30. Ever
Chapter 30
Ever
H oly shit, I did it. Stunned, I watch small, glittery sparks tingle down my fingers and into the open back of the small fan open on the counter.
“Don’t lose focus!” Myles shouts. “Think about what you want it to do, otherwise-”
I yelp as he suddenly jerks me out of the way, the fan crackling and exploding. Parts go flying, pelting Myles’s back as he shields me against his chest. When I finally risk peering over his shoulder, all that’s left is a smoking pile of debris and a charred mark on the worktable.
“It’ll explode,” he finishes too late, releasing me to survey the damage and shooting me a sheepish grimace. “Power without an outlet is volatile. Maybe one step at a time is the wrong approach. We should probably teach you how to use our abilities in theory before worrying about figuring out how you borrow them.”
But I can’t stop laughing enough to care that I could have accidentally blown my hand off. I did it. I intentionally borrowed Myles’s ability and used it.
I’m not a supernatural dud after all.
“What the hell was that?” Bellamy calls, shoving the door open into Myles’s workshop. “Are you okay?”
“All good here, no worries!” Sure my guilt is written all over my face, I watch him scrutinize me closely before deciding to drop it and reluctantly taking his post manning the front office again.
I haven’t exactly told him about the guys’ theory about me being a mimic yet, but not for lack of trying. Every time I confront the others about it, either they bring up Seraphina’s warning about not letting anyone besides our initial group know, Myles conveniently forgot the device that keeps out listening ears at work, or they remind me that it’s a theory, nothing we know for sure. No point borrowing trouble.
But this confirms it. I really am a mimic.
If Bellamy wasn’t freaked out enough about the dangers I’m in surrounded by mystics, this’ll give him all the ammunition he needs to make his case we should leave. Maybe… maybe it wouldn’t hurt to hold off breaking the news a little longer. Just until he sees that the guys are decent people and this town isn’t full of monsters.
Shaking off my somber thoughts, I decide to let myself be happy for once. Not stressing over everything that could go wrong, but focusing on what’s finally going right.
“Double check.” Bouncing on my toes, I thrust a desk light into his hands. “See if you can make it strobe or change color.”
But two minutes of trying later, Myles can’t make it do shit, and I’m riding a high I never want to come down from.
Myles meets my grin with one of his own. “Not so much as a spark. Shit, is this what humans feel like all the time ?” Staring down at his hands, his amusement falters. “And I thought I felt helpless compared to other mysts out there. But to have absolutely no natural defenses? No wonder humans treat us like monsters. Compared to them… we are.”
“Hey, stop.” Nudging his shoulder, I offer a reassuring smile. “Have you ever cracked open a history book? Sure, there are some mysts that abuse their power, but trust me, humans are far from powerless. Otherwise mysts wouldn’t be the ones living in the shadows.”
Slowly, the melancholy slips from his shoulders, a small smile curving the corner of his lips. “What the heck did I do to deserve such a smart, drop-dead gorgeous, amazing mate?”
Heat blooms across my cheeks. I like shy, nervous Myles, but bold Myles? He gives me butterflies. I thought I was well past the age of getting school girl crushes, but turns out, Mercy Ridge is full of all kinds of surprises.
Almost as if I tempted the universe with the thought, Bellamy’s muffled voice starts getting heated and I share a loaded glance with Myles. He glances at his watch. “Shit, they’re almost an hour early for their consultation.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll help Bell stall for time until you get your powers back.”
He hesitates. “Maybe you should stay here. Now that we know you’re,” he rolls his lips in, biting back the words as his gaze darts to the door, “so multi-talented, you should stick close.”
I point to the scorch mark and pick up the desk lamp off his work desk. “No worries, if nothing else, I learned how to blow stuff up. Lamp-grenade for the win, am I right?”
He snorts, shaking his head, but some of the tension eases from his shoulders. “Bell’s better at protecting you then I am on my best day, anyway. You’ll be safe with him,” he says more firmly, almost as if he’s trying to convince himself. Darting in to swiftly kiss my cheek, he ushers me out the door. “I’ll clean up and meet you out there in a few minutes.”
Grinning like a fool, I join Bellamy in the lobby.
Only for my heart to plummet like a stone as I cross the threshold and nearly trip over my own feet.
“ Adam ? What the hell are you doing here? How are you here?”
I think I’m going to be sick.
If he’s here, then he’s a myst. Which means that I was living with a supernatural for months and never had a clue. With me being a center? I’m starting to understand Bellamy’s paranoia, because how could that have been a coincidence? The odds are astronomical.
“Everest.” All blond hair and bright smiles, Adam breaks out his most charming smile, the one that convinced me to date him in the first place. But now? It just pisses me off.
“What the fuck, Adam?”
His smile falters. “I was worried about you, so I tracked your phone.”
Can I sue the phone company for aiding and abetting a stalker?
“I know, I lost my head there for a bit, but can you blame me?” he continues, oblivious to my rising fury. “Losing you… I didn’t handle it well.” Sheepishly, he rubs the back of his neck. “Let me buy you a coffee? Give me a chance to apologize and explain everything.” His gaze slides over to Bellamy. “Without your friend eavesdropping.”
I have a death grip on the lamp, stepping up beside Bellamy to put the counter between me and my ex. Otherwise, this lamp is going to end up embedded in his skull. “What are you?” I demand, cutting through the bullshit.
