A Touch Mortal

Chapter 27





Eden pressed her ear against her bedroom door, listening. She heard the shake of cereal, a spoon hitting the side of a bowl, which meant Adam was in the kitchen. She heard footsteps as he moved to the living room. The springs on the couch. James was probably in his room, wouldn’t stop her anyway. But where was Jarrod?

Just go, she thought. Maybe he’s still asleep. She cringed as her door creaked open, her coat tucked under her arm, tiptoeing behind the couch. Adam didn’t notice her.

She almost made it to the door.

“Where are you going?” Jarrod asked, keeping his tone genial as he rounded the corner from the kitchen. He slid between her and the exit to the apartment and tossed a casual hand against the wood, ready to hold the door shut if Eden tried to open it.

“It’s eleven o’clock. You know where I’m going,” Eden said, slipping into her coat. “Move.” She stared him down. He wavered, but only for a moment.

“No,” Jarrod said. Adam looked up from the couch, the page of his magazine mid-turn.

“Move your hand, Jarrod.” She stepped closer, jaw set. James opened the door to the boys’ room, drawn out by the tone of their voices.

“No,” Jarrod said again.

“Get the f*ck out of my way!” Eden yelled.

Adam slid between them, taking Eden’s hand as he turned to face Jarrod.

“I’m going with her,” he said quickly, cutting Eden off before she had a chance to defend herself. “No more than two. She promised me we’ll try to come up with something different. We’ll all sit down and talk about it when we get back, okay? James, come on,” he added. He shot a glare toward Jarrod. “I think Jarrod needs some time by himself to calm down.”

Eden slammed out the door. Stomping down the stairs, she covered two flights before Adam and James caught up.

“You’re welcome,” Adam said.

Eden whirled to face him. “And what exactly should I be thanking you for again?”

James edged around them. “I’m gonna wait outside.”

“I got you out of the apartment, didn’t I?” Adam yelled as the door closed behind James. His voice bounced through the stairwell.

“I don’t need your help, and I really don’t need you putting words in my mouth. Jarrod doesn’t get to tell me what to do.”

His face fell. “Eden, come on. What’s the big deal? Take a couple days off.” He reached for her hand.

“I said I’d think about cutting down. I never agreed to anything else.”

“Just one day off, then. What can it hurt?”

“It hurts them,” she spat, yanking her hand back to point to the door. “It hurts me because every day they’re alive, they’re spreading the word about me. More will show up the next day.”

“I think it’s safe to say the rumor’s out.” He frowned. “Jarrod was right, wasn’t he? You can’t stop.”

She closed her eyes, forcing herself to take a breath. “I don’t want to,” she said a minute later. “You think I’m happy about this? Freeing the Siders sucks. I hurt, all the time. But it’s important to me, Adam. It’s important that they have a choice.”

Eden threw the door open, half of her wanting to see a small army amassed out there. She would take every last one, Adam be damned.

Instead, she froze, Adam bumping into her from behind.

Libby sat alone on the stairs.

“Hey,” she mumbled, wiping a tear from a blotchy cheek. Strands of her hair had come loose from her ponytail in the breeze. The dark circles under her eyes set off the fierce blue.

“Hey,” Adam said when Eden stayed silent. “Where’s James?”

“He said you guys were yelling. He headed for the alley, I think.” She turned back to Eden. “I’m really sorry about your necklace. It was an accident.”

“Have you been out here all night?” Adam asked.

“I never said it wasn’t,” Eden said, not giving her a chance to answer Adam’s question. “Listen.” She hesitated, unprepared for the huge apology she knew Libby deserved. “I’m under a lot of stress right now. I overreacted.”

“You told me not to touch you,” Libby said, standing. “So it’s my fault.”

“Still…” Eden’s gaze swept the stairs. “Where are they?” she asked, distracted. “The Siders. Did you send them away or something?”

“There weren’t any,” Libby answered. “I was hoping there’d be someone here to talk to, but no one came.”

“No.” Eden took the stairs slowly, anxiety filling her when it should have been Touch. “They’re always here.” Libby and Adam were at her heels as she headed for the alley.

She peeked behind the Dumpster, sure she would find them huddled up and bitter over the wait. “I don’t understand it. There’s always been at least one, and that was in the beginning.”

She turned to Adam, perplexed. He shrugged, hooking his thumbs into the waistband of his jeans. “Nothing better than an unexpected vacation,” he offered.

“That’s not what she wants, though.” Eden and Adam both turned, surprised when Libby spoke. “She just wants to do her job. She likes it when things stay simple. It’s kind of her thing in case you hadn’t noticed.”

Adam stared at her for a long second.

“Of course I noticed,” he said.

“I mean, we’re talking about a girl who won’t even add sugar or creamer to her coffee. She likes things uncomplicated.”

Eden’s mouth dropped open.

Libby blushed. “Sorry. I’m observant like that, I guess.”

“Okay,” Eden said slowly.

“Speaking of coffee…Are you guys going to Milton’s?” Libby asked.

An awkward moment passed before Adam nodded.

“James!” Eden yelled, spinning to the entrance of the alley. She gave him a second. He wouldn’t wander. Hell, he barely left visual contact in public, let alone went far enough that he wouldn’t hear her call. She raised her voice, calling his name again.

Adam took a tentative step forward, and glanced at Libby. “You said he came this way, right?”

“I wasn’t really watching,” she said.

Eden made her way back to the street. A few pedestrians straggled down the sidewalk, nonplussed. “Think he went back upstairs?”

“James.” She turned at Adam’s voice, following his line of vision to a storefront. Eden sighed.

“Are you coming with us?” She stepped toward the legs, crossed and splayed out from the doorway where James sat, the bandaged wrist resting cocked on the stoop. “What are you—” Her breath caught.

She didn’t dare to touch him. Instead, she dropped, her knees screaming as they cracked against the ground. Light shone through him, like tiny bricks suddenly missing the mortar. She saw it every morning in the alley.

“James?” she whispered, and looked up at Adam. His eyes squinted as if he could focus the picture until it made sense. Eden’s hair stirred, strands sliding against her cheek. The body burst into grains of ash; stinging eyes she slammed tight a second too late.

When she opened them, James was gone.