Page 24

Her words say one thing, but her posture is tight, her expression no longer her usual bubbly, excited self.
Luke: Tell me.
She looks up, catching my eye. Without her needing to say or text anything, I get a clear message...You're not going to quit, are you?I smirk and shake my head. She smiles as if happy I can read her so easily. She quickly taps out a reply on her phone.
Sera: I don't want to cause any trouble between you and your colleagues. He has every right to be suspicious. I work for a company that should, technically speaking, be on your list of suspects. He just voiced that concern, that's all. I don't blame him. And I don't want you to say anything to him.
Luke: You've got a mature perspective about his suspicion. Maybe something else is bothering you?
Sera: I'm still betting on you implanting a chip in my brain, Luke. You're reading my mind way too easily.
Luke: You seem sad. Not angry, not offended, not outraged at Steve's suggestion... You seem SAD, Sparkplug, and that's got me thinking.
She smooths her hand over her head, flattening some curls that have sprung loose from her bun. She looks so beautiful. It's been an effort this entire time not to rush around the table and embrace her in front of my team.
Sera: When Steve mentioned TechGuard, it got me thinking about home... Graham, my boss. He's married to the woman who saved my life. My parents always had issues, but during my teenage years, they got violent with each other. Eleanor taught IT at my school. She would stay late with me, encouraging my love of computers and, eventually, convinced her husband, Graham, to hire me at TechGuard.
Luke: She sounds like a wonderful woman.
Sera: And now she's dying.
Sera stares bleakly across the room, her shoulders slumped.
Sera: She has glioblastoma multiforme, a rare brain cancer requiring experimental treatment. She's like a mom to me. I don't see my parents much. They are who they've always been. But Eleanor is different. She's my best friend and my parental figure.
As I process this news, a selfish thought crosses my mind. There's no way I'll be able to persuade Sera to leave the East Coast. She's too kindhearted to leave this woman during her difficult time.
When the conference ends, we're over. Unless we want to start a long-distance relationship... and who the hell wants that? But surely it would be better than never seeing her again, than imagining her with someone else, another man's hands moving over her luscious body...
Luke: I'm so sorry. That's awful.
Sera: I'm going to be there for her. Whatever happens, she won't go through this alone. She never let me go through anything alone.
Luke: You're an incredible person. She's lucky to have you.
Sera: This trip has been amazing, helping me forget about it for a time, but that conversation brought it all back.
Luke: It's difficult not to tell Steve to cool his jets.
Sera: Don't do that. It's natural that he's suspicious. I don't think you can blame him. Anyway, I'm going to get back to it. In case you haven't noticed, people are sort of watching us.
She's right: Andy with his big, encouraging grin, Steve with a look of suspicion.
Luke: I was in the foster care system as a kid. A man, Victor, mentored me. Without him, I never would've discovered my love of computers. I'd be devastated if he was going through anything like that. If Eleanor ever needs help, you let me know.
She looks up at me with wide eyes.
Sera: That's so generous. Thank you. Luckily, Graham managed to get her into the latest treatment. But seriously, I'll keep that in mind.
We work until the early hours of the morning. When I notice how exhausted everyone is, I tell them to get some sleep. I give Sera a ride back to her hotel.
"You better not come in," she says once we're outside.
"You know I'll get carried away..."
She fiddles with her laptop bag, nodding. "If we do—that—I don't want to be half asleep."
"If? I think you meanwhen."