Wilde Card, page 44
It wasn't a terribly cold day and the sky was an odd shade of orange shot through with fingers of purple. If Tia’s pulse wasn't threatening to explode through her neck, she would have enjoyed the small breeze and the smell of flowers she had only ever seen at school. As it was, it was hard to enjoy the view when Talia had a face like thunder and was marching down the road. Tia caught up with her and remembered the morning after the raid, when they had strolled side by side, sharing the remnants of a pack and talking the fatigue away. That had been a very nice morning, softened by the electricity between them, the wanted and unknown. She would have loved to go back to that morning.
Summer’s house was five streets back from the entrance. The houses were identical on a basic level but each had its own personal touch. The whole community stunk of money - literally - and entitlement. Talia had obviously been here so many times that she knew the place like the back of her hand. Tia tried not to think about the truth of why she knew her way around so well.
She knew which house was Summer’s instantly. It was a small fairytale within the wasteland of the city, with a porch swing and a white picket fence. Forgetting momentarily that Talia hated her, she found herself wide eyed. “It's like she stole every cliché out of American literature.”
Talia didn't reply but Tia hadn’t really expected her to. She simply pushed past the small, white entrance and gestured for Tia to follow. She felt it instantly, that they were too exposed and anyone could have looked outside a window and seen them. They hurried around the back, ducking under the long reach of a willow tree and pressing their backs to the smooth trunk. It wasn't a real weeping willow, Tia could tell from the absence of smell and the smoothness of the bark. It was manufactured, like a lot of this neighbourhood. But the flowers...the flowers were real. She surveyed the garden through the arms of the willow, saw the neatly mowed grass, the small batches of herbs. It was very much Summer, who was the type to pretend to be normal.
Tia became aware then, of Talia’s body pressed against the tree, not even two inches away from her. She became aware of Talia’s scent, strong and spicy, sneaking into her nose. She forced herself to focus. “How do you know she’ll be in?”
Talia looked down at her properly for the first time since they’d left the Tunnels. “Because she looks at the university’s budget every Saturday morning so that she can enjoy the rest of her weekend. She likes routine.”
Like me. It went unsaid but that’s what she was thinking, Tia knew. She tried not to roll her eyes. She really didn't lIke Summer...or anything associated with Summer. She liked that Talia knew her so well, even less.
Talia continued. “When she lets me in, I’ll lead her into the living room where there's a door leading to the garden. I'll open it and then find a way to keep her busy whilst you search her office.”
Tia nodded, trying not to imagine how she was going to ‘keep her busy’. Talia said it with no emotion, just a job to be completed. It still sent her stomach into a dizzying dance.
“And when I've found what I'm looking for?”
“We need a signal,” Talia murmured. She raked a hand through her hair and hummed under her breath, revealing just how tired she was. She was usually bursting with ideas, especially when it came to sneaking around. Her eyes were still slightly red.
“How about I slam the fence gate? Out here?”
Talia focused on Tia, the navy in her iris forming two deep pools for Tia to drown in. “Yes. But when you do, you need to run. Summer hates you, and if she sees you, she'll go nuts.”
“Trust me, I won't be sticking around.” Tia thought she saw a fleeting smile playing at the edge of Talia’s mouth but it was gone faster than it appeared. “I'll meet you around the corner from the main gates, by the abandoned convenience store?”
Talia nodded and immediately headed for the front door. Straight to business, she wasn't playing around here. Tia stayed under the willow and watched as she pulled her expression into something akin to anticipation. Considering that Talia’s previous expression had been a mixture of mild boredom and distaste, it was quite an achievement. She seemed to realise that she was too tense because she shook her shoulders out and relaxed her stance. Talia automatically raised her bruised hand to knock, caught herself, and switched fists. Tia grimaced.
When Summer opened the door, she was obviously not expecting to see Talia at all. Her face flickered, a screen for all to watch; surprise, happiness, suspicion, and finally excitement. “Talia,” was all she said. The soft breeze carried her voice to the tree, where Tia could hear them so well she might have been standing right there with them.
