I'd been unconsciously using my gift since meeting Aver. When I touched his things, I felt his desire and passion. I'd told Aver I liked standing against the walls inside Lawrence, but really, I liked touching the exposed logs of the wall because I felt the hands that had touched them. The passion felt wild, uncontrollable… basically, rubbing the logs gave me a log, and that was a weird thing to admit in any company.
"What…What do you feel when you touch me, my things?"
I'd never heard him stutter.
I also didn't want to admit to the way I felt when I touched Aver or anything of his in front of near strangers. They were his family, but my extremely nice but new acquaintances. "I can prove it. Test me. Something you wore during an especially emotional or poignant time in your life. It can be anything."
Aver frowned while the others started looking, searching their pockets and the space around them.
"I have something," Branson said. "But for this to prove anything, everyone has to try their hardest not to let any reactions show beforehand."
A smart suggestion. People didn't think about how much information they conveyed with just their expressions or body movement, and sometimes, I didn't even need to touch an item to know what I was going to say. Telling fortunes was as much about confirming the past as anything else. People didn't want to be told they were going to be rich someday as much as they wanted to feel connected to someone or something again, if only for a minute.
Everyone schooled their faces into blank masks, and Branson removed a white ribbon from his pocket. A circular medal dangled on the loop, and there was a wolf carved into one side. The item didn't look mass-produced like a cheap trinket might be but genuine. A good luck charm of some sort?
That was my guess, at least until I actually grabbed the item from Branson. I nearly dropped it, gasping against the rush of fury and injustice. This was not a good luck charm. I closed my eyes. It wasn't even an item Branson liked. "You hate this. I can't tell you why, but it's an item you despise. It makes you feel like a prisoner, powerless." With my eyes still closed, I took a breath and let it out slowly. "But I also feel determination. Like it's beginning to hold a new purpose for you."
I opened my eyes, meeting their shocked faces. Aver's was the closest. He didn't look shocked, but worried.
"Did that hurt you?" he asked, cupping my face gingerly. "You gasped. Did it hurt?"
My lips curled. "I do feel the more powerful emotions and memories. But that's mostly just jarring or uncomfortable. It isn't usually physically painful unless a memory was attached to a particularly violent event."
Aver's worry never budged. He wasn't relieved by my answer.
"Why did you keep it?" Nash asked Branson.
I handed it back to him, glad to be rid of the anger. Branson looked at the medal in his palm, caressing the flat edge with his thumb. "I wear it for my mom. Whenever I start to feel sympathy that she's rotting in prison, I pull it out and look at it. I remind myself of bowing, and that's enough to keep me searching for evidence that will put her away forever."
That answer must've made more sense to the others because they nodded while Riley moved to touch Branson's arm.
Nash turned to Phin, who stood near the twins—both now with as much banana on their face and heads as was smeared across the trays.
He reached for Phin's fitness tracker watch. Phin curved his eyebrow questioningly but nodded to his husband.
"Try this one," Nash said, handing the watch to me.
After what had just happened, I was a little hesitant. That had been a powerful rage. But there was an excited gleam in Nash's eye that piqued my curiosity enough I put out my hand, palm up. He dropped it without touching me with his skin. My fingers curled over the watch. I closed my eyes and smiled. This was a much better emotion. "This watch has seen very nice days." I opened my eyes. As before, Aver's was the first face I saw.
He took one look at my face and snagged the watch out of my hand, flinging it back to Nash, who laughed wildly. "Not funny," Aver growled.
"What?" Kansas asked. "Fill the rest of us in!"
"It was a gift," Phin said, red-faced but smiling. "For our six-month anniversary. The day he gave it to me, and I wore it for the first time was an…" He cleared his throat. "Enjoyable time for all."
"Ooooh, Nash used Phin's watch to make Hollister horny," Kansas said, patting Calvin's back as he lay against one shoulder.
I laughed along with everyone but Aver, who snarled loudly.
"Gosh, okay, jeez." Nash threw his hands up in surrender. "I won't make your mate horny again, I promise. Intentionally, anyway. I have no control over how other people react to my body."
I understood. I often felt the same way about myself. At the moment, I was only joking along with them because it was clear that Phin was fine with everything happening. More than fine—he'd been in on his husband's joke.
"I don't know how I feel about this new version of you," Nash said with a rudeness that could only come with familiarity.
"What do you mean?" I asked. "How much differently did Aver act?"
Aver groaned as the other's began to grin.
"Oh no, I know how much you Walkers love torturing each other." Riley had his hands on his hips. "If we're going to finally be able to tease Aver, then I'm going to make sure we have enough sustenance."
"I thought you were a friend," Aver grumbled.
The group started to move, children were gathered as the migration to the other room began, and frankly, I was feeling a little underexamined. "That's it? You all just believe me? I'm telling you I can sense emotions of the wearer when I hold things, and you're all okay with it?"
"You proved it," Wyatt said, snagging a few bottles of beer from the fridge to bring into the dining room. "What more are you supposed to do?"
I snorted softly. I wasn't looking for their encouragement. I guess I'd expected a closer examination, more disbelief. "No one has questions?"
"I can think of some," Phin offered helpfully.
My shoulders slumped with gentle defeat. Why was I pushing this? These people wanted to accept me while I seemed bent on proving how strange this should all feel. "No, that's okay."
Phin looked relieved.
Wyatt stood, offering Aver and me beers. I shook my head along with Aver. This was strange enough. I didn't need to get tipsy on top of that. "Kansas can steal your energy, Phineas can heal most injuries, Riley compels people to tell the truth, and we all turn into wolves." He looked at my face and must have decided I was disappointed because he added, "But I like what you can do, too. It's very subtle."
Now my head really spun. Clearly, this conversation wasn't over, and I would have to deal with the very strange feeling of not being the coolest guy at a party.
***
Hours later, my belly was full and ached but from laughter. The guys had been ruthless, painting a very different picture of Aver than the one I'd known. To them, Aver was cautious to the point of frustration. He was quiet, a worrier as a child, and, from the sounds of it, that trait hadn't let up into adulthood.