Page 73 of The Commons

Thinking that he might have been the one who protected me from making the list makes me wonder if he might help me escape. But I know this is a naïve thought.

I can’t afford to be noticed.

Just as I think this, he turns to my direction, locking eyes with me. Crap! I hurry out. I cannot afford to be stopped.

CHAPTER 16

Falling for Pesh

I rush to the elevator, but just as I am about to enter, a strong hand grabs mine and pulls me toward its direction. It is Pesh. How in the world did he get here so fast? He was just on stage.

He pulls me into his office, and the door begins to shut automatically.

I don’t have time to think about the whole eye contact rule before I snap, “What are you doing!?”

“Saving you from killing yourself,” Pesh responds with an authoritative voice. “You think I don’t know what you’re doing? You’re trying to escape to The Seventh Zone.”

I am taken aback, but I try to pretend regardless, to understand what exactly he is trying to say. “That’s stupid, why would I do that?”

“Yeah, that’s a good question. Why would you do that?” he responds instantly, almost interrupting me. “What were you doing in my office last night?”

I’m in shock. “I… um… knew my last test was coming up, so… I wanted to see you to⁠—”

“To get my attention.”

“I…” I stop talking.

He pulls out many files. My eyes flicker, confused. With each file he drops, I am thrown back by his casual demeanor, but I maintain my straight pose. He looks up at me. I take a deep breath.

Suddenly, he’s walking toward me with a fixated gaze. “Installed at The Selection are trackers in your neck. I am your Patron, so I can see everywhere you go, every move you make, and my computers here hold all of the information about you and all your attempts to find out information about Levon.”

I draw back in shock and spit out the next few words, unaware. “My sister? You know her?” I collect my posture quickly.

He pauses, then dissolves into a compassionate demeanor, just for a second. “I had met her a few times. She was crushing the tests.”

“And did she do the study abroad like Patron De Londe said?”

He is silent for a moment, then steps closer to me. “What do you think?”

“I think if I get too smart, that’s a problem and Levon had that problem.”

“And you don’t?” He takes a step closer, and that’s when I feel it. This thing between us, unraveling me from the inside out. He leans down, and we are close.

Trying to avert the heat of his gaze, I drive my feet backward. Pesh smirks before stepping back.

“Why did you help me just now?” he asks, leaning against his desk.

“A thank you would be nice,” I respond, thinking I have an edge with that ego, but his confidence speaks louder.

“I would thank you, but I don’t think your intentions are genuine,” he says. What is he getting at?

“Excuse me?” I respond, puzzled.

He paces around me, calmly. My eyes follow his movements as I try to figure out his next move.

“Did you save me to help me, or did you save me so I could help you?”

I curl my fists. He looks at my nervous hands, then up into my eyes. “I was trying to help you,” I say.