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My palms hugged the cinnamon roll coffee mug as Jade served the breakfast pastries. I awaited her first questions. In my experience, it was better to allow my interrogator to explain what they thought they knew and ask for explanations than it was to spew descriptions that would only lead to more confusion.
Dread beaded on my temples like sweat. Meanwhile, Alive and Kicking was slam dancing in my brain. It was such a strange clue for the Raven—borderline encouraging, which was not the Raven’s style. What was going on? I was certain he was backing off since I had abandoned my crush. His henchmen didn’t let up, but they weren’t killers. Now the master villain was toying with me.
Jade took the seat across from me and sighed. She stretched. Her dirty blond fringe lay limp across her forehead, and yesterday’s thick eyeliner accented her dark circles. Her steely stare of truth was as steady as ever.
She slowly sipped her coffee, smiling as the flavor rolled over her tongue. “You’re right,” she said. “It is better the next day. It’s almost”—she smacked her lips— “like melting truffles of coffee goodness.”
It was an excellent description, but I couldn’t make myself say so. Terror clumped in my throat. Even the coffee wasn’t strong enough to displace it.
“I’m going to talk,” Jade said, folding her hands in front of her mug. “Please, listen, and then we’ll chat.”
That was already my plan. I nodded at Jade.
“You may have noticed,” she started, a strange pain thrumming through her words, “I have this ‘ability’.”
Ability?
“Nell jokes about it, but I don’t find it funny. I use it to my advantage and do my best to make sure I help others with it. That’s all. And using it doesn’t mean I love it.”
“You mean your truth serum stare?” I asked.
Jade nodded solemnly. “That’s Nell’s name for it, but it’s not just a stare.”
“You’re a human lie detector.”
“Something like that,” she said, averting her green eyes. “I prefer calling it discernment. I get this feeling when I can or can’t trust someone.”
“That sounds like a good thing.” I tried to encourage her.
Jade brushed her bangs from her face. “I guess it would, to someone who doesn’t have the same gift. It bites. From the moment I meet someone, I can tell if they’re private or lying to me. What it doesn’t tell me is if lying is their habit or if it’s a fear-based fluke. Once I get the vibe, it’s hard to shake it off.”
My eyebrows arched. I took a quick sip of coffee to hide my amazement.
“Like when we met.” Jade gestured to both of us. “I could tell you were terrified, lonely, and truthful. However, you were hiding something. There aren’t many people who aren’t carrying secrets around with them. I try not to pry unless it’s necessary. With you, I knew you needed help. In order to help you, I wanted your honesty.”
My breath hitched. Jade reached across the table and touched my hand to reassure me. “When I asked, you gave it. Thank you. I did my best not to ask the wrong questions and still be your friend. Like, I knew your heart was broken, probably a doomed romance or the like, but I didn’t want to ask you to tell me and then have you feel you needed to lie. I waited, hoping you would share.”
“I didn’t,” I said, desperate to make my apology heard without committing to a revealing peek inside my heart.
“You would have,” Jade said. “Eventually.”
It was kind of her to think so. If they did not entangle the Raven in every story I had to tell, then yes, I would’ve spilled to Jade. She was quirky, sweet, and understanding. I’d had good friends before. None that I believed could get me and my unique curse. Jade, however, could. I knew it.
“This “superpower” is cold. It keeps me from making deep connections with anyone not already in my circle. I love my family and friends. But—”
“You’re still alone,” I answered in complete comprehension.
“I knew you’d get it.” Jade smudged her smeared makeup even more by rubbing her eyes free of tears. “That’s why I’ve told you. Now you know I’m not a threat to you.”
“Threat?”
“To you and your secret,” Jade said. I gulped. How much did Jade think she knew? “Why did you come to our small town?”
My mouth went dry, even as I swallowed another gulp of coffee. “Is it that bad?” Jade watched me over her mug. When her eyes met mine, she drew back. “Don’t answer that question. Move on to this one. You know my strange and special gift. Something tells me you have one too. Start there.”
“How about I start at the beginning, and we’ll work our way there?”
Jade nodded. “Or you can start with what had you so spooked when Nell was on the phone?”
Which question did I want to answer first? My stomach spun, and my head bubbled. I was stuck. It was lie and lose my new friend or tell the truth and scare her away forever.
The truth won out.