At Rowan’s suggestion, Eve meets him at the crack of dawn outside the compound. Her breath is visible as a gentle mist rolls on the ground. Half awake, she yawns, tucking her cold hands under her arms. Eve regrets not wearing a windbreaker over her hoodie, but Rowan promised her a run.
Sure enough, right at five o’clock, he comes bouncing down the stairs in sweatpants and a hoodie identical to hers. Bright and chipper, Eve grimaces. Rowan appears to be well rested, while Eve is bone weary.
Last night had gifted her another nightmare. Worms had been crawling under her skin, and no matter how much she had clawed, she couldn’t get them out. Waking up in another panic, her throbbing arms were covered in deep, self-inflicted scratches.
She thinks maybe it’s time to talk to someone about the dreams. But the only person she trusts is her sister, and her sister isn’t exactly the most empathic person on the planet.
Plus, Maggie is spending more and more time with West. According to her sibling, they aren’t “official” and she doesn’t “believe in commitment,” but Eve can see plain as day that Maggie is lying to herself if she thinks she would be happy with anyone else.
As Rowan approaches, the corners of his eyes crinkle slightly in concern. Eve realizes she must look as bad as she feels.
“Hey…you okay?” Rowan inquires, studying her.
“Yes. I’m fine. Ready?”
“If you get tired at all, let me know, we can do intervals of walking and running.”
“Rowan, let’s just go….”
Pulling her hood up over her head, Eve starts to jog down the driveway with Rowan quickly catching up. But he isn’t done talking.
“How far do you want to go? Riley has already given his approval. We can skip endurance training, as long as we are back by breakfast. But it’s up to you….”
His words stagnate as they warm up, their pace increasing.
“I want to be gone for as long as we are allowed.”
He nods, and it only takes a few minutes before they reach the main gate. Whoever is stationed at the surveillance cameras—still a mystery to Eve—scans them, and then lets them through.
For the first time in months, Eve is beyond Evergreen’s walls and out in the open. Sweat trickles down her back and between her breasts, soaking her tank top beneath her hoodie. Letting Rowan take the lead, he brings them to a thin trail in the heavy woods, and the terrain changes, carrying them up the side of a steep hill.
Her legs burn and her heart pounds against her ribcage before she finally surrenders, slowing to a walking pace. She doesn’t know if this is sad or not, but this simple run is turning into the most fun she has had in a while.
Rowan, realizing that Eve is no longer pacing him, walks back down the hill to join her. Having long since removed his hoodie and tank top, tying them to his waist, his bare skin is flushed.
“You…quit on me!” he says between labored breaths, using his forearm to remove the sweat sliding down his cheeks. “Come on, woman…you got more in you!”
“I don’t do hills….” Eve wheezes, laughing.
Rowan joins her and they continue to climb all the way up. When they arrive at the top, the view is well worth it.
Dark blue water extends for what must be miles, reflecting the mountains in the distance. A giant lake rests before them, undisturbed except by the fish touching the surface. They watch as a group of birds dips down for a drink. Feeling overheated and longing to feel the breeze on her skin, Eve peels off her hoodie and walks over to a large, flat outcropping of rock. Sitting down, Rowan joins her.
A sharp intake of breath, and then warm hands gently grab her left forearm. Rowan raises it, surveying the damage. Mentally kicking herself, Eve realizes she had forgotten about her arms.
“Eve…what happened?”
Instantly defensive, she yanks her wrist free. Grabbing her hoodie, Eve throws it back on and goes to stand, but Rowan delicately tugs her back to the ground. All it takes is looking into his gentle brown eyes, and Eve bursts into tears.
Before she knows it, Rowan is hugging her, his big hands rubbing her back.
“It’s okay…shh. It’s gonna be okay.”
He lets her cry until there is nothing left.
Leaning away from him, she uses her sleeves to blot her face, turning toward the lake.
“Did you…do that to yourself?” Rowan proceeds cautiously, his voice strained.
“No! Yes, but…not what you think. It’s complicated….” Eve mumbles, her head starting to throb from an impending headache.
“Then uncomplicate things.”
“You’re not going to believe me.”
“I work for a secret government agency, tracking and destroying human mutations caused by their systems being overloaded with electrical currents. I think I can probably keep an open mind, especially when it comes to you….” Rowan is back to being an obnoxious flirt, but she can tell he is still distressed.
“I didn’t know I was doing this when it happened. I was having a dream….”
“Damn, girl. S&M-style or…”
“Rowan! Ugh, you’re as bad as Maggie!”
“Apologies, continue.”
And after a deep breath, she does. Once Eve starts talking, the words pour out of her. How the nightmares started after her parents went missing. How they are steadily becoming more vivid. The odd correlations between them—like dreaming glass was embedded in her palm and waking to find a scar she hadn’t noticed before.
She talks about not fitting in. Not in the real world. Not in the Quinns’ world. Not ever, really. She talks and talks, confiding everything to him and the lake. When she’s done, she looks over to Rowan—deep in thought. Scratching the stubble on his chain, he sighs and stands, offering a hand that Eve accepts. Lifting her to her feet, she picks a few pine needles from her pants, waiting for his response.
“When I said ‘we should go running,’ I had no idea that it would turn into therapy hour…” Rowan teases.
“I should have known,” Eve accuses, her cheeks heating.
“Don’t worry, baby girl, I won’t tell any of my nosey family members what you just told me. But I would be lying if I didn’t say that I was concerned….”
They start to move, hiking back down the hill.
“Well, what do you think is wrong with me?”
Rowan gives her a knowing look before saying, “A lot of things.”
“Can you be serious, please?” Eve begs, needing him to focus.
Sobering, Rowan rubs his palms together.
“I think that all of this might be a sort of stress response? First your parents, then having to take care of Maggie. And we stepped into the picture and further muddied everything. You’re super uptight in general, no, don’t shake your head, you know I’m right. I think that your body is trying to put all that energy into something.”
Eve can tell that Rowan isn’t totally convinced, but what he is saying isn’t something Eve hasn’t already thought of herself.
“But how do I stop the dreams? Drugs? Do I need to be restrained? I am so tired….”
“Don’t worry, we will figure it out.”
Throwing a friendly arm around her shoulder, he gives it a squeeze before breaking back into a jog.
“You coming? We’re going to be late!” he yells, over his shoulder.
“Late for what?” she questions.
Wiggling his eyebrows, he yells back, “You’ll see!”