“Sum,” Talia smiled. Her voice was softer, each syllable a silken drop in the ocean. Tia felt the words resonate along her nerves. It was hard to hear her talk to Summer like that, to call her by a nickname. Tia had burnt their bridge but she wouldn’t be able to forget what they might have had as quickly as Talia obviously had. She tried to channel what Zeta had said to her, tried to pin it to the forefront of her mind. She was powerful, she didn’t need to get hung up on a boy.
Summer was wearing what looked to be workout leggings and a cropped top. Tia was surprised to see that she had a really nice figure outside of the blouses and the suits. But Natalia already knows that. Summer pushed a strand of hair out of her face and gestured for Talia to come in. She didn’t hesitate to flash that killer smile, all the more to trap Summer within her charms. As soon as the door closed behind them, Tia was scrambling towards the nearest window. She tracked them through to the living room - as promised - where Talia had Summer laughing.
Talia was saying something to her, and her good hand was on Summer’s arm, and the shards were in Tia’s heart. Talia threw her head back and laughed, a real down to earth laugh. As she lowered her head, she made eye contact with Tia over Summer’s shoulder. She gave a jerk of his head, small and imperceptible if you weren’t waiting for it. She looked back to Summer, said something, pulled the neck of her t-shirt away from her skin as if she were sweating. Then she headed to the garden door and pushed it wide.
“That’s much better, Sum,” Tia heard her voice through the open doorway.
“I can just turn the air-con on, Talia. Don’t be silly.”
“Now, why would you want to waste time with that?”
Tia, still crouched beneath the window, strained to hear. Suddenly, Summer gasped and there was a soft thud. Lip between her teeth, Tia peered over the window sill to see that Talia was pinning Summer against the wall. She was clutching at Talia’s back, fistfuls of material in her hands. At first it looked like a struggle, a fight, but oh - Tia couldn’t see Talia’s face but she could see the unadulterated joy on Summer’s - it was almost blinding. Talia pulled away briefly, whispered something in Summer’s ear, and then they were disappearing further into the house.
That was Tia’s cue. But she was frozen in place.
Talia kissing Summer, touching her, holding her - it was a kind of torture that Tia had never imagined. She breathed in lungfuls of air, trying to calm the panic that surged within her. Because did Talia really need to go so far? Or was she just doing it to hurt Tia? Talia knew she was watching, knew she could hear everything. If this was her idea of payback, she was more of a bitch than Tia had ever realised.
Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she hurried to her feet, creeping into the house through the gaping door. Talia had described the layout to her beforehand, and she knew that the office was two doors down from the living room. She tiptoed, trying not to let the floorboards creak beneath her feet. Summer had a rustic decor going on and the floorboards - whilst cute - were a complete threat to the mission. She was sure that Talia was keeping Summer adequately distracted but it was better to be safe than sorry. Tia could hear giggling from the bedroom; three doors down from the living room. She pushed the sound into the background as she concentrated on sneaking into the office.
It was almost a mirror reflection of Summer's office at the university, except the desk was smaller and there were no photos of herself shaking hands with important figures. Tia guessed those were just for show then; no point peacocking for yourself. She headed straight for the desk and began rifling through the drawers. She found sheaths of forms, a myriad of official applications and even a few recipes, but nothing useful. She flicked through Summer’s diary but it was all in shorthand and didn’t appear to contain anything but meetings.
She turned to the cabinet by the door and pulled on the top drawer. It was locked, and it wasn't the kind of lock she could break noiselessly. Which meant there was something worth hiding in there, or a few things, considering the height of the thing.
“Bingo,” she muttered.
She turned on her heel to survey the room. If she were Summer, where would she hide a key? She searched the bookshelf, under the edges of the rug, beneath the surface of the desk even, to see if anything was taped underneath it. She came up empty. It had been almost ten minutes and she had found nothing. She was about to leave, heart heavy, when she happened to glance at the single frame on the wall. It was Summer’s degree, gilded with what could have possibly been real gold.
