Unplugged: The New World (#1, Unplugged Trilogy)

Chapter Twenty Six

"About five minutes before I found you. If we climb fast enough, we should catch up with him." I nod and begin to climb the metal staircase, Matthew right on my heels. The cool air closes in around me, and the only thing I can hear are Matthew's strained breaths mixing with my own. After a few minutes of struggling, I work up the courage to ask him the question that has been treading on the tip of my tongue.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" We continue to walk in silence. "You think I'm weak, don't you?" I add quietly.

"Of course not," he whispers. Why is he lying?

"Then answer my question." I can't see him, but I can almost hear his mind working furiously.

"Do you... remember... what you told me in the clinic?" I rack my brains, but I can only remember mentioning the droid attack.

"About the robot?" I ask. I tilt my head back, and I can barely see light from above filtering down through the cracks of the trapdoor. We must be close to Luke. As if reading my mind, Matthew drops his voice to a quieter whisper.

"No. About you liking me." The way he says it is strange. I would expect him to seem awkward, but now he says it blatantly, like commenting on the weather. As if he has accepted it as fact. Instantly the world begins to spin before me and my heart begins to pound, migrating to my throat. I told him I liked him?

"Oh. That." I mutter, forcing my tone to be light. Excuse. Think of an excuse. "I must not have been thinking clearly. Because of the medicine."

"Yeah, I suppose not..." Matthew replies quietly. We get closer to the trapdoor and the awkward silence grows. Suddenly, it occurs to me that I still don't know why Matthew would avoid me for saying that. Either he could have absolutely no interest in me, or maybe he reciprocates my feelings...?

"You still didn't answer my question, though," I say. Matthew sighs behind me.

"Why don't we talk about this later?" I smile a little in the dark. Soon, we reach the trapdoor and I peer above it quickly. Luke stands at the apartment's front door, peeking out of the crack. I resist the powerful urge to rush up to him and punch him in the face.

"He's here," I hiss. To my surprise, Matthew laughs a little behind me. I wait tensely for many moments, then Luke dashes out of the front door. Matthew grips my waist and helps guide me up the stairs.

"Thank you," I whisper. I can feel my cheeks grow warm when his fingertips brush the skin beneath my shirt. Stop being such a girl, I scold myself. The fake apartment looks the same as it did the last time I was here: spotless and completely orthodox. We make our way over to the front door.

"Wow. It's been so long," Matthew mutters, running his hand over the seat of the leather couch.

"We'd better head out or else we'll never find Luke," I say, twisting the door knob. Matthew lingers close behind me, and we quickly shoot out into the busy street. The air is extremely cold: it must be the peak of winter.

"Look for Luke," I order Matthew, instantly dropping my gaze to the ground.

"Why can't you help?" He hisses without moving nearer to me. I know I may be cowardly by trying to hide my face, but I can't afford another coffee shop incident. Looking straight into the face of a camera is not one of the smartest moves I could make, especially now.