“Yeah,” I echo.
I know the answer. This girl has all sorts of things twisted up in her mind. I’ve never felt special to anyone. Nor have I liked anyone too much. But I can imagine. I watchedCruel IntentionsandMean Girls. I’ve never gone to public school, probably for the best. My first guy was a street runner in Bangkok. My second—a bar owner in a small town, twice my age. They taught me to use guys for my own satisfaction. I learned that the world can end any day. So, I use it. And I use men.
But, hey, a good love story is never boring.
I stare at Callie for a short while. She is beautiful in all the right ways. And with a heart like hers, I can see how mean boys can get vicious.
But the fucking Chancellor, huh?
And Kai.
My, oh, my.
“Did you sleep with him yet?” I ask, wanting juicy details now.
“Who?”
This girl.
I will strangle her one day.
“Who? What are you an owl? Seriously, babe.”
She shakes her head.
“What’s stopping you?”
She is quiet. Petal, really. I get the name now. I heard it on Kai’s lips. Precious.
“Let’s go.” I nod toward the village and start walking. She follows me obediently. “You know,” I say as we walk down the path, and I repeat the words I’ve been taught over and over again. “When you don’t go for what you want, one day, you realize you missed the biggest chance of your life. The Change taught us all.”
I look over my shoulder to meet her eyes. She is staring at me like I am a therapist who just made the biggest revelation of her life.
“You got a second chance, babe. Don’t fuck it up,” I add.
I turn away with a smile but feel a pinch of envy. I wish I’d meet a man I really liked.
She has one.
She is the lucky one.
And now I should consider my moves with Callie by my side.
First, I need to make several trips to the Westside and observe from afar. I can ditch the cameras. You can learn a lot by watching people who don’t know they are being watched. This is why I agreed to stay on this side. These are the good guys. The other side… Well, Archer Crone doesn’t exactly have a stellar reputation, besides his IQ and athletic skills.
Second, I should watch out for Callie to make sure she is safe. She can be my trump card on the Westside once I get there.
Archer Crone already knows that his cargo is here. But I don’t have beef with him. This girl, on the other hand…
Two boys.
Two sides.
It can turn nasty.
I need to play it right.
Callie is a powerful connection between the opposing sides.