Being Amber. Sylvia Ryan

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СКАЧАТЬ and a lot of our parents are sick or have died already. Our roommates take care of us. It’s expected.”

      “I’m pretty sure the boy-girl pairing started as a result from the Gov studies,” Caroline said. “They showed that supportive touch from the opposite sex affects a person more positively and with increased strength.”

      “I agree,” Emily said, smiling with an added eyebrow wag.

      “Leave it to Emily to jump into a conversation as soon as it gets anywhere near the subject of sex,” Caroline said drily.

      “There are some roommates that end up hooking up and sometimes even get married. But more often than not, they’re our protectors and best friends. Nothing else,” Jordan said.

      Jaci glanced between Emily and Jordan and immediately decided that she liked them both, especially Emily. If somebody could be that happy as an Amber, she wanted to get to know them better. Maybe some of that effervescence would rub off on her.

      “Anyways, we’ll be staying with you for a while, until you…well, won’t freak when Xander wants to be touching you. You know, when you’re both home, sleeping and stuff.” Hannah said.

      Jaci felt disconcerted by the thought of some guy she didn’t know sleeping next to her, touching her.

      “That look, right there,” Caroline said, motioning to Jaci. “We’ll stay with you until you don’t have that look on your face when you’re thinking about other people touching you all the time.”

      Jaci tried to wipe whatever look Caroline was talking about off her face.

      “It has been hard for some women from different zones to adjust to the different culture and to being a fallow,” Caroline said.

      Jaci noticed the split second glances the women exchanged with each other, but before she opened her mouth to ask about it, Jordan quickly changed the subject.

      “Believe it or not, the last twenty-four hours have been hard on Xander. Nobody knew you were here until the u-com was sent. You were already at the Sterilization Center by the time we found out about you.”

      “He felt like shit that he wasn’t here for your first night. He was so upset today we couldn’t get him to leave. We tried to get him to go, but he was being stubborn.” Emily said. “I actually had to call his mother.” Her smirk was devilish. “She imposed her motherly authority and forced him to go. She’s one of the very few people that will take him head-on and not accept no for an answer. They’re close, the two of them.”

      “I think he feels like he’s let you down, without you even meeting each other yet,” Jordan said. “If you’re up to it, you guys can meet later. I’m sure he’s going to try to get in here anyways.”

      “He’s been sleeping around because he has trouble falling asleep by himself. His last roommate, Diana, recently got married and moved to the townhomes with her new hubby,” Caroline said. “That’s why he wasn’t here your first night.”

      “Sleeping around?”

      “Yeah, staying here and there instead of coming back to his own apartment.”

      “How did Diana’s husband like the fact that she slept in the same bed as Xander?” Jaci asked.

      Hannah shrugged. “It was fine. Half the time, he was here too.” She paused. “Listen, you have to change the mindset that sleeping with somebody or touching somebody is sexual. Sometimes it is, but most of the time it’s not.”

      “And there’s going to be a lot of times that there are three, sometimes even four people in your bed, like right now. We’re all here and will be here for another night if you need us. All of our roommates, including Xander, are on their own. They’re sleeping with other people.”

      Jaci nodded then yawned.

      “Okay, I think that’s enough for one morning. Jaci needs some rest,” Jordan said.

      “You don’t have to stay and watch me sleep.”

      “You guys go,” Caroline said. “I didn’t get much sleep last night anyways, a nap sounds good.”

      The women left and Jaci rolled to her side trying to get comfortable. She fell asleep easily to the soft caresses of Caroline’s fingers sifting gently through her hair.

      * * * *

      The apartment was totally silent when Xander opened the door.

      A few moments before, Jordan had checked in to report that she’d left to get some sleep. He was supposed to take over surveillance. He could have done that from outside the apartment, sitting with Brady and monitoring the bug from the ninth floor. But, bottom line, he needed to see Jaci, to make sure she was okay. He wanted to…Xander shook the thought away. Wanting to shake her and yell at her for what she’d done wouldn’t be the ideal way to start off their new relationship. He slipped in and peered over toward the bed.

      Caroline slept next to Jaci. Her hand was on Jaci’s waist.

      They were both turned away from the door, facing his side of the room. He crept in, walking past the bed so he could look at his new roommate. He wanted to officially meet her since she hadn’t woken up at all before the Sit-In Team arrived and pestered him until he got out.

      It was hard to step back and relinquish control of this situation. But, he understood why the women took over on these occasions. Caroline, the head of the Sit-In Team was a nurse and also a fallow herself. The other women who volunteered for the sit-in would become an instant circle of friends for Jaci. They would help her cope with the extreme culture shock coming from living her whole life in a different zone. And, even more importantly, help her through the heart-piercing struggle of coming to terms with her sterilization and the new life assigned to her.

      His gaze fastened to the woman in the bed. A puddle of wavy, brown hair covered his pillow. Even while sleeping, a mask of misery veiled Jaci’s face. It would have been preferable to meet her before her reassignment to Amber, before the operation. He would have been able to know who she truly was, not just the person she’d been forced to become.

      Xander knew other women and men that came from different zones after being designated Amber. They’d all adjusted well, many preferring the Amber lifestyle to their previous designation. He was confident Jaci would too.

      He stood over her, working himself up yet again about finding her near death the day before, when Jaci opened her eyes. She looked dazed while she tried to figure out where she was, and Xander discerned the exact moment when she put the pieces together in her head because a profound sadness emanated from her. Her eyes deadened.

      Kneeling next to the bed, he whispered, “Hi.”

      He reached out slowly and ran his thumb across her cheek.

      She looked into his eyes. “Hi.”

      “I’m Xander.”

      She smiled a sad smile. “Jaci.”

      “You’re on my side of the bed,” he said teasing her. He gingerly climbed onto the sliver of mattress available next to her. Their faces were inches away from each other, СКАЧАТЬ