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.A ticking time bomb.How strange it must be to know the very thing that lived inside of you would be your death, and yet you had to carry it around for nine months.Did knowing how it was all going to end make it easier?I wished I had asked Emma.Just thinking her name caused me such an intense, overwhelming amount of pain that I was unable to look at Julia again.Instead, I stared down at my feet.“I wanted to warn you, Tess.”I shook my head and swallowed the lump in my throat.“You don’t need to warn me.I know how this all works,” I said, my eyes darting to her stomach.“Look, this isn’t easy for me.I don’t really know you, but Henry cares about you, and I care about him,” she confessed, wringing her hands.She took a deep breath.“I’m not really doing this for you.When I’m gone, you will be all he’ll have.The least I can do is help you out.”She tilted her head to the side.“You have to know why they make us girls work there, right? We’re the entertainment.We’re expendable.And it doesn’t matter if you say no; they will just take it from you.”I thought of the girl I’d helped clean up.Julia cleared her throat.“There are ways to protect yourself, things I didn’t know about.He didn’t use them, of course.He also didn’t force me, but that doesn’t mean one of them won’t.I can get you some—”“I don’t understand how what you and Henry did has anything to do with me,” I said.I didn’t even want to think of that.“It’s not Henry’s.”I felt the blood drain from my cheeks.“You mean, a chosen one and you…”“Yes.I thought he liked me.He offered me anything I wanted.Books.Cigarettes.Alcohol.All sorts of contraband items.His name was George.Do you know him?”I shuddered.I knew him all too well.“Watch yourself, Tess.Let me know if you need anything.” And without another word she walked over, kissed me on the cheek, and headed out of the room.I had a mission.And it made me feel alive.I sat down at one of the mess hall’s tables, waiting.He noticed me instantly.Caught my eye, blushed slightly, and turned to walk out of the room.I jumped up.The sound of the chair falling to the floor didn’t stop me.“Henry!” I knew it came out as a yelp—I hoped he could hear how desperate I was.How much I needed my friend.After my conversation with Julia, it was clear he needed me, too.He stopped, frozen in his tracks.He didn’t turn to face me, but he didn’t walk away, either.I slowly approached him until we were inches apart.Then I reached out and touched his shoulder.How good it felt.He tensed but still didn’t turn around.“Please.I need to speak to you.I wouldn’t ask, I wouldn’t dream of bothering you, if it wasn’t terribly important.”He turned to face me; the passion in his eyes was frightening.A look I never saw in our childhood.I realized he was a man now, not the boy I’d known.I withdrew my hand quickly.“You could never bother me.”His voice sounded so different.It caught me off guard.Such sadness as he said it; he was breaking my already sick heart.“Will you take a walk with me?” I asked.“No.”I inhaled sharply.“Please, Henry.Please, just a small little walk.”“It’s not good if we’re seen together,” he said roughly, glancing over his shoulder.This confused me.Who here would care if we talked?“Then let’s go somewhere we won’t be seen,” I countered.I grabbed his hand and it felt so warm.“Please.”He didn’t say anything, but at least it wasn’t no.“Please,” I said again.“All right.” I could see he felt defeated.We didn’t talk until we were outside the compound’s walls.As we stood in silence, both of us daring the other to speak first, I saw him glance toward the forest line—the forest where once he and his family had attempted to run off.This was going to be more difficult than I expected.“I need you to tell me what happened when you tried to escape.”He went pale and took a step back from me.“Don’t.”“I need to know.”“Please, don’t ask me to do this.”“I don’t have a choice.Not anymore.”“We’ve known each other over a decade and you’ve never asked me before.Why now?” he replied angrily, throwing his hands into the air.“Templeton,” was all I offered.He took two steps toward me, bridging the distance between us, almost close enough to touch me.Whatever anger he had was now replaced with fear.“That place isn’t safe, Tess.”“I know.”Utterly unsure of myself, I slowly placed a hand against his chest.He swallowed and looked away from me.It felt different from touching James, but I didn’t mind it as much as I should.“It’s important, Henry.Please.Tell me.”He grabbed onto the hand on his chest.“I’ve been so lonely without you.Did you know that?”I felt my throat go dry.“You have Julia,” I charged.“She isn’t you.I mean, I care about her, but damn, she isn’t you.Hell, she’s half crazy, I think.She spends more time ranting about the council than trying to have any sort of relationship with me.But I guess that’s part of the appeal.”I frowned.She cared about more than that.She cared enough about him to warn me.But maybe she hadn’t mentioned our talk to him.“What happened when you tried to escape?” I asked again.I had to change the subject.We were getting too close to discussing things we could never come back from.“They did it.”“Who?”“The chosen ones.They attacked us.”I shook my head, but Henry continued.“They caught my family.I thought they were going to take us back.I wanted them to; I didn’t like being out there.I watched what they did.” I tried to pull my hand from his, but he only held on tighter.“What? You said you wanted to know.”“You’re lying.” I stepped away from him.“Am I?” He grabbed me by the arms and pulled me to him.I tried to get away, but he held onto me, pressing his chin against my forehead.His breath tickled me as he spoke.I had awoken something in him that would never be able to sleep again.“The council couldn’t let us get away.If we did, then anyone could leave.We would have destroyed the sense of fear they’d worked so hard to create.”“Why didn’t you tell anyone? And why would they let you live?” I asked.“Because I was a child.I didn’t understand what I saw.Hell, maybe some part of me was convinced they’d deserved it.I buried it inside me.And they let me live because they needed a symbol.I was the boy who was saved.They wanted the naturals to trust them.”Henry touched my cheek.I was surprised by the goose bumps that appeared down my arms as I struggled to catch my breath.He watched me in silence for a long time before stepping away.“But I’m going to show them they can’t keep me quiet.”He sounded so dangerous, so crazed.“What are you talking about?”He stopped and stared at me.He looked like a man destroyed.“They took her, too.”“Julia?”“Yes.I liked her.I was beginning to forget you, and she was good.I knew there were limits, but I finally felt normal.Then it happened, and she got so messed up.Talking crazy.And I started to believe her.I started to agree.I don’t think I could go back to what I was before.”I nodded.“Our women are theirs to screw with.And if the chosen ones can kill them in the process, so much the better.”“They’re not all like that,” I whispered.“Oh, Tess.Don’t tell me they got you, too.”“No!” I exclaimed, almost offended.“I haven’t…I wouldn’t.It’s just, I’ve seen things since I’ve been there.And it’s not all black and white.”His jaw clenched
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