“Not at all. I’m just used to only thinking about the future.”
“And what does the future look like, to you?” She was curious.
“Faster! More convenient and connected. And safer, hopefully.”
Avery blinked. “Sorry,” Watt said ruefully, looking almost embarrassed. “I do a lot of tech stuff, in my spare time. I’m trying to get into MIT’s microsystems engineering program.”
Avery didn’t even know what microsystems engineering was. “Does that mean you can fix my tablet whenever it freezes?”
Watt seemed like he might laugh, and Avery found that she didn’t mind, that she wanted to join in. “Yeah. I could definitely do that,” he told her. A light danced in his eyes.
Avery let them drift closer to the band. People were forming a space around them, giving Avery a nearly imperceptible bubble, like always. “You’re right,” she said, thinking aloud. “I do love the romance that everything had, back when there were more obstacles in the world. Like, listen to this song.” She sighed. “It’s about being in love even when you never get to see the person, because you’re a thousand miles apart. No one would write anything like this now, because our lives are so automated and easy. Which I guess is thanks to people like you,” she added, teasing.
“Hey!” Watt said in mock protest. “Don’t you like always getting everything you want?”
Avery looked down, suddenly sad. “I don’t get everything,” she murmured.
The song ended and the crowds began shifting, giving her a direct view of Leda and Atlas.
They were sitting together in a pair of chairs near the dance floor, their heads bent close. Avery watched, powerless to look away, as Leda whispered something in Atlas’s ear. He looked incredible in his new tux, Avery thought, remembering the first time he’d gone for a fitting, when he insisted she come help. Leda looked beautiful tonight too, in a new strapless cobalt gown. They looked happy together, Avery admitted grudgingly. They looked right.
Watt’s eyes were on her. Avery couldn’t bear it; she knew her emotions must be written there on her face, plain as day. She hooked her arm around his neck and pulled him closer, tilting her head to rest it on his shoulder. She felt him catch his breath, felt his heartbeat pulsing through the tux she’d made him buy.
She could never, ever be with Atlas the way Leda was: together, holding hands, in public. It was a helpless, hopeless dream. She knew she had to give up on it—on him. But it still hurt.
“I don’t think I’ve told you enough how beautiful you look tonight,” Watt murmured. His breath was warm on her ear. She shivered, and tilted her head back to meet his gaze.
“You don’t look so bad yourself, you know.”
“I clean up okay, with proper help,” Watt said softly. “I’m really glad I got to come with you tonight, Avery.”
The sincerity in his tone gave her pause. “Me too,” she said, meaning it. She was glad she’d invited Watt. He was way better than the string of fake dates she’d previously brought to stuff like this.
In fact, this wasn’t really feeling like a fake date at all.
She let go of Watt’s hand and reached up to lace her fingers behind his neck. He was so close she could count each eyelash framing his deep brown eyes. Her eyes traveled to his lips, and she wondered, suddenly, what it would be like to kiss him.
She hadn’t thought it was possible, but maybe, eventually, she could fall for someone who wasn’t Atlas.
Avery closed her eyes and swayed to the music, next to Watt, letting that be enough for now.
LEDA
LEDA WALKED THROUGH the party with Atlas, flashing smiles at everyone she saw, in a gloriously expansive mood. Tonight was going even better than she’d hoped.
Technically this was only her and Atlas’s first date. But it felt like more: a proclamation, almost. Everyone here, from their friends to the photographer, was treating them like an official couple. Already their parents were seated at the same table, smiling and shooting obvious glances at them. Leda had never felt so beautiful as when she stepped into the room on Atlas’s arm, smiling ear to ear. All eyes had seemed to turn to her. Avery must feel this way every single day, she’d thought wonderingly.
It was perfect—everything she’d ever wanted since she’d moved up here four years ago.
Best of all, there was no sign of the mysterious glo-makeup girl—if she’d ever even existed, which Leda was starting to doubt. Nadia still hadn’t found a shred of evidence that Atlas was with anyone but Leda, that night or any other. Maybe the makeup had smeared on his shirt some other way. Maybe he really hadn’t kissed anyone else.
Besides, based on the way the night was going, Leda was starting to hope that she and Atlas would finally go home together.
It was all she’d been able to think of, in the hover on the way here. She’d registered Atlas making conversation, had somehow managed to answer his questions, but her mind kept tracing over his body on the cushions next to her. Every time he shifted his weight, Leda felt the movement reverberate through her. It was torture, having him so achingly close.
Now, on the dance floor, she was finding every excuse she could to touch him. She pulled him close, her hand tracing small circles on his back through his tux jacket. She couldn’t wait to take it off him later.