After my run-in with Callan at the Gekko Club, I had every intention of staying out of the whole mess. He had seen the crates. I told them everything I knew, and they told me in no uncertain terms to leave them to it. Fine by me.
At least it was, until two days later when I was stripping my bedsheets and I found a piece of paper tucked underneath my pillow. I picked it up and unfolded it.
Printed on the scrap of paper was a message: BACK OFF. This is your only warning.
My stomach lurched.
I scrunched up the note in my hand and turned to Roxy, who was doing her make-up in the mirror, getting ready for a bonfire night and fireworks display.
“What did you do last night?” I asked casually.
“Barnaby took me to the cinema.”
“Did you come up here at all?”
“He picked me up.” She turned to face me.
“Did he come in here?”
Roxy’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Yes, is that a problem? He’s my boyfriend.”
Barnaby had snuck the note under my pillow. He must have seen me at the Gekko Club. I crinkled the note in my fist. I wouldn’t let him intimidate me.
“Roxy, I need to talk to you about Barnaby.”
She turned her back to me and picked up her lipstick. “What about him?”
“I wish I didn’t have to tell you this, I really do.”
Roxy stopped applying her lipstick. “Don’t spoil this for me.”
I scrubbed my hands across my face. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to ruin it for you. I just don’t want you to get hurt. I’m trying to protect you. I think he’s really dangerous, Rox.”
She propped her hands on her hips.
“Dangerous? How?” The scathing look on her face told me she was having none of it. The lid of Pandora’s box was already teetering. Might as well go for it now.
“You want the truth?”E
She folded her arms across her chest with a huff.
“Fine. I think Barnaby is the one doing something to those students.”
Her eyes rounded. “What? Are you seriously accusing my boyfriend of being a rapist?”
I bit my lip. Here goes nothing.
“No, I don’t think he’s a rapist; I think he’s an alien.”
Shock rippled across Roxy’s face. Before she could protest or laugh or whatever reaction came next, I launched into my story, keeping it as brief as I could while Roxy stared at me, gawping like a goldfish. Once I finished, I drew in a long breath and waited.
After a long, painful pause, she finally said, “An alien? Barnaby? And you know this because your boyfriend was one… called Jack. Do you have any idea how you sound right now?”
I sank down on my bed with a sigh. “Certifiable. Believe me, I know. I’ve been where you are. Listen, I know how it sounds. And I don’t expect you to believe me without proof. But Roxy, Barnaby is dangerous.”
She barked out a bitter laugh. “I knew you were jealous. I did. But I had no idea you were delusional. This is beyond pathetic, Eliza.”
“Please, just give me some time. I’ll get you proof.”
“What kind of proof? Are you going to show me his spaceship?” she said, her harsh tone mocking.
“Roxy, aliens are real, and I’m afraid he is one of them. Think about it—there are no traces of toxins in any of the spiking victims’ bodies, no evidence of a needle or any type of drug, because for an alien—”
“Will you shut up about aliens!” Roxy shrieked. “Eliza, there is something seriously wrong with you.”
“I know it’s hard to believe, and I don’t expect to you to. I am seriously worried about you. I followed him to the forest the other day. He’s up to something dodgy, and he slipped this under my pillow. Look.”
I held out the note, and she looked at it like it was going to bite her.
“You followed him to the forest? Oh my God. What is wrong with you?
“Please listen to me. I know he’s behind the—”
“Poor Barnaby, being accused of something so awful.” She pointed her finger at me. “You better not have told anyone else about this, Eliza. Reputation is everything in his circles. I need to get out of here.”
“No, wait.” I grabbed her arm, desperately trying to think of a way to make her understand.
Her lips twisted, and she pushed me away. “Get away from me.” She backed up, then spun around and grabbed her bag.
“Roxy, wait. Please,” I called, but she practically ran out of the room.
The door slammed so hard the framed picture of us above her desk clattered to the floor.
Well done, Eliza. You handled that beautifully.
I picked up the frame and stared at the photo. We were hugging each other, dressed to the nines at a party I had no memory of.
