Page 55 of Sawyer’s Mistake

“We slept together a couple times, Jake,” she said defensively. “We don’t owe each other anything.”

“Maybe we don’t,” he agreed, easily. “Except it wasn’t just sex for me, and I don’t think it was just sex for you either.”

No, it wasn’t just sex for me either.

“I just wanted to do the right thing,” she repeated stonily.

“I have to tell you something, Saoirse. Ever since the Remur arrived, I’ve only had one thing in my mind: finding a way to get back home, to Toronto.”

She nodded. “I understand. Your family’s there.” She was careful to use the present tense.

“I have two younger sisters. Twins.” His eyes were full of sorrow. “But now, I … I’ve been thinking about other things as well. I will find a way to get back to Canada. I owe that to my parents and my sisters. But it won’t feel like home unless you’re with me.”

His words shocked her. She admired his courage. She didn’t know if she was brave enough to go there.

“I’m sorry I left like that, Jake. When I heard the Remur message, I was so afraid. I was putting Eva in danger, at the worst possible moment. I shouldn’t have left the way I did, though.” In her mind, she saw him step out from behind his bike, stoic, hands held high up in the air. He’d been willing to give up his life for her.

“What you did was brave,” Sawyer said, hugging her, “but also foolish. Don’t ever do that again. Please.”

The way he said please undid her. Saoirse felt a couple tears roll down her cheeks. She wiped them away with her hand.

“I won’t,” she promised.

“You know what I’d like?” he asked. His hands wrapped around her waist.

“Tell me.”

“Wherever we are, I want you sleeping with me. Every night.” His voice tickled her ear. “Maybe not just sleeping.”

She melted against him. “I think I could get used to that.”

“Come, let’s go inside. It’s my turn to take the next watch.”

“You go on ahead. I’ll stay out here a little bit longer.”

He hugged her hard and gave her bottom a quiet smack before turning around.

She watched his long legs take him back to the farmhouse and sat down to wait for dawn. She’d almost convinced herself that things might be okay after all, when she heard a strange buzzing sound. At first she couldn’t understand where it was coming from. Then she saw the small Remur ship. It was dark and scaly and seemed to hover right over her.

She stood up, transfixed. Suddenly the ship started raining projectiles down at her. She cowered, screaming. Her instinct screamed at her to move away from the edge, but before she could move she realized the projectiles weren’t aimed at her. They were aimed at the rock face beneath her feet. She felt the edge drop away and lunged an instant before the floor disappeared beneath her feet.

Chapter 22

Jake

He was almost at the farmhouse when he heard Saoirse scream. He saw her disappear from view as the edge of the cliff crumbled under her feet. The Remur ship went high up and disappeared from view.

No, no, no.

Sawyer sprinted towards the edge, already knowing he wouldn’t get there in time.

Suddenly, another shadow appeared, running alongside the cliff edge. It was Javier, and he had a climbing rope around his shoulder.

“Secure me!” Javier shouted, tossing the end of the rope in Sawyer’s direction. The Spaniard did not hesitate and leapt off the cliff, where Saoirse had disappeared.

Crazy fucker.

Sawyer kept running, but now he no longer needed to reach the edge, he just needed to reach the rope Prado had thrown at him. He grabbed it and passed it around a flagpole in the middle of the yard, just managing to hold on to the other end an instant before the rope went taught with Prado’s weight.