I didn’t tell him that I’d already read this book-his favorite. I lifted my eyes to his and swallowed hard.

“It’s my favorite,” he told me, holding it gingerly, and my face nearly crumpled as I reached for it, pressing my hand over its paperback cover. He clumsily withdrew his hands and presented me with a book, his hands shaking.

This camp was the most exhilarating place I’d ever been. At this moment there was no place in the world I’d rather be than right here. “It can get kinda boring here.” And even though I understood what he was saying, I couldn’t disagree more. “I brought you something.” He said it like it was no big deal, but he was self-conscious, and he bit his lip. “Couldn’t stay away?” I beamed, unable to contain myself. I felt a surge of triumph when I saw Tyler standing there, back so soon. I jumped up and pushed the opening aside. Just then there was a knock, or as much of a knock as there could be on a tent door, kind of a flapping sound against the canvas. Thom and Natty might earn their freedom back, but Simon and I would likely be trapped in Paradise forever. I wondered if letting Thom spend the night with Natty might be a step in the right direction toward letting us off house arrest, if we might be earning our way out of Paradise.īut then I remembered the look on Griffin’s face when she’d busted Nyla for sneaking me away to meet Simon, and I sincerely doubted it. Paradise is where they keep the people they don’t trust.” She shrugged with her face, her eyebrows rising and her mouth drooping.

That if you hear something called Operation Rainbow, it’s gonna be majorly bad. “It’s like what Willow said about not trusting the government names that sound the most innocent. “He told me more about Blackwater, and he said they call this part of it-where they’re keeping us-Paradise.” “We talked all night.” She lowered her voice, letting me know she was sharing a secret. She beamed as she nodded, her eyes gleaming. I wasn’t sure what to say, what I should say. He just left.” It was the most animated I’d ever seen her. “What about you? Have you been here the whole night?” It didn’t matter that she’d asked it nervously or that she hadn’t guessed right. “So he remembered you?” she asked nervously. I didn’t always believe in such things, but now, finding Tyler in this Utah compound with Griffin and her fanatical militia. The ones that, no matter how far apart, would forever be drawn together. Tyler and I were the ones that attracted. In the same way Griffin had immediately disliked Willow-the way some magnets repelled each other.

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