The Rift Uprising Read Free Page A

really see him for the first time. I catch my breath. He is gorgeous—specifically, my type of gorgeous. His skin is one shade darker than olive. His hair is tousled and brown, his eyes are azure blue. They look almost unreal, like he’s wearing contacts. I push this thought aside. Even from this distance, he doesn’t seem like a guy who would wear lenses to enhance the color of his eyes. Then I push that thought aside. How the hell would I know what kind of guy he is? Yet even as I think that, my heart begins to race and I clench my fists. ARC is monitoring my vitals through my suit. The last thing I want them to see is my attraction. It’s so embarrassing. My cheeks flush. I suck in a deep breath and center myself. I’ll be fine as long as this kid doesn’t come too close or make any sudden moves to reach for me. He looks at me and narrows his eyes. He seems more wary than scared, which is good. He should be wary. But he’s not panicking, and that is even better.
    I force a grin. “Pretty crazy, right?” What a stupid thing to say. He looks at me and then at The Rift.
    â€œWhere am I?” he asks slowly.
    â€œWashington. State.”
    â€œWell, then, when am I?”
    The question catches me off guard. He’s smart. He knows that whatever has happened to him is huge and mind bending.
    I walk closer to him, my arms open, my body language showing vulnerability. “When do you think you are?”
    â€œPlease don’t come any closer,” he says politely. He tries to smile, but it’s forced. He is standing stock-still but looks as if he could bolt at any second.
    â€œDo you think you’ve time traveled or something?” I make it sound like that could never happen in a million years, but in a way it’s not that far off from the truth.
    â€œI don’t know—have I?” He looks down again and then back at The Rift. His gaze finally falls back to my face, but his eyebrows are raised in a way that says he knows something and there’s no point in making small talk.
    I tell him what year it is and he nods.
    â€œSame year, then,” he says hesitantly.
    â€œWhat’s the last thing you remember?” I ask with genuine concern. How disorienting that trip must be. How terrifying.
    â€œI was working in the lab at school. I heard a kind of drumming noise coming from outside. I walked toward the sound to investigate it and I saw this green light. That light,” he says, pointing to The Rift. “And then the next thing I knew, I don’t know . . . it sucked me inside and I couldn’t breathe. It felt like I was being dragged underneath a wave and didn’t know which end was up. What is it?” His words are cautious and carefully chosen. Most people are in shock when they end up here. Maybe he is, too, but he’s holding on to his rationality pretty well.
    Our eyes really lock for the first time and something passes between us. Heat maybe? Or just plain interest?
    Or maybe wishful thinking. Get it together, Ryn.
    â€œIt’s a cosmic anomaly—that’s really as much as I know. Can I come a little closer? I promise I’m not going to hurt you.”
    â€œOkay,” he says. Yet his voice is anything but casual. I walk toward him slowly. We are beside each other now.
    I hear Violet’s voice in my ear. “Watch yourself, Ryn.” She’s part of my team, so that’s not surprising. But she’s also my best friend, and that means she knows exactly what’s going on in my brain right now. She’s not warning me against any kind of sudden attack by him. She knows he’s my type. She’s heard us talking. She’s worried for him.
    â€œI’m not really trained to answer all the questions you must have. There are people here who can, though. I can take you to them,” I offer. But I don’t really want to take him anywhere. I wish we could just stay here for a while.