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Unspoken Sarah Rees Brennan 33590K 2023-09-02

Jared cursed "What is that?"

Kaatory fashion "I think it’s an exercise bike My other theory, that it’s a giant whisk, seems unlikely"

"Okay," Jared said in a whisper, breathless froh "Just a little gyh here Take my--" He cut himself off before he said "hand"

Kami didn’t take his hand It wouldn’t help; it would put them more off balance, and it wasn’t like they could lose each other

They were both silent, pretending they couldn’t feel the other’s discoh into another rooe chair

His ah her After a moment, she said, "Lucky that door was open"

"If it hadn’t been," Jared said, close by her ear, "I could have got it open"

Kae table and into what seemed to be a cupboard full of bottles, which rocked ominously for a low in the next rooht on but as if there was a fish tank in there

"No, you could not have," she told Jared, s or ji any acts of delinquency at all Because you’ve reformed"

"Oh yeah," Jared said "Obviously"

Karasped it, and turned it "This is different As was the lawyer’s office We’re in pursuit of justice" She peered warily into the next rooainst the doorfra low "Being good’s only fun when it’s with you"

Light reflected on the wall in the next rooainst the white tiles

Kami advanced cautiously

The room was circular, lined with pale tiles At Kaht above the pool The night sky turned the pool into a h again and turned He was taking off his shirt: the apron was on the floor She caught sight of a slice of stomach and looked hastily back at the pool "Jared," she said,thrill course through her, the idea of abandoning just a little control

"But itit either," Kah the water, disappearing in the dark with only a ripple Kah her brain: his adrenaline, the pleasure of getting aith so as harmless as this

Jared’s head broke the surface, his hair dark ater, the faint shiht pale on his skin "Come on," he said

Kami hesitated for a moment and ordered, "Turn around"

Jared sh her, and did Kami studied his shoulder blades with suspicion as she took off her apron and then the black T-shirt, being careful of the page tucked in the apron She wished she’d worn underwear that h that happened approximately three days of the year But she wished she’d at least worn discreet black instead of a bright orange bra

"Orange?" Jared asked He answered her wave of indignation with a quick "Not peeking! Reading your mind!"

"I wonder what privacy would be like Guess I’ll never know," said Kami, and jumped into the water It was a cool, lovely shock, her lihter echoed off the tiles and ed by Jared’s light splash at her face

Ka in the cool water Jared was thinking of grabbing and dunking her, thinking about it mostly just to tease her Only, it would be weird if he did, and he was a lot bigger than she was

"Hey," said Jared, turning The ripples in the pool as he ainst Ka "I would never hurt you"

"I know you wouldn’t," Kami said quickly "It isn’t that" It wasn’t that It was the fact that he was here, which kept being disturbing, and that she was so terribly aware of hi hundreds of things at once, like that they were going to get caught, and noticing thewhat to do about the fact that she was noticing

In spite of all that, this was fun

Kalint of the thin chain she’d noticed around Jared’s neck at the bell tower She sahat had been hidden by his T-shirt now: an old penny, like the one she had sent hiot it," Jared said "I found it on the floor in our apartht of his gaze on her And she didn’t want Jared seeing any of her thoughts, so she splashed at him and said, "Two laps Race you"

A noise in one of the exercise rooe for the side of the pool She pulled herself out and grabbed their clothes, feeling in her apron pocket for the paper Then she ran to join Jared He was out of the pool, trying to pull open the glass door that led to a patio outside

It was locked

Ka closer She shoved Jared’s clothes at his chest I knew this was a bad idea Pursuing justice is good kar apprehended while unclothed!

The steps rang out, echoing clearly off the tiles and the skylighted roof

Jared took a deep breath and said, "Kaht Ka steps, even while a ht in the pool was so bright it see like underwater treasure