Part 5 (1/2)

He stepped on the tread the speed on the belt ”Couldn't sleep either?”

”Nope!” she said, pulling an ear bud out of her right ear, then replacing it, politely indicating that she didn't want to talk

A large mirror faced the treadmills, and as T J started his run, he couldn't help but notice their i, lean muscle as she pounded away at a seven-lihtly ht-minute-ht, but they had phenoures Likeheavily, staring into thein particular, as they contemplated their own concerns When Patty's machine hit nine miles, she slowed the belt down to a quick walk T J followed suit

”Don't stop on my accord,” she smiled, out of breath

”I happen to be finished too,” he said He wasn't about to admit that he'd just forced himself to run two miles farther than he'd intended because he had too irl

”I was going to grab a smoothie at the juice bar after this Want to join?” T J asked

”Sure,” Patty said ”Just going to stretch a little Meet you there”

T J was sitting at the tiki-the CNN on the television screen when Patty joined hilass of white foam toward her ”I ordered you a coconut-lime s sip through the straw and clih chair beside hi so hard about?” she asked T J

”I was kind of an asshole last night Felt bad about it Punishi+nga story to tell over smoothies”

”We could ask the bartender to put sohed That actually didn't sound like such a bad idea ”Nah I' my nails done with the bridesmaids in an hour My mother would disown me if I showed up drunk”

”Fair”

They sat for a few moments in silence when T J finally said, ”So, you're really not going to tell me?”

Patty studied T J for a moment She desperately wanted to tell someone It was so difficult to hold it all in T J already knew the beginning parts of it The first night so at T J's graduation party The security caether in the Lahini's back seat When it happened, T J had been a jerk about it, trying to blackrown up a lot since then For some reason, she felt like she could trust hi down at her bare feet She desperately needed that pedicure

T J sat up in his chair, his curiosity piqued He tried not to see, T J I know it is But I like him I really, really do And” She couldn't say it She'd never said it out loud

”And?”

”And I think he likes me, too”

”Why do you think that?”

”We went on a hike yesterday To the waterfall And he told me so He said he thinks about htsister”

T J almost choked on his set the whole thing out of her mind ”It's so stupid It'll all be over to about it”

”Maybe it won't all be over to” T J smiled coyly

CHAPTER 14:

Panic

Ada The sun was strea white drapes at the balcony s and he was full of the euphoria that only co about your true love Yesterday had been an eht now that he knew Lisa loved him

Not to mention that he'd discovered the proble to sabotage Doreye with that chip They had decided not to say anything until they'd had a chance to tell T J and To, and T J would be at the Hawkins wedding all day, though he said he'd slip out after the ceremony to check in on them

Adam stretched his arms over his head and rolled out of bed, careful not to wake Amelia Someone had slid an envelope under the door to the roo with the free copy of the New York Times

Inside the envelope was a handwritten note froet you the questions for today's Q&A in advance of the session Good luck Mike Behind it was a typed list of questions submitted by the press, which they planned to ask Adam and Amelia at the Q&A Adam felt the blood drain from his face as he read the list: 1 What is your current relationshi+p with the Dawson family? When was the last time you were in contact with the release from prison? Will you reach out to him?

3 Is Stanford aware of your criminal past? Do you worry about ill happen now that it's public?

4 You're on fellowshi+p,individual philanthropists fund much of your education Do you feel a responsibility to tell thee of your crial fall-out?

6 When did you learn to hack through security walls? Have you ever done it since, for any purpose?

7 You kno to hack into very sophisticated systems Is that how you infiltrated Rey?

8 Your peers have noticed that you are both wearing o How have you funded your neardrobes? Can you honestly say that your incole question involved some aspect of Amelia's past And each orded deceitfully Even if Amelia's answers to the questions were fair and honest, the way the questions were phrased made her sound like a criminal Like the one about the fellowshi+p: they weren't even getting fellowshi+ps any more, but if someone in the public heard that question, all they'd focus on was this idea that Adae of naive benefactors It was appalling

Ada in the plush white bed They'd gone to bed at 3 aht and orried she wouldn't sleep He was relieved to see her sleeping so peacefully now and dreaded having to wake her This letter was going to devastate her all over again But they had to figure out what to do, and fast The panel started in an hour

Adahed with her eyes still closed ”I think I could get used to this bed,” she smiled She couldn't remember them, but she knew that she'd had really nice dreah, when she saw Ada?”

”Don't freak out”

But she could already feel serious anxiety setting in She just couldn't handle any s out frolasses ”What is it?”

”We got the questions for today's Q&A The journalists submitted them to Mike, and he slipped them under the door so we had time to prepare”