Page 75 of The Revenge Game

It’s still nothing like the skies over Texas, where the stars fill the sky from horizon to horizon, so bright and clear you feel like you could reach up and pluck one right out of the darkness.

But this is still pretty cool.

“Over here.” I lead Drew to a spot at the edge of the roof.

We settle down, our shoulders touching. The night air has a bite to it, but I barely notice because I’m too aware of the warmth of Drew beside me.

Drew tips his head back, looking at the stars.

Somehow, the darkness makes everything more intimate, like we’re the only two people left in London.

If there was anyone I would want to be stuck in a dark pocket universe with, it would be Drew.

I’ve never had this absolute craving to know everything I possibly can about someone.

“So, I don’t think you’ve ever told me why you came to London,” I say.

Drew hesitates for a few seconds before he answers me. “I guess I felt a bit…lost after my last job ended, so I thought a change of scenery would help.” He pauses again, then continues, “I’m still working out what I want to do with my life.”

There’s a thread of uncertainty in this voice I’ve never heard from Drew. He’s usually so guarded when it comes to sharing information about himself.

“Well, it’s obvious that you’re far too talented to be a help desk technician,” I say.

“What?”

“Everyone talks about it. Roger was talking about how you’ve revolutionized the entire customer database, how everything runs so much smoother now.”

Drew lets out a laugh that sounds a bit breathless.

“I just like solving problems,” he says.

His shoulders are tense, so I swallow my follow-up questions.

“You can actually see some stars tonight,” I say instead, tilting my head back.

“Not many though.”

“No, the light pollution is still pretty bad. I guess you’d have to get way out of the city to see all of the stars.”

Memories of the night sky in Texas flash across my mind again, and I have the urge to share them with him.

“There was this lake near where I used to live,” I say. “I’d go out there when I needed to escape. The stars there were amazing, like the whole sky was putting on a private light show just for me.”

I feel Drew swivel his head toward me, feel the puff of breath on the side of my face as he speaks his next words. “What were you escaping from?”

I suck in a breath. A heartbeat passes. Two heartbeats. But then I find the courage to answer.

“When I was in high school, I was escaping my stepfather,” I say, my voice cracking as I say the words. I swallow hard but force the next words out. “And most of the time, I was also trying to escape myself.”

“Justin—” Drew begins, but before he can continue, there’s the sound of the maintenance door creaking open.

“Hey! Who’s up here?” Mr. Peterson’s gruff voice echoes across the roof.

Shit.

Drew and I scramble to our feet.

The superintendent’s flashlight beam cuts through the darkness.