Page 114 of The Love Interest

I wrap my arms around Juliet and stand up. She’s surprisingly light. Her cold fingers scramble against my shirt, but her grip is weak. A clean hole is ripped right through her shoulder, and her shirt is wet with blood. Maybe I thought too soon; maybe she’s not okay.

She looks into my eyes and her eyelids flutter.

“Juliet!” I say. “Hey, stay with me, okay? Listen, I love you. All right? I love you. It’s okay. I love you.”

Her eyes close.

“Juliet!” I can feel her breath on my neck. She’s not dead. Not yet, at least.

“We need to move!” I cry.

CHAPTER

THIRTY-EIGHT

The camera feed shows the Love Interests flooding into the hallways. The guards that are on duty are quickly outnumbered. She did it. Juliet freaking did it.

“Caden,” says Dyl. “What do you want to do now? Don’t lie to me.”

I never will.

“It’s awful,” I say. “But I want to leave right now. Juliet doesn’t have much time. We can find a way to save the others later.” I look down at Juliet. “I can’t let her die, Dyl.”

“She won’t,” he says. “The wound is bad, but she won’t die from it. The fact that she’s still breathing means the bullet missed all her essential organs, which is good, obviously. We have enough time to save the others. Caden, she won’t die. You trust me, don’t you?”

“I do,” I say. “So we’ll do it.”

“Is that really what you want?”

I nod.

He smiles. “I believe you.”

“Good. The key is in my pocket. I’m not putting her down, so you’re going to have to do it.”

He moves to my side and slides his hand into my pocket. He pulls out the card, then places his hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “Thanks, Caden. Let’s move!”

He releases me, then we run through the doorway. Natalie joins us.

We reach the elevator; Dyl presses the button marked 2 and the doors close. The elevator descends. Juliet is shivering. Finally, the doors reopen.

Standing outside is a group of about thirty guys. They’re all crowded around the door, each one pressing forward. They’re wearing the same clingy sky-blue shirts that are burned into my brain. The memory of the cold, silky, constrictive feel of them makes me shiver.

“You saved us!” cries one, a big guy. The sleeves of his shirt have been cut off to reveal his huge biceps. I look up. Oh wow, it’s Robert, the Bad with the massive back. His eyes are watering. “We’re free. Come on, guys, clap for them!”

They begin to clap and cheer. Their faces contort into smiles, an expression that feels like a punch to my gut.Trevor. Juliet.Was it worth it to let them get shot so these people could smile? Was it really?

“Come on!” I say.

They rush forward and fill the elevator. I’m pressed to the back. Dyl places his hand on my shoulder again. His palm thumps with every heartbeat. Boy, he has a strong heart. The strongest I’ve ever felt. I focus on the sound. Each individual beat. His heart is still beating, so it’s going to be okay.

We reach the top level and the door opens. Two guards descend, their batons raised. One boy’s face cracks under the black metal, but another takes his place. He shoves the guard to the floor and everyone pounces on him, kicking and clawing. The other guard screams, high and loud, as he’s dragged to the floor. The crowd settles, leaving the guards a bloody mess.

I turn to Dyl. His bottom lip is trembling and his hands are balled into fists. His eyes are brimming with tears. He can’t die. Not Dyl.

“You need to go,” I say. “So does Juliet, and Natalie. Dyl, if you take her, I can go back and…” My eyes flick down to the boy’s body. His forehead is crushed inward like a dropped boiled egg, revealing fragments of skull and brain. That could’ve been Dyl. Or Juliet or Natalie. “I need to free the others. It’s what Juliet would want.”

He raises an eyebrow. “There’s no way you’re going back in there alone.”