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"We’ll share," she whispered, and he shifted her weight "Here Take a bite"
His eyes lit up, and he held her securely on his lap as she angled the spork and sausage between his teeth "I could get used to this," he said around the mouthful, and relief dropped her shoulders She hated it when she made a mistake this obvious
It was all about routine Routine wouldn’t bring her memory back, but she had to have stability to notice as out of place--and she was ood," he said as he shifted her so he could help himself "You know, Bill is really not happy about the knot Wants us back ASAP"
"Of course he does" But her gaze went to the interstate If so deeper than a me iood option "What do you think? Back by noon?" she asked reluctantly, still wanting a defrag before she faced the couch warriors with their psych tests and evaluations But if he was too tired …
Jack nodded, picking the walnuts out of the yogurt to eat theet soood to do a defrag, though," he added, and Peri exhaled in relief
It wasn’t as if she could force hied off because he was too tired, she would’ve had to wait Most people at Opti thought the drafter was the ruling force in a drafter-anchor pairing, but the honest truth was, the anchor held the sanity of his or her partner--and every drafter knew it "Now?" she asked, feeling as if they were running out of ti the half-eaten omelet away, he levered her up, his hands fa, and Peri took up the button It was cold--as if it held nightmares Jack closed the curtains, and she sat in his chair, the fabric still warh the thin fabric It was like hed when he ca into her forehead Like a top-dollar an to work the tension fro her bruise as he found and held pressure points until she exhaled the energy from her The hot shower had eased her sore muscles, and Jack worked from her eyes to her forehead, to her jaw, to her cheekbones, and back again until Peri’s slight headache was gone She stifled a moan when he turned to her neck and shoulders There were lots of ways to calm the mind and body, but this was her favorite
Peri was still holding the button lightly, her fingers flexing around it as Jack eased her tension All drafters tied memories to objects to help make them real, but it was only the final timeline that was allowed to re a memory knot, but it was tamed and safe because there’d only be one timeline associated with it That anchors could remember both was a wonder to Peri How could there be two pasts? It didn’t make sense
"We ate in the city at sunset," Jack said, his voice low, al cheese, and crackers aht You flirted with the waiter until he brought you a plate of al that sounded like her "You drove the long way to the building so you could sing with the Beatles We were the happy, tipsy couple e entered, and no one gave us a second look You ti the floor’s main door I was three seconds slow"
But two ht at thecircuits Her closed eyes twitched, and Jack’s words ht beca the view as I worked," he said, and she breathed easy, rehts between the street and night sky, her confidence that they’d be back at their hotel by sunrise eating breakfast on their balcony and Jack co him with health food
"You pointed out the planes stacked for landing," he said, and she drowsed, recalling her goodwell Then you heard the elevator, and you were feeling daring, so you leftit An anchor had to be within a drafter’s reach to recognize a juht have left Jack unable to bring back her ht, her grip tightening on the button, the holes sharp on her skin
"It was the security guard," Jack said, his touch returning to her jawline to work the nen froer now She could feel Jack with her, theiruntil his enizable as hers There’d been lights on the ceiling, doors opening that should have reerous, aware lifter instead of a creaers fell away as their connection solidified and her closed eyes began to dart in earnest Together they saw the ave Jack the knowledge that the guard had smelled like whiskey and shen they had collided Jack felt her confidence when the guard opened the door, felt her pain when his fist found her eye Peri’s heart pounded as she recalled the taste of her blood when he shot her, the s away froray hair…
And then Jack wrapped his unpowder, and the i them Peri’s breath came easier as the broken weave vanished, replaced by the ive as her knife scraped on the guard’s ribs and found his lungs