He’s chewing on his thumb again. Carter does that only when he’s really stressed. I look at him more closely. All of his tells, usually subtle, are more animated this time. The tense in his shoulders. The way his deep gold eyes flit across the bland room. The way he pinches the fabric of his dark blue sweatshirt.
“Hey,” I say, gently pulling his hand away from his mouth. “We have plenty of time.”
His watery eyes land on me, gold scrutinizing every detail of my face. Looking for some trace of deception. I keep my composure. I’ve always been the calm, collected one. Dampness rests on the edge of his eyelashes. Light sweat collects on his forehead, shining along with his thin jet-black hair. He’s chewing on his lip now, dimples nowhere to be found.
I put my other hand on his shoulder, gently pushing it down. “We’ll be okay,” I say, willing the conviction into my voice. Carter relaxes slightly into my touch. The fear doesn’t leave his eyes. We rest our foreheads together. “We’ll be okay,” I whisper.
“Carter Yamamoto and Ren Livigne,” a chirpy voice calls. We turn to see a tall woman with a tight bun beckon us forward. Carter glances at me. I offer him a light smile. He doesn’t return it. As we walk to the door, I feel him move his hand upward. I twine our fingers together.
I see the woman’s eyes quickly dart to our hands and back up again. She keeps her smile pasted on her face. Carter squeezes my hand tighter.
“Let me get you checked in,” she says. She has the sort of voice where you can’t tell if she’s fake or not. I notice her name tag. Rose. Carter taps his foot impatiently. I know what he’s thinking: this is taking too long.
“All set! Head on in.” Rose flashes an even brighter smile.
I politely curl my tight lips upward and nod before pulling Carter through the door. Rose shuts it behind us.
“This is a small r — oh!” I startle as the floor moves upward with a jolt. We’re in an elevator.
Carter’s eyes widen. “We have to wait even more?” He checks his watch. “We’re running out of time!”
I give his hand a gentle squeeze. “We’ll be okay.”
“How can you say that?” He turns on me, chewing on his thumb furiously.
“We’ll be okay,” I repeat.
He shuts his eyes. The elevator feels significantly duller. “How do you know that?” he says quietly.
“I just do.” My words don’t help Carter relax at all. “It’s simple. Get in, get the information, and leave.”
“I know that,” he snaps. I flinch. Carter has never snapped at me before. “I’m sorry. It’s just . . . we can’t fail this mission, Ren.”
“I know.”
Time passes slowly. We don’t talk. Carter thinks I don’t notice how often he checks his watch, but I do.
The doors open. We step out of the elevator into a long light-gray room. There’s a desk at the end of it next to a sliding door.
“Hello!” the person at the desk calls. They look almost identical to Rose. They must be twins, I think to myself. We walk up to them.
“Hi,” I say. I glance down at their name tag. Hyacinth.
“How can I help you?” Their voice is chirpy like their sister’s, but raspier, and deeper. Their sky-blue eyes feel like they’re staring into my soul. I’ve never liked light eyes.
Carter brightens up, launching into our cover story. I smile softly to myself. His eyes shine brighter when he’s in character. He should have been an actor. He probably would have enjoyed it more than this.
“So we’re here to see my mom!” He finishes with a grin. Perfect delivery.
“How lovely,” Hyacinth says. “If only it were true.”
Carter’s smile falls. He turns to me, panicked. I release his hand as I shut my eyes; I don’t want to see his pain.
“W-what do you mean?” he sputters.
Hyacinth presses a button on their desk. They smile at him. “A shame you had to find out this way. Though it makes sense that Ren wouldn’t have told you.”
“What?” Carter grabs my shoulders. I turn my head away.
He cups my face. “You wouldn’t.”
“We’ll be okay,” I say. This time, we both know it’s a lie.
The sliding door opens. Guards rush in, taking Carter’s arms, pulling him away from me. I vaguely hear him call out to me as he’s dragged away. Hyacinth pats my shoulder.
“You did well.”
