Enhancement

- - 16 - -

"What?" I repeat.

"I'm sorry," Stephen begs. "I'm so sorry, Holland, you have no idea."

I blink a few times, my gaze shifted right above his shoulder. Stephen turns away from me, pushing his hands fiercely through his hair. He glares at the city as if it should destroy him into a million pieces. Mumbling words that are stolen by the wind, he cowers over the roof's ledge.

I stare at the blank space Stephen occupied for a really long time. Then I say quietly, "I'm not mad."

Stephen's head turns so one of his ears face me. His shoulder stay sagged. I almost see that yellow gauntness in his cheeks again.

"I'm not mad," I repeat, louder. "It's not all your fault."

I step closer to the wall, resting my hands inches away from Stephen's elbow. "I got screened the same day you did, Stephen. A partial screening, yeah, but I'm just as much a threat to society as you are. It's okay that you hid your secret from me. I did the same thing. Plus I ruined Philly for us both, and I'm sorry."

I sigh. "Everyone has secrets, especially us."

Stephen exhales. "Then what are we going to do? These Project people aren't going to let us walk free forever, not as upper-class Screeners."

"I don't know either, Stephen, I just don't know."

My chest begins to feel like it's compressing in on itself. Without even thinking, I wrap my arm around Stephen's forearm, resting my head on his shoulder. After a moment, I feel his cheek press on top of my head like puzzle piece clicking silently into place.

We stay like that until the lights behind us switch off and my arm unlinks from his. We walk back across the dimly-lit roof, down through the restaurant, close to each other's sides. Taking a quiet stroll, Stephen leads us back to the apartments interns presumably live in before their Equinoxes.

We take an elevator to floor 50, stepping into a light blue-carpeted hallway with ceiling lamps and no windows. I walk with Stephen to the last two doors directly across from each other, one labeled RENNER and the other saying MOORE.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Stephen Moore," I say with the remnants of a smile. I press my thumb through a hologram, my apartment door unlocking with a click.

"Holland?"

"Yeah?" I half-turn around.

Stephen suddenly presses his lips against mine, his hand settling around my cheeks. Every cell in my body beats with attraction. Stephen's lips graze mine as he pulls away ever-so-slightly.

"Your work shift starts at 10 tomorrow," he whispers.

I exhale a quiet laugh. "How intimate of you to tell me."

"The pleasure is mine, 400."

"And mine as well," I grin. "Go to bed, 399." I kiss him back boldly before stepping dazed into my own apartment. Tingling, I still feel the shadows of his hands and lips on me. I drag my own hands through my hair in total disbelief. I can't believe that just happened.

I blink a few times at the floor before waking through the apartment in a starstruck trance. Beige carpeting flawlessly matches the pale blue wall hangings and sofas. I circle past the living room and enter a small bedroom with a closet of upper-class clothing.

I gather pajamas and step into the shower located near the front door. I stand in the steamy glass stall for a full half an hour, replaying one of the best moments of my life over and over again.