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"What’s happening to me?" he said

Jack narrowed his eyes skeptically and leaned against the closed door

I sat by Cole and brushed a clump of dirty hair out of his eyes His blond strands were barely visible underneath inches of what looked like caked mud His eyes looked so blank, as if they s to an empty room

But was it empty inside? I yanked my hand away

"Colelook at me," I said He obeyed "You remember my name?"

He frowned "You’re Nikki"

"But do you knoho I am?" I said I didn’t mention the fact that he had so naturally kissed lue

He tilted his head sideways as if he were trying to reo His lower lip started to tremble "I only know that I had to find you I’ his hand in ht, but so happened Do you knohere Max, Oliver, and Gavin are?"

"Who?"

"The rest of the band"

"What band?"

I sighed "The Dead Elvises Your band You, Max, Oliver, and Gavin" I said the names slowly

He furrowed his brow and looked fro for one of us to tell hi joke

Jack shoved his hands into his pockets and shook his head "I don’t think he’s faking," he said

"Everything he does is fake!" My outburst surprised me Cole flinched at the venoure it out later Can you get some rest?"

Cole nodded; and as if all he needed wasthe bedspread with him He didn’t even bother to orient hied shut, and within moments he was asleep

I looked up at Jack "We can’t let hiht like this"

"I know," Jack said

"But I don’t want to be stupid either If it is a trick"

Jack pulled me over to his bed and clasped my hand "We can’t affordYou can’t afford to lose hiwhat purpose would it serve? Especially consideringat his condo"

"Who’s to say the black-eyed man doesn’t work for Cole?" I said

I kneas being completely unreasonable with that accusation, but I couldn’t help it It was the product of my recent spiral of hate for hiht "But ould Cole do it? He was getting everything he wanted, naht He was in the power position They were building an army So ould he fake amnesia?"

"I don’t know I just can’t think about anything else"

Jack glanced at Cole,sure he was asleep, and then he put his lips atelse?"

I looked into his chocolate-brown eyes and let Jack’s caler? We had Cole back I was safe for now We had a plan to take down the Everneath I didn’t know if it was y or the fact that neither of us had been able to relax in what see time Or maybe it was the fact that Cole was more than asleep--he was passed out on the other bed

"I bet I can et about him"

Jack’s lips twitched "Betcha can’t"

"Hain at Cole He had the bedspread over his face and was snoring softly I turned back to Jack "I think I’ll take this hot hoodie off," I said in a fake-breathy voice

For a moment Jack stood transfixed, a worried look in his eyes But he couldn’t help a slanced at Cole

"Don’t worry," I said with a grin "He’s out cold Plus I have a T-shirt on underneath And a tank on under that"

"You and your rabbed the he up on the fabric until I turned it inside out and ripped it off My hair fell in messy curls all around me

I heard Jack’s intake of breath

But then a quick ht my eye Cole had ripped off the bedcovers, sat up, and was now staring at ain"

The blood rushed toto throw at hiht the look on his face It was pure, innocent joy

I waited for his s, but nothing happened He never would’ve said that in front of Jack--with such a coiven hi at her," Jack warned

"I’ as if I had stripped down to a teddy or solorious, isn’t she?"

Jack tensed, and I rushed to his side to hold hio," I said

Cole looked up at us, confused "What? She is, isn’t she?" He looked to Jack as if expecting confirmation

Jack’s previous patience with Cole had been eradicated The lines around his lips and eyes tightened, and he clenched a fist

I handed Jack the roo else, and to give hi to tear apart if he needed to

"Cole, go to sleep You’re obviously exhausted Jack, order room service Extra French fries"

Jack raised an eyebrow--he knew I only used French fries for extreencies--and then nodded and sat at the desk

Cole just watched rinned expectantly "What comes off next? The T-shirt?"

Suddenly a pillow hit hiloved fist The sea

"So" Cole blew a feather off of his shoulder "No?"

Jack tried to give ht lines around his mouth faltered