Free Saven Deception by Siobhan Davis Page B

quiet. That is so fricking hot. I’m so jealous.”
    “Seriously?” I slant a suspicious look her
direction. “I haven’t as much as spoken to him yet. And you’ve been doing all
that fun stuff with Odie.”
    “I know.” Grabbing me around the waist,
she plops us both down on the bed. “And Odie is so lovely, but your situation
is wickedly mysterious and romantic.” She has a dreamy look in her eyes. “Check
your D-pad mail. Maybe he’s already sent you a message.” Stretching around, she
snags my digipad and thrusts it into my lap.
    My fingers tremble as I log on. My heart
is fluttering erratically, and I feel sick to my stomach. The screen pings
alerting me to a new message, and I drop the digipad as if it’s on fire. “Oh my
God.” I try to steady my breathing, but nothing eases my burgeoning angst.
    Jenna collapses in a fit of giggles on the
bed.
    “Cow,” I mutter insincerely.
    “I heard that.” The comforter muffles her
voice. Her whole body shudders, and the bed quakes under the weight of her
laughter.
    “Quit acting like an ass and get up here,”
I demand, fisting my hand in the back of her shirt. “I can’t do this alone.”
    Jenna sits up and chases away the last of
her laughter. “Jeez, Sadie, the look on your face is priceless. Please promise
me that I can be there the first time you actually speak to him in
person. I’ve definitely gotta see that.”
    “You’re mean.” Ignoring her, I cautiously
pick up the digipad and flip the screen. I chew on a fingernail as I survey the
flashing message icon taunting me from the screen.
    “Go on, open it,” Jenna encourages,
resting her chin on my shoulder.
    Here goes nothing. I click on the message
icon and read.
     
    From: 
LChandler
    To:
SOwens
     
    Hi
Sadie,
     
    It’s really
nice to know your name, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed our staring matches across
the water. Now that I’ve kick-started my brain and realized that we have a way
to actually communicate, I look forward to getting to know you better.
     
    I’ll
kick things off. I’m Logan Chandler. I’m eighteen and a senior from West
Seattle High. I dig baseball, golf, rock music, MMA, and classic movies. I’m
addicted to coffee and donuts, and I’m a closet Will Smith fan (the dude is a
legend.)
     
    How
are you liking things down here? Are you looking forward to Thalassic City? Write
me back and don’t forget to enclose a selfie.
     
    Later,
Logan.
     
    With huge trepidation, I click on the accompanying picture
icon. Jenna sucks in a sharp breath. It’s a close-up selfie, and I can even detect
the miniscule smattering of tiny light freckles, which dot his pale nose and
cheeks. But man, I can’t look away from his stunning blue eyes. A million
different emotions are reflected in his fiery gaze, and I blush profusely.
    This guy is wreaking havoc with my
hormones, and I’ve no idea why. “Oh no,” I moan, dropping my head in my hands.
    “What’s wrong?” Jenna asks, tugging my
hands down. “He sounds pretty yummy. And he’s messaged you already so he’s
definitely keen.”
    “It doesn’t matter.” I shake my head
sadly. “Look.” I point to the side of the photo where a fraction of his wrist
is visible in the frame, the edge of a distinct gold bar taunting me clearly.
“He’s a bullion. He’s completely out of my league.”

CHAPTER
6
     
     
     
    “The rules have been relaxed. Remember?” Jenna says.
    “I know that, and surely it’s an oversight
on the part of the government. But you’re missing the point. It won’t matter
that technically we’re allowed to date for a few months. The reality is that
once he finds out about my status, he’ll have zero interest in me.”
    “You don’t know that, Sadie.” Jenna’s look
is fierce. “He’s a boy, you’re a girl. You are attracted to each other. It’s as
simple as that.” She says it matter-of-factly, as if there are no gray areas.
    “You know it’s never that
straightforward.” I scrunch my hair