She found the key balanced on the back of the frame.
Trying not to be too smug, she rifled through the cabinet, careful not to disturb anything. Summer kept everything neatly organised and Tia found what she was looking for in the second to last drawer. It was a photocopied application, a welcome booklet and a personalised itinerary for the ‘Bloc Artificial Insemination Clinic’. Tia scanned the sheets quickly, catching confirmation that summer had already had a consultation and was due in for her first appointment soon. She didn’t feel guilty as she folded the papers into her back pocket. Summer was feeding into the monstrosity that was the Bloc and she didn’t deserve to have a child using harvested eggs. No one did.
As Tia was sliding the key back into its original place, she heard voices. She froze, staring at the door in horror. They were too close. They were right outside.
“Where are you taking me?” Talia was chuckling.
“Don’t you think it will be fun in my office, just like old times?”
“Oh, we don’t have to do that.” Talia’s voice was suddenly strained. “In your office.”
“I want to,” she giggled.
“Summer, your office isn’t where the memories are. It’s here, with us.”
Her voice was getting louder and Tia knew she was fighting a losing battle. She was trying to warn Tia. Summer was insisting.
“Shhh,” Summer replied. ”You’ve been a bad girl, Talia, and it’s time to visit the principal's office.”
Eurgh. Tia had only a moment to think before she dived for the footwell of the desk. The door opened and the two of them spilled into the office. From her hiding place, Tia could see their entangled legs. She was crouched uncomfortably in the small space and could only hope that Talia could get her out of there quickly. And then Summer’s bare feet were only a few inches away from Tia’s face, joined by Talia’s boots.
“You used to love sneaking around in my office,” Summer moaned.
Her shirt hit the floor and Tia barely suppressed her reaction. If she was caught, there would be hell to pay. How the hell would she explain that? But Talia was keeping Summer very busy. Tia’s heartbeat was a jacksaw in her own ears and she felt nauseous. She couldn’t, wouldn’t, shouldn’t listen to this. Talia couldn’t continue knowing that Tia was in the room, underneath them. She had to find some other way to distract Summer. Didn't anyone just talk anymore?
“Sum, this isn’t why I came,” Talia protested.
But then they were kissing again and Summer was lifted onto the desk, her legs dangling before Tia’s face. Talia was closer now, so close Tia could smell the soap in her trousers. She wanted to reach out and pinch Talia, to remind her that she was there. She could see Talia’s arms were around Summer, that she was pressed against her. If Tia just reached out -
“We both know that’s a lie.”
More kissing. Summer was making small noises in the back of her throat like a tortured kitten. Tia swallowed heavily. It was similar to dying, having to sit here and listen to them. Her nails were claws in her own palms but she couldn’t loosen the tension in her hands. She was pretending Summer’s neck was between them.
“I just wanted to talk.”
“Then why are your hands all over me?” Summer asked, low and sultry.
There was silence. Talia had no response for the same question Tia was asking in her head - screaming in her head. Summer laughed, delighted, and dropped her hands to the hem of Talia’s shirt, her rounded nails visible over the edge of the desk. Tia watched as her hands slipped underneath the material. She was dragging her nails over the same uneven skin Tia had touched and marveled at and loved. She wrapped her legs around Talia’s waist and pulled her as close as she could get. If Tia tilted her head forward, she would be resting on Talia’s leg. But she didn’t move because she was frozen by the reality of what she was about to experience.
Talia grunted and Tia heard Summer’s back hit the desk. Her legs disappeared and Tia noticed that Talia had shifted a few feet to the side.
“You’re right, I can’t help myself,” she said. “You always did like it when the door was open.”
