United (The United Trilogy Book 1) by Jaci Wheeler Read Free Book Online Page B

child he was always afraid that someone might cut off one of his parent’s hands and use it to break in, so he came up with the code.  I’m pretty sure he knows that can’t happen since the scanners also sense heat, but we continue out of habit, mostly to appease Wesley.  I wasn’t even three steps into the house before Wes was calling out his good morning.
    “Hey, how did you know it was me and not someone trying to kill you?”
    “Haha very funny Roz, of course it’s you.  It’s 10 am on a work day and you are starving and alone.  I was expecting you.”
    Even though he says this as a fact, I took it for what he really meant; he waited for me to have breakfast so that he could make sure I was OK.  I couldn’t help it; I ran up to him and gave him a huge hug!  I held on for dear life while he put his hands straight up in the air, then once he realized I wasn’t letting go until he hugged me back, he awkwardly tapped me on the head until I let go.
    “Don’t make me have to file sexual harassment on you, Rosaline Thatcher.”
    “Oh if I was sexually harassing you Wes, you’d know.” I started wiggling my eyebrows at him.  He got all flustered and went to the oven and pulled out our breakfast.  His mom had made us French toast with berries and cream on the side, our favorite!
    As per usual, we ate in silence, and once we were both finished he looked at me and said, “Well, have you read it yet?”
    I looked down and shook my head, wanting to delay the inevitable just a little bit longer, “Have you?” Knowing Wes, I assumed he tore it open the second he got home.
    “No, I wanted to wait for you.”
    My head shot up in surprise, “You did?!  But I thought you wouldn’t have been able to sleep until you read it?”
    He raised one eyebrow at me and I chuckled, “You haven’t slept yet have you?”
    This wasn’t an actual question because we both knew that he hadn’t. Not knowing what the letter said would have kept him up, all night….he waited for me!  Wes, seeing where my thoughts were taking me, jumped up and put a 10 foot distance between us.  “Roz, don’t even think about hugging me again!”
    I laughed, “But sometimes you are just too irresistible Wesley dear.” I said this over my shoulder as I ran out of the house and to mine.  I was back with the letter in hand before Wes even had a chance to sit back down.
    We went to his room to get his letter and decided to get it over with.  We both sat down on his bed holding our letter in our hands, “Do you think they say the same thing?” I asked.
    “Hmmm, I’m not sure.  I seriously doubt it since you are so much more important than me now.” He says this completely joking, but part of me dies a little at hearing his words.  Are people going to start treating me differently now?  Is Wes?  Are they going to think I think I’m better than them?  GAH!
    Pulling me out of my musings, Wes said, “Should we open them at the same time, or separately?”  Leave it to Wes to have to evaluate the entirety of the situation before coming up with a game plan; it’s a letter for goodness sake!
    “Well, since you are going to go over both with a fine-toothed comb either way, we might as well open them one at a time, yours first.”  I’d like to think I was ending his misery, but really I think I was just prolonging mine.
    “OK, here I go.” He opens the letter, looks at the paper for a moment, and then mutters something like “Well that was anticlimactic.” He hands his letter over to me, and without even asking permission, he picks up my letter and opens it.  Before I have the chance to protest, he scoffs, “Figures they are exactly the same and completely and utterly vague.”  He throws his head back and lies on the bed, looking up through his sky light.
    I look at his letter which does appear to be a replica of mine.
    Please meet at the Office of Ministry headquarters in two days’ time.  You will take the bullet train at