Chapter 21

Without his colored glasses to mask his eye color, I saw his eyes for the first time, in all their hazy gloriousness. He was a freak, just like me.

I staggered back from him. A million questions ran through my mind. Why did he help me? How is he involved in this? What is his power?

“Kate, it’s okay. I’m like you.” Jay made it to his feet and approached me slowly, as if I were a skittish animal about to bolt.

“What… why didn’t you tell me?”

He half-smiled. “Not the kind of thing that comes up in casual conversation. Hey, I wrote this new app to convert json to xml, and oh, by the way, I have a superpower…”

I held my arms against my body. He did have a point, it’s not like I told him about my power either. “What is it?”

He took hold of my hands. “I believe you felt it earlier, when I came to.” The sensation of heat and tingling resurfaced, just like before. But this time it was more intense—it was so hot I wanted to rip my shirt off. He withdrew his hands and the heat subsided.

I took a deep breath and exhaled. My headache was completely gone.

From the lack of pain I experienced that was so acute only moments ago, coupled with the memory of us in my bathroom—when the cut on my face healed in record time after his touch—it had to be…

“Healing,” I said.

His response was a geeky giggle, followed by a sheepish grin.

I couldn’t help but smile. What an unexpected hero. But still I wondered how he was able to pull all that off.

“How did you get past the dampening field? And how did you know how to find me? And where the fuck are we?”

He led me over to the couch, and said he’d be right back, as he headed towards what I guessed was the kitchen. Glancing around, it seemed like a furnished apartment, devoid of any personal touches whatsoever. If this were his place, I’d expect at least a nicer TV. But more than that, I’d expect to see his family.

Jay returned with two glasses of water and handed me one. “As a healer, I can give myself a boost of energy. It was enough to counter the effects of the dampening field.”

“A boost of energy?” I remembered what happened in Derek’s office, when I felt a surge of heat and my powers returned. Did he have something to do with that?

“Jay, is there any chance you can…I don’t know, send that to other people?”

He smiled. “It’s called distance healing. And yes, I sent it to you last night, when I got to your apartment and realized you were missing. Did you feel it?”

“I did. It felt amazing. And it gave me my powers back.” I remembered how shocked Derek looked when I fucked with him, turning the pressure on. The memory brought a smile to my face. “Your timing was perfect.”

“Did they hurt you?” he asked, in an entirely cute, protective kind of way.

I snickered. “Do you know what my power is?” I looked into his eyes, tempted to probe his mind. But I knew my power violated people, uncovering their secrets without their consent. I didn’t want to use it on Jay.

He took a sip from his drink. “My suspicion is it has something to do with telepathy.”

Jay never failed to impress me. Observant, intelligent, and loyal. I couldn’t ask for a better friend.

“Not surprised you figured it out,” I said. “Thank you so much for helping me.”

“I’m here whenever you need me.” The expression he wore was serious, and without trying, I saw inside his mind. He wanted nothing more than to lean in and kiss me.

I stood with a sigh. Am I a fucking married man magnet? First Chad, then Alex…now Jay. Eager to change the mood, I asked, “You never told me, where are we?”

“This is my other apartment.”

“Your other apartment?” I didn’t take Jay for the kind of person to have a mistress pad, but men have disappointed me so many times before.

“This one is safe.” He joined me and gently touched my arm. “Don’t worry, you’re safe here.”

I closed my eyes. No, not Jay. How could he be that asshole?

I felt his warm fingertips brush my cheek. “Kate, are you okay?” I watched the scene unfold in his mind: he carefully pushed the hair from my face and kissed me. It was so sweet, not something I would think to see in the mind of an adulterer.

I jerked away from him. “I would be, if I knew where your wife was.”

“Wife? What are you talking about? I’m not—”

The sound of a crash in the adjacent room startled us both.