remy stated as he slid his helmet back on.

We began walking, waiting for the next obstacle to pop up. We didn’t have to wait long when a man popped out of from behind a large boulder. He held his hands up, and before I could figure out his gift, I was sent flying back into the simulated wall. Troy placed a carefully aimed kick to the man’s head, making the virtual man successfully disappear.

“Holy crap,” I cursed as I sat up, trying to breathe again. The wind was knocked out of me, and I was desperately trying to catch my breath. The suits were a little too accurate when it came to the pain we could receive.