With a cry I threw it on the bed, then paced about for a while, playing the conversation back. Tears slid down my cheeks, and I swiped them away furiously. Gah! I’d gone about everything the wrong way. I shouldn’t have told her. What did I expect? I was accusing her boyfriend of a heinous crime when things between us were already strained. Did I really expect her to accept the existence of aliens immediately? With no proof? I glanced at the crumpled note on the floor. I had pushed her straight into Barnaby’s arms. Chewing my lip, I sat down on my bed and dried my eyes with the corner of my sleeve. What should I do now?
I tried Roxy’s phone a couple of times, but it went straight to voicemail. I pulled on my boots. I had to find her and figure out a calm way to convince her I was telling the truth.
Campus was busy considering classes had finished hours ago. The university’s fireworks party was kicking off with a huge bonfire and hot dogs. Students milled around the grounds, and I scanned the crowds for any sign of Roxy or Barnaby.
Someone stepped into my path, and I swerved to avoid colliding with them. When I looked up, my breath caught. Jack stood in front of me. I’d been so lost in thought I had almost bumped right into him.
“Eliza, hey. I was hoping I would run into you. I…” He dipped his head to catch my eye, and his forehead creased. “Have you been crying?”
“No, I… a bit… I had an argument with my roommate. What’s up?” I asked, brushing my feelings aside. I didn’t want to tell Jack I’d confessed to Roxy until I had the chance to speak to her again.
“I felt weird about the way we left things, and I wanted to talk. Are you free? Maybe we can get a coffee?”
“Sure.”
We walked along the path towards a coffee shop that I knew was open late.
We didn’t talk. I was too busy thinking of the look on Roxy’s face when she accused me of being jealous. I needed to fix things. This couldn’t lead to another Amy situation, but I had no clue how to show her the truth without landing myself in Meadow View.
Anxiety swirled inside me. I was so confused, second-guessing myself constantly. The universe was giving me sign after sign to walk away. Stubborn as ever, I kept ignoring it. I couldn’t walk away. I continued to cling tightly with both hands like an idiot, making things worse at every turn.
Jack stopped outside the coffee shop, and I realised he’d been talking. I’d been so distracted I hadn’t heard a single word. “Are you sure you’re okay? We can do this another time.”
A lock of dark hair had fallen onto his forehead. It killed me not to reach out and touch him. Trace my fingers along his jaw. Be close with him.
“Eliza? You’re staring.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay, it’s just—”
“Why did you come here?” I interrupted before I could stop myself.
He held my gaze, his eyes glittering with silver flecks. “My head tells me you are off your rocker, but… I don’t know. There’s something else.”
“Your heart,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “Your heart knows mine. Your instincts are telling you this is real.”
“Maybe. All I know is, ever since I met you, I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Without stopping to think, I placed my hands on either side of his face and leaned in. Our lips met in a wild kiss. Weeks of yearning bubbled over as I slid my fingers into his hair. He responded instantly: his hands dropped to my waist, pulling me to him.
Our kiss deepened, and heat flared. My synapses sparked. It was the first time I had felt true alien power since I woke up in this life. I relished the burst of adrenaline as it rushed through my veins.
A stream of flashes blazed through me from the inside out.
Hiding from Dray at the bank—arguing when I accused him of manipulating me—teasing and laughing with each other—the heat from our first kiss—Jack shouting he loved me at the hotel in London—standing in my kitchen when he told me about my dad—running from the Greys—in the warehouse fighting Dray—the first time we connected—crying when he begged me not to sacrifice myself—kissing him goodbye on Bayronite.
I pulled back, my vision blurred with tears. My heart ached at the precious memories of our relationship. A whoosh of colour shot into the sky. With a bang, a rainbow of starlight exploded, sprinkling glitter across the night. Another followed with a whizz as cheers rose from onlookers.
I stumbled out of Jack’s grip. My fingers touched my lips. The flashes. Our kiss must have sparked my memories and… when I looked at Jack, his eyes were wide. Liquid metal, sparking with silver.
“What the hell?” he asked, his voice low and scratchy.
My jaw dropped. He had seen it too.