Bulletproof [Sneak Peek]

2

OV'S HANDS TIGHTENED AROUND AZ's as the group headed for the gym. Though she tried to maintain a calm composure, her mind was racing. Nothing inside REALM was real; she knew that, at least, based on what her superiors had told her. But she'd never witnessed anything like that inside a simulation before, and the way she'd been pulled out before completing her exam had her even more uneasy.

What mattered most, though, was whether she'd passed. She had never heard of anyone being pulled out of an exam early, but she didn't think it was good. If they'd failed her, that would mean...

OV swallowed. Anyone who didn't pass the exams got sent to the front lines. She'd never considered that as a possibility for herself, but now the reality that she may have just received a death sentence stared her in the face. There was no way she'd be assigned to a division now.

AZ slowed as they neared the gym doors. He paused before holding the door open for PK and QB as they ducked inside.

OV was about to follow when he stopped her.

"Hey."

She looked up at him; his eyes were serious.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He touched her cheek in concern.

"Of course," she said, absentmindedly. Her eyes darted around the hall as her mind continued to churn on her recent failure. "Why wouldn't I be?"

AZ held up her hand. Her fingers were tightly curled around his. "You're shaking."

OV noticed for the first time how much her hands trembled. She sighed. "It's just the adrenaline from my exam. I'm fine."

"OV, I've never seen you like this, not even after REALM sessions. Those are enough to get anyone shaken up. I want to know what went on in there to get you this anxious."

OV bit her lip.

"Do you want to take a walk?" He motioned down the hall. "I can tell the others we'll be back in a few minutes."

She forced herself to focus on his sky-blue eyes and the genuine concern that flashed in them. It was enough to break down her wall. "Okay," she whispered.

AZ nodded and poked his head into the gym, where QB was already loading weights onto the bar of the squat cage. "Hey, OV and I are going for a quick walk, but you can start without us. QB, I'll spot for you when we get back, just do curls or push-ups or something until then."

QB nodded. "Okay, that's cool. I would say PK could spot for me, but I doubt she could pick up the bar with how much I lift." He pulled back his shirt sleeve and flexed his bicep.

"Hey!" PK punched him in the arm. "I can bench just as much as you, any day!"

As anxious as OV was, she couldn't help but chuckle at her friends' banter. A common recurrence between the two, but entertaining, nonetheless.

"Oh, you're on!" QB said. He bent down to pick up another weight.

"Whoa, whoa, wait until we get back! I don't need you guys getting hurt over some stupid rivalry!" AZ laughed. "Besides, I wanna witness this."

"Alright, fine," PK huffed. "I guess this'll give QB more time to prepare to lose!"

"We'll see about that," QB challenged. He turned back to AZ. "Okay, we'll wait. I don't want to hold you up."

AZ nodded. "See you guys in a few." He carefully shut the door and extended his hand down the hall. "After you."

OV nodded and started down the hall, AZ not far behind.