WILLOW RD WAS MOSTLY deserted, businesses closing up for the night, by the time the agonizing wheeze of Ronan's pick-up truck pulled up to the corner. Gwenn tightened the black cardigan she found stuffed in a forgotten box across her light gray top and denim shorts. The lamppost she leaned against illuminated Ronan's face when he rolled the window down.
He wore the universal expression of 'are you serious right now?' Gwenn straightened her spine, biting down on her lip as she scurried to the passenger side, hoping no one witnessed her getting inside Ronan King's vehicle.
"I said dress in black," Ronan greeted her.
Gwenn put on her seatbelt. "This was all I had."
He shook his head, clicking his tongue. Reaching back behind the seat, he pulled out a discarded hoodie and dropped it on her lap. "We're trying to go incognito, not be walking highlighters."
She grasped the hoodie, letting its thick material roll over her fingers. The words I'm wearing gray were on the tip of her tongue, but his last few words crashed over her. She turned to him in alarm.
"Wait—incognito?" she asked. "I thought you knew someone."
Instead of responding, Ronan stepped on the gas, hitting Lockfell with another puff of exhaust as they drove into the night. Gwenn ducked under the console when they passed The Cream Accent while turning into Geneva St, squeezing her eyes shut as the lights from the few businesses that decided to stay open after dark brightened the inside of the truck.
Ronan zoomed past, leaving the heart of town behind. She didn't have time to process her carelessness before he parked the truck minutes later.
"Welcome to Palmer Laboratories," he said, taking his keys off the ignition. Gwenn looked up, eyes wide at the large building with fluorescent lights shining down its walls. It took her a second to realize they were at the back of the laboratory. "Now put on my hoodie. We don't have much time."
Gwenn jumped out of the truck, his hoodie draping over her body like a dress. The sleeves covered her hands, so she had to bunch them up. She hadn't realized how much bigger Ronan was in comparison to her small frame.
"What's the plan tonight?" She asked, hurrying to his side.
Ronan scratched his head, clearing his throat while looking away from her. After a silent second, he ran his fingers over his dark hair, messing it up even more. She resisted the urge to stand on the tips of her toes to smooth it over.
"My friend should be waiting for us by the backdoor," he said, then jogged forward slow enough so she could follow.
After a quick survey of the laboratory, she realized the building was closed. Ronan's truck was the only vehicle in the back, and she assumed the emptiness carried on at the front. The stillness of the night threatened to choke her as they neared a hidden backdoor. A chill ran down her back, and she looked up at Ronan with way too many questions left unanswered.
The backdoor creaked open, letting a blue glow filter out from inside. Gwenn reeled back when Arthur Lovett peaked out from the heavy metal door in a white lab coat.
"Arthur?" she asked, eyebrows almost reaching her hairline.
Arthur, though he looked side to side with a wary stance, melted back into a quick smile. "I had a feeling we would see each other again."
"You guys know each other?" Ronan cut in.
Gwenn opened her mouth to answer, but Arthur waved his hand for them to come inside. The backdoor shut behind Ronan with the softest hiss. A chill slithered up her legs, and she wrapped her arms around her midsection to preserve warmth.
YOU ARE READING
Forever Luminescent
General Fiction"Just shine like you always do." Gwenn Davidson has always known she was adopted, but after clearing up her stuff for her first move out of her parent's house, she finds an old blanket gifted to her by her birth mother that triggers an avalanche of...
