“Are you stupid?” I roared. “She can’t go outside! If she goes outside she could die!”
“But—”
“Just go away. You’ve done enough.”
“Gabe, I—”
“Go!” I yelled so loud my throat hurt.
Saylor took a step back, then two, then turned for the door and ran.
“You shouldn’t yell, Parker,” Princess said in a quiet voice.
“Yeah, well… she shouldn’t make me yell.”
Princess’s face lit up. “The air feels nice.”
“About that…” Here went nothing. “They’re going to have to put some air inside you. You’d like that, right? Since you miss outside so much?”
Her face pinched. “Will it hurt?”
“Nah, it will feel like a kiss.”
“I miss your kiss.” Her voice sounded almost normal, like if I closed my eyes it would all be some crazy nightmare and she’d be whole again. In my arms, I’d kiss her lips, I’d tell her I loved her, we’d laugh, make love, and everything would be fine.
“Parker.” The high pitched voice was back. “Open your eyes, silly. No sleeping.”
“Right.” My voice wavered. “No sleeping.”
Truth? It had been four years since I’d slept peacefully. Four years since I could look at myself in the mirror and not feel hate.
Now? I didn’t even bother looking. Not unless I had to. I knew what my reflection looked like. Pain. Sorrow. Guilt. But worst of all? Fake. My reflection was fake.
I wheeled Princess back to her room and dialed Wes’s number.
“Yeah?”
“I’m ready.”
“For?”
“The talk.”
“Ah, man, can’t someone else explain how babies are made?”
“Cute.”
“You’re smiling.”
“Shut up.”
He sighed. “So talk.”
“Meet me at the campus Starbucks.”
“Alone or with Kiersten?”
“Better bring her. I’m going to need both of you if I have any hope of staying alive… Kiersten would kill me, we both know this.”