I don’t respond. My composure breaks, allowing some tears to leak from my eyes. I don’t know why; there’s no use crying. After all, we were never going to make it.
“Hey,” I say, gently pulling his hand away from his mouth. “We have plenty of time.”
His watery eyes land on me, gold scrutinizing every detail of my face. Looking for some trace of deception. I keep my composure. I’ve always been the calm, collected one. Dampness rests on the edge of his eyelashes. Light sweat collects on his forehead, shining along with his thin jet-black hair. He’s chewing on his lip now, dimples nowhere to be found.
I put my other hand on his shoulder, gently pushing it down. “We’ll be okay,” I say, willing the conviction into my voice. Carter relaxes slightly into my touch. The fear doesn’t leave his eyes. We rest our foreheads together. “We’ll be okay,” I whisper.
“Carter Yamamoto and Ren Livigne,” a chirpy voice calls. We turn to see a tall woman with a tight bun beckon us forward. Carter glances at me. I offer him a light smile. He doesn’t return it. As we walk to the door, I feel him move his hand upward. I twine our fingers together.
I see the woman’s eyes quickly dart to our hands and back up again. She keeps her smile pasted on her face. Carter squeezes my hand tighter.
“Let me get you checked in,” she says. She has the sort of voice where you can’t tell if she’s fake or not. I notice her name tag. Rose. Carter taps his foot impatiently. I know what he’s thinking: this is taking too long.
“All set! Head on in.” Rose flashes an even brighter smile.
I politely curl my tight lips upward and nod before pulling Carter through the door. Rose shuts it behind us.
“This is a small r — oh!” I startle as the floor moves upward with a jolt. We’re in an elevator.
Carter’s eyes widen. “We have to wait even more?” He checks his watch. “We’re running out of time!”
I give his hand a gentle squeeze. “We’ll be okay.”
“How can you say that?” He turns on me, chewing on his thumb furiously.
“We’ll be okay,” I repeat.
He shuts his eyes. The elevator feels significantly duller. “How do you know that?” he says quietly.
“I just do.” My words don’t help Carter relax at all. “It’s simple. Get in, get the information, and leave.”
“I know that,” he snaps. I flinch. Carter has never snapped at me before. “I’m sorry. It’s just . . . we can’t fail this mission, Ren.”
“I know.”
Time passes slowly. We don’t talk. Carter thinks I don’t notice how often he checks his watch, but I do.
The doors open. We step out of the elevator into a long light-gray room. There’s a desk at the end of it next to a sliding door.
“Hello!” the person at the desk calls. They look almost identical to Rose. They must be twins, I think to myself. We walk up to them.
“Hi,” I say. I glance down at their name tag. Hyacinth.
“How can I help you?” Their voice is chirpy like their sister’s, but raspier, and deeper. Their sky-blue eyes feel like they’re staring into my soul. I’ve never liked light eyes.
Carter brightens up, launching into our cover story. I smile softly to myself. His eyes shine brighter when he’s in character. He should have been an actor. He probably would have enjoyed it more than this.
“So we’re here to see my mom!” He finishes with a grin. Perfect delivery.
“How lovely,” Hyacinth says. “If only it were true.”
Carter’s smile falls. He turns to me, panicked. I release his hand as I shut my eyes; I don’t want to see his pain.
“W-what do you mean?” he sputters.
Hyacinth presses a button on their desk. They smile at him. “A shame you had to find out this way. Though it makes sense that Ren wouldn’t have told you.”
“What?” Carter grabs my shoulders. I turn my head away.
He cups my face. “You wouldn’t.”
“We’ll be okay,” I say. This time, we both know it’s a lie.
The sliding door opens. Guards rush in, taking Carter’s arms, pulling him away from me. I vaguely hear him call out to me as he’s dragged away. Hyacinth pats my shoulder.
“You did well.”
I don’t respond. My composure breaks, allowing some tears to leak from my eyes. I don’t know why; there’s no use crying. After all, we were never going to make it.