Hard Wired Trilogy by DeAnna Pearce (smart books to read .TXT) 📕

“Suspended? But he did nothing wrong.”

“He abused the VR systems. And being here with an open VR facility for students like him isn’t good. Advisor Williams will inform your mother of the specifics and advise her if there is a chance of his re-admittance.”

Ari took a step backwards, not wanting to believe what the nurse was saying. Marco was getting kicked out of school?

Nurse Carey put a hand on her arm. “It’s like a lot of other addictions. They are not cured in a day.”

Ari knew Nurse Carey was right. She’d watched her father for years as a little girl, but she couldn’t believe it was happening with Marco. She couldn’t watch another family member slowly deteriorate into a life that wasn’t even living.

Chapter Twenty-Six

The next morning, Marco was quiet over breakfast, finding his eggs more interesting than talking to either Ari or Reed. His friend started to give him a hard time, but Ari silenced him with a hand. Marco didn’t know what Ari almost risked, and he didn’t need to. Not then.

Ari leaned down to hug him goodbye, a gesture he weakly returned. “Give a hug to Mom for me.”

“Sure,” Marco mumbled. It killed Ari to watch her brother like this. The life he always had in him, the joking, the love, was gone. Was it even real?

He barely looked Reed in the eyes as he patted his arm. “See you soon at Christmas break.”

“Okay.”

They left with Nurse Carey’s reassurances that this post-VR depression was normal, and he should be feeling better by Christmas.

“Want to meet up for dinner?” Reed asked, once they exited the wellness center. “I have my study group at lunch again. Everyone’s stressed about end of term exams.” He was finishing his third year, and Ari knew how important his scores were. The tests determined where he would be placed for his internship, and eventually how much money he could make.

“Sure, okay,” Ari said, distracted by worries of Marco.

“I’ve got to go to class.” He grabbed Ari’s hand. “He’s going to be okay.”

“You don’t know that.”

Reed was silent for a moment before agreeing. “You’re right, but even if he’s not, we’ll deal with it.”

Ari nodded. “I can’t be late to class.” Reed let go of her hand, and Ari hurried towards her dorm that held so much of what she hated: virtuals.

No wonder we have lock-downs, she thought. This place might be worth blowing up.

By the next week, Marco headed home, and Mom said he was doing well, whatever that meant. Ari focused on school, spending time with Reed whenever possible. Saturday night, Reed came over to watch a movie on Tessa’s over-sized screen. They cuddled up on Ari’s bed, while Tessa sprawled out on hers. They passed around cartons of ice cream, trying to convince each other which one was the best.

“Everyone knows chocolate is practically a food group by itself,” Ari argued.

“If you’re like every other girl in world. Peanut butter and cherries? Now that’s a tasty variety,” Tessa replied.

Tessa had been kinder since Ari told her that her brother had been sent home. Tessa had never brought it up again, even though Ari often heard the gossip around campus. She appreciated her roommate. Sometimes friends didn’t have to talk, they could just be.

Reed set his spoon down and silently traced Ari’s arm, leaving it with a tingling sensation Ari loved. As they watched a fantasy movie with vampires tearing each other to shreds, Ari’s thoughts kept returning to Reed, his body wrapped around hers. Ari would love nothing more than to have his arms around her all night.

Soon the movie faded, and Ari squinted against the bright lights that Tessa flipped on. “Ari, you are the only person I know that can fall asleep during a horror movie.”

“I haven’t been sleeping great.”

“Wait till finals come,” Tessa retorted.

Ari moaned, and Reed pulled her tighter against him.

“Let me get on my game before you two start.” Tessa grabbed a drink out of the mini-fridge and sat down in front of her large screen. Within seconds, she had her headset on and the screen full of different shots of her game in action.

“I should probably let you go to sleep. I know we both have projects to work on for school,” Reed said reluctantly.

“Not yet. That was a nap.” Ari held onto his arm, not ready to let him go. She’d dreamed of being with him for too long. It felt surreal some days, and she didn’t want it to end.

His body relaxed underneath her.

She won. “Just a little longer.” If she was a cat, she would be purring.

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then his hand traced down her neck, resting on her collarbone. “Are we going to catch the same tram home? I was hoping we could spend more time together over break.”

“Sounds great. About break ...” Ari said and then hesitated. She didn’t know if she wanted to bring it up, but it wouldn’t get easier with time.

“What? Have you not told your mom about us?”

“That’s not it. My mom was actually excited about us.” Her mom had even said she couldn’t do much better, but there was no reason to give Reed a big head.

He kissed the top of her head. “Good. My mom said it was about time.”

“Really?” Ari turned back to face him, wondering how long Reed had thought of her romantically.

Reed smiled at her, bigger than usual, which made Ari close the distance and meet his lips. She melted into his soft lips, lost in the taste of Reed with a touch of chocolate. Finally, she pushed back. Tessa was still in the room, despite being absorbed in her game.

“You wanted to talk about break?” Reed held onto to her waist as Ari faced him. His hand touched her bare skin, sending a warm current throughout her body.

“You’re very distracting.” Ari pushed his hands away.

“Alright, alright.” Reed raised his hands in surrender as he leaned back against