Open? The word came to Tia through the fog in her brain. If she had heard correctly, then she had a chance to get out of this horrible situation. But she was going to have to be extremely careful. Talia had shifted far enough that there was enough space for Tia to crawl through. Her heart in her mouth, Tia slid around Talia’s legs, brushing against her only briefly. Despite her revulsion, she paused to look up. Summer was wrapped around Talia like a poisonous vine. She was bent over the desk, her arms forming a cage around Summer’s bowed body. They were kissing like their lives depended on it. Tia found herself tracing Talia’s eyelids, the angles of her mouth, her grip. She hadn’t meant to but she was drawing comparisons. Does she kiss me like that? A moment of weakness.
The noises Summer was making made Tia feel sick.
She continued crawling towards the door, making as little noise as possible. It wasn't easy to shift forward on hand and knee whilst wearing jeans. A floorboard creaked beneath her hands and she paused, her breath coming in short gasps. Summer had heard nothing, too lost in the throes of passion. Rising to her feet, Tia paused in the open doorway to look over her shoulder. Summer was no longer on her back, her mouth buried in the arch of Talia’s neck. She gripped the base of Summer’s neck, holding her in place...but she was staring right at Tia.
Tia couldn’t get out of the house fast enough. She completely forgot their planned signal and ran past the fence. It was only when she was safely outside of the gated community that she realised she was crying. The air burnt her throat and she decided not to wait around for Talia. In fact, she decided not to go back to the Tunnels at all. Wiping her damp cheeks, she headed for home.
◆◆◆
Jessie evidently hadn’t been expecting to see her daughter for at least another few days. She came home to find Tia curled up on the sofa, a folder clutched protectively to her chest. The surprise was pasted all over her face, but whether it was pleasant was unclear.
“Tia?” she hesitated.
Tia shook herself out of her reverie. “Yes?”
“You’re home. Well, obviously. I mean-”
“Please, leave me alone.”
Jessie sighed, disappointed. She fiddled with her bag for a moment. “Have you eaten?”
Tia didn’t reply. She still couldn’t bring herself to look at her mother without thinking about how Jessie had betrayed Andy. With Harry of all people. She clutched the folder tighter and looked anywhere but at Jessie. She didn't want to be rude, and the only way to avoid that was to say nothing at all. The room was stifling now, awkward. Eventually, even her mother left her to be alone.
She wasn’t brooding, although she knew that was what it looked like. She was thinking. She had all the documents she needed to impersonate Summer, to infiltrate the Bloc, to do some damage. But she needed more. She needed to know where they kept the eggs. She needed to know where the heart of the whole operation was. She had Zeta at her disposal and all the resources she would need. Now was the time to come up with the final plan; the fall of the Bloc.
It was hard to concentrate when she could only picture Summer’s legs wrapped around Talia.
There had been a moment when Tia could have sworn that Talia was thinking of her, when she had initially protested against Summer’s advances. But it didn't take much to break her composure, if all it took was a little teasing from the cougar of the year. Tia just couldn’t forget the way Talia had looked into her eyes, in that doorway, whilst she pulled Summer into the warmth of her body.
But Tia had a duty to perform and it didn't involve diving into her memories.
Jessie came back some time later, twisting her hands in place of her bag. Tia hadn’t been aware of her mother having a nervous tic before. “Kal is here to see you.”
Kal’s name shook some life into Tia. She sat up, running a hand over her bleary eyes. In the time she had spaced out, it had become dark outside. At some point, Jessie must have put the lights on because a lamp was illuminating the room with it’s warm glow. She left as Kal entered the living room and dropped his bag onto the sofa, following suit. The sheer bulk of his body caused Tia to bounce on the other end.
He frowned at the sight of her. “What happened to you? You look like a zombie.”
No small talk, no niceties. She laughed, and instantly felt relieved that he was there with her. He had a calming presence, this hulk that she could call a friend. Maybe it was the endless kindness in his eyes or maybe it was just his smile, but she felt at peace for the first time in days. She considered telling him everything, but then thought about all the explaining she would have to do. She was so tired, so bone weary...couldn’t it wait? He was still watching her, waiting for her response. She shook her head, scooted forward and laid her head on his shoulder.
