Free Rebel Princess - Book 2 (The Hope Saga) by Chrissy Peebles

Brett—free to live and to be together. Why should we be loyal to a city, to a government that won’t even let us look at the beautiful, blue sky?”
    “I just feel bad leaving. I do a lot around here, and someone else will have to do my work.”
    I cupped his cheek. “Baby, they can survive without you just as much as we can survive without them.”
    “Who’s gonna plant the food? Everybody counts on you and that garden.”
    “I might be the best at it, but there are others who know how to run it.”
    He sighed heavily and stared at the floor. “I’ll go, if that’s what you really want,” he said. “I love you, Sky, and I’d follow you to the ends of the Earth.”
    I held his chin and pulled his gaze back up to mine. “That’s so romantic.” Emotion consumed me, and I placed a kiss on his lips, then just held it there. The feel of his lips against mine was glorious, nearly weakening me in the knees.
    “We just can’t go tonight,” he said, pulling away.
    “Why not?”
    “The workers’ trip’s been canceled. I heard the cooks talking about it. They’re not coming back till next week, so we have to wait.”
    “See? This is exactly why I hate it down here. The more we depend on them, the easier it is for them to dominate us.”
    “Yeah, I get it, Miss Independent,” he said, giving me a peck on the cheek. “Now let’s get outta here. I don’t want someone to walk in and find us together.”
    “So…what’s up?” Rachel said when we walked cautiously back out into the hall, looking in both directions.
    “Are your parents home?” I asked her in a whisper, darting my eyes around nervously.
    “No.”
    “Good. Then let’s go to your place. I want to show Brett all those posters and notebooks you have about the murder. Maybe we can get these murders solved before we leave.”
    “He wants to see my detective work, huh?”
    Brett nodded.
    “So you guys are leaving?”
    “Next week,” I answered.
    “You can’t make a rushed decision like that. This is something we all have to talk about.”
    “We’ll talk more at your place.”
    “Gotcha.”
    Back in Rachel’s apartment, we filled her in on the details of our plan, but she still didn’t seem too keen on the idea. 
    Shaking her head, my friend said, “The simple fact is that if you leave, it’ll piss them off. What if everyone starts following your example?”
    “I doubt that would ever happen,” I said. “They’re all just mindless sheep, being led around by the big, bad wolf.”
    “But you’ll be making a huge statement if you go. It might put ideas in their heads.”
    “It won’t matter. I’ll be long gone by the time the powers-that-be put all the pieces together.”
    “Sky, it’s like… Why would you wanna bite the hands that feed you? I mean, I know you’re unhappy, but—”
    “Rachel,” I said, cutting her off, “don’t you see? They’re controlling us that way, by preventing us from feeding ourselves. I say we get our own food.”
    Rachel blew out a breath and looked at Brett. “You’d better get your girlfriend in line before she does something drastic and gets us all busted.”
    “Haven’t you heard a word I’ve said?” I chimed in. “I’m leaving, Rachel, and there won’t be anything they can do about it, because I’ll be long gone before they even realize it. I really want you to come with us, but I can’t make you do anything you don’t wanna do.”
    Rachel shook her head. “You don’t even have a solid plan. You’re flying by the seed of your plants.”
    “Uh…don’t you mean ‘seat of her pants’?” Brett asked, arching a brow.
    “No. It was a greenhouse pun, duh,” she said.
    “Oh. Right,” he said, not bothering to laugh.
    “Anyway,” she said, turning back to me, “where are you gonna go?”
    “I’m not sure yet. Let’s get out the maps and plan our little road trip,” I answered.
    “I’ve got a better idea,” Rachel said. “Brett turns eighteen in less than two