Free Losing Nuka (Litmus Book 1) by Kayla Howarth Page B

have no idea what it’s really like out there for us, do you? Have you seen what it’s like in the Estates?”
    “My uncle runs the Institute. He took us once when we were kids. I got to hang out with other kids who were just like me, which growing up in the world I did, I didn’t get to do a lot.”
    Brett scoffs. “You wouldn’t say they’re fun if you saw them now.”
    “I don’t believe you.”
    “I’m sure you don’t. You know what they say, ‘Ignorance is bliss.’”
    He stalks away from me, my mouth left agape.
     
     
    ***
     
     
    “Is Brett always such an ass?” I ask Sasha.
    She invited me for a swim in the pool this morning, and I thought it’d be a good wakeup after a restless night’s sleep. Brett’s voice kept repeating in my head, calling me ignorant. I don’t even know why it’s getting to me so much. No matter how hard I tried to forget what he said, nothing worked, and I spent the night tossing and turning.
    “Yep,” is all she answers with.
    “Thanks for the clarification.”
    “You do know he’s probably listening in right now, yeah? His bedroom’s right there,” she says, pointing to the French doors I was looking out of yesterday when I used his phone.
    I shrug before sinking into the pool and dipping my head under the cool, refreshing water.
    “I get the feeling he’ll be listening in all the time with me,” I say.
    Sasha sits on the side of the pool in a tiny bikini, her feet dangling in the water. “Arrogant much?” she says, kicking water in my direction.
    “Hardly. I mean because it’s clear I can’t be trusted.”
    I pull myself out of the water to sit next to her, and she looks at me sceptically. “Is that what that ridiculous fuss over dinner was about last night? Why I had to have dinner with Jonas? Thanks for that by the way.” She shudders. “What’d Mum say?”
    “I don’t really want to get into it. She offered me a job at least, so I’ll be going to work with them tonight.”
    “Me too. I have to earn my keep … according to Jonas anyway.”
    “That’s what your mum said about me going to work there.”
    “Yeah. They don’t let me do any of the fun stuff, though. I only bartend.”
    “So that’s it? They run a bar ?” Why couldn’t they just tell me that? “But more importantly, they let a sixteen-year-old bartend? Last time I checked, legal drinking age was eighteen.”
    “Well, it’s not like I drink the alcohol,” she says with a liar’s smile on her face. “Did they not tell you about Litmus?”
    “Litmus? What the hell is Litmus?”
    She smiles. “It’s where you find out what you’re made of.”
    She jumps into the water and starts doing laps. Is she really going to end our conversation like that? ‘It’s where you find out what you’re made of.’ That’s all I get?
    After a gazillion laps, she comes back over to the side of the pool and climbs out, grabbing her towel off the ground.  “I’m going to head inside, you coming?”
    “Uh, I guess so,” I stammer, fumbling for my clothes and towel before following her in. I catch up to her in the hall. “So that’s really all you’re going to give me?”
    She smiles. “You’ll find out more tonight.”
    “Why the big secret?”
    She stops walking and turns to face me. “It’s not exactly … legal. That’s all I can say.” She leaves and starts heading upstairs.
    As I turn down the hall to go to my room to get ready for my lunch with Declan, I can’t help thinking I’ve heard the term Litmus before.
    “Litmus,” I mutter aloud, trying to jog my memory. High school science, maybe?
    Next thing I know, Brett throws his door open and trudges down the hall towards me. I raise an eyebrow at him, which only makes him look angrier. He grabs my arms and slams me into the wall next to my bedroom door, pinning me with his forearm against my chest, crushing me under his weight. I drop my towel and pile of clothes, and they hit the ground with a thud.
    “What do you