Page 69

Two years ago …

Matt stares down at the floor, toeing his sneaker into the ground. “I’m, like, three feet shorter than you.” He chuckles, and I smirk at his assessment. To be fair, he’s not far off. I am six foot two.

“You’ll grow.” I shrug.

“I’m not like you.” Vulnerability flashes in his eyes, and I hate it. Staring back at me are the same hazel eyes I adore, minus the green specks that make hers even more unique.

“You have other strengths.”

“Like what?”

“You can run.”

He scoffs. “Run from the bullies.” He shakes his head. “That’s not what I want.” He broadens his shoulders, and I see the truth behind his words. He may be small, but he’s strong in other ways.

I shake my head at his misunderstanding. “I mean, you have stamina and speed, a concoction that can make you stealthy.”

His eyes light up. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Have you ever done gymnastics?”

He rears back on his heels. “You think my dad would let me do gymnastics?”

I scrub a hand over my head and down my face. He’s right. His dad never would allow him to. “Right. Well, that’s where we’ll start. Then we’ll move on to other things.” I let the latter linger in the air.

“How come?”

Throwing an arm over his shoulder, I tug him beneath me. “Because Matty, you’re about to become one of my best secret weapons.”

“How?”

“Because nobody will suspect you, so no one will ever see it coming.” My grin becomes villainous as we head toward the gym while his eyes light up like the Fourth of July.

There’s more to this kid than meets the eye.

So much more, and I’m about to help him discover it.