“Do you feel it?” I ask. “We have a connection, you and me. Can you feel it?”
She takes a shuddering breath, and her eyes flutter closed.
“It’s called chemistry,” she says softly. “To say anything else would just be crazy.”
“But isn’t that what you said we are?” I ask, and I lean in, and my lips meet hers because I can’t wait one more second to taste her again.
Her lips melt against mine, and she does taste like blackberries, just like I remember.
It’s a sweet kiss, warm and electric, and she doesn’t pull away until I do.
When we separate, she looks as shaky as I feel.
“I can’t wait to get to know you,” I tell her softly as I slide from the bed and walk toward the door.
I leave the door ajar for her.
Just li
ke she likes it.
Three
I find Calla in the garden in the morning, or this facility’s semblance of a garden. It’s really just a large terrace with a few potted plants.
She’s on the bench, staring into the distance.
At first, I wonder if she’s over-medicated, but then she blinks, and notices me.
“Oh, hi,” she murmurs, and she tucks her long red hair back with her fingers. Her cheeks tinge pink and she remembers our kiss.
“Good morning,” I greet her politely. “I see you have outdoor privileges now. Did you sleep well?”
“I don’t usually sleep well,” she admits. “Bad dreams, you know.”
I sit next to her. “What do you dream about?”
She shrugs. “My brother, mostly.”
“You have a brother?” I ask, as if I don’t know. She nods.
“Yes. I did. We’re twins. I mean, we were. He’s gone now.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, my voice low. “Are you quite all right?”
“That’s a very British thing to ask,” she points out.
“That’s the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
She laughs, but she doesn’t know why.
“I’m going to get us some breakfast,” I tell her. “Let’s eat out here.”
She nods in agreement. “Ok.”
I go into the cafeteria and fill two plates with breakfast… chalky scrambled eggs, dry toast and some bits of fruit that look like candy corn.
When I reach Calla again, she’s sitting in the grass, her legs tucked under her.