He stands taller, smoothing out his suit. “I come from a family of highly respected fox shifters.”
A cruel smirk twists Bell’s face as he casually leans against the counter. “Let me guess, you drew the short straw and wound up with something lame like super hearing, didn't you?”
Adam's face heats, jaw clenching as he grits out, “My hearing gives me the winning edge most lawyers only dream of. So what if I can’t shift? I'm smarter than everyone that steps foot in my courtroom combined.”
Myles walks into the room, wrapping an arm around my waist. “Clearly not if she walked in on you cheating on her.”
Bell’s grin is savage. “Super hearing and still caught with your pants down. I’m impressed you’re still willing to show your face in public, but some people are into public humiliation I guess.” He shrugs. “Do what you want, but you’re doing it alone. Our girl isn’t going anywhere with you, so get the fuck out.”
Adam's eyes flash to Bell’s wrist and widen before ignoring him to pin me under his sharp, probing gaze. “If I'd known you were a center I'd have done things differently, but you told me it was a tattoo. Of course I believed your lies. What kind of myst princess scrubs toilets and spends more time playing video games than with the man she’s dating?”
“One that doesn’t mind hard work to claw her way up in the world?” I slam the lamp down on the desk. “Everything I have, I’ve earned . Nothing was handed to me; not that you know the first thing about struggling. Daddy put you through law school and had one of his buddies give you a job.”
I shake my head in disgust. “You know what? You cheating was the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm happy here. People treat me like I matter.”
“Well what the hell was I supposed to do, Everest?” he snaps. “We barely saw each other. Anytime I was home, you were too busy playing games or sleeping to pay me any attention. If I’d known I was signing up for a sexless relationship, I never would have asked you to move in.”
Ooph . That one stings a bit, not gonna lie.
Actually, fuck that. Sleeping with me was so good in the beginning, he wanted me to move in rent free. That’s a compliment.
Adam huffs out an annoyed exhale and straightens his tie, plastering on his fake-ass lawyer smile. “But now that you’ll never need to work again, you’ll be able to focus on your mates. Things can go back to the way they used to be. Remember how good we were in the beginning? Before life kept stressing us out and driving us apart?”
An incredulous laugh slips from my lips. “Get the fuck out of here, Adam. I want nothing to do with a narcissistic asshole like you. Move on; I sure as hell have.”
I storm into the back, Bell and Myles hot on my heels.
And, unfortunately, Adam too.
“Everest, please.” The crack in his voice gives me pause, and I glance over my shoulder. “We can adjust the terms of the contract, give me a smaller cut, but my boss made it clear that if I lose this deal, he’ll ruin me. I won’t just get fired, he’ll blackball me in the industry. You still get your money and I can keep my job, we part ways, and everybody wins.”
If it wasn’t for Bellamy’s iron grip around my waist, I’d be on the hook for assault as it dawns at me and I lunge on instinct. “ That’s why they were always getting my name wrong, wasn’t it? You fucking snake, you were taking credit for the system and planned to cut me out entirely, weren’t you?!”
Myles’s scowl is as vicious as his brother’s as he spits in disgust, “And now they’re ready to start production, but you don’t have anything to give them.”
Adam’s red-faced; not admitting it, but not denying it either. “It’s not like you don’t owe me. If it wasn’t for me, you’d still be living in that shitty rundown studio apartment. Do you have any idea how much I invested in you? Supported you while you took your good sweet time tinkering with that thing?”
It’s official, I’m too pissed off to form words. My brain is just stuck on a silent loop of silent, seething rage.
Bellamy’s thumb starts up a steady stroke on my side, as soothing as he can manage in his agitation. “I always knew you were a piece of shit, but I can’t believe Ever put up with you for as long as she did. She’s clearly a saint with that charity work.”
Adam fumes, glare bouncing between the three of us like he’s not sure who he hates the most right now. “I knew that gaming buddy line was bullshit. You were seriously fucking both of them behind my back?” Finally, he settles on me, pinning me with a look of utter disgust. “Guess I should thank you for all those ‘headaches’ you had the past few months, huh? At least I don’t need to worry about getting myself checked.”
If you’d have asked me to bet on who would snap first, I’d have bet my money on Bellamy. So when Myles lays out Adam with one punch, I’m so busy gawking in surprise, it takes all the wind out of my sails. Adam slams into one of the shelves lining the wall, dozens of projects in various states of completion and spare parts crashing down around him.
More pissed off than I knew he was capable of, Myles barks, “You have twenty minutes to get past the border. If you’re stupid enough to stick around or try to set foot in Mercy Ridge again, I’ll take great pleasure in watching the barrier incinerate your pathetic ass. Now get the fuck out of my building.”
With a murderous glare, Adam wipes the back of his hand across his bloody lip, pushing himself to his feet and out of the pile of ruined projects. “You know what? Good fucking riddance. I wouldn’t want to be stuck in whatever weak-ass bond group you're patching together anyway. You three losers deserve each other.” Without a backwards glance, he storms out, the three of us holding our breath until we hear the bells chiming as the front door opens and shuts.
You could cut the tension in the air with a knife, but just as I’m about to apologize, Myles shakes out his hand with a wince. “Son of a bitch that hurt!”