Chapter 2

The California sun beat down on Juliette's neck, making the collar of her t-shirt stick to her skin.

She gripped a printed gene-editing authorization form in her sweaty hand. She shoved her way through the dense crowd of the campus carnival.

A giant stuffed bear suddenly swung into her face. She swatted it away, her frustration peaking.

Then, she saw him.

Adrian stood by the shooting game booth. He wore a plain black t-shirt that stretched tight across his broad shoulders. He was staring down at a neon-orange plastic rifle in his hands, his brow furrowed in deep concentration.

Juliette marched up to the wooden counter. She slammed the authorization form down on the peeling paint.

"Sign it," she demanded, out of breath. "And send the data."

Adrian looked up. His dark eyes looked tired. He let out a heavy sigh and pointed to the digital scoreboard behind the booth operator.

It read a massive, blinking zero.

The booth operator, a guy with a thick beard, snorted loudly. "Worst aim I've ever seen, man. Didn't even clip the paper."

Juliette stared at the scoreboard. Then she looked at Adrian, the physics prodigy who supposedly never failed at anything. Her jaw went slack.

Adrian set the plastic gun down on the counter. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking completely defeated.

"I'm in a terrible mood," Adrian said, his voice flat. "I don't think I can accurately recall those complex gene sequences right now."

Juliette's stomach dropped. The data was slipping away.

She slammed both hands on the counter, leaning in. "What do you need? Coffee? A nap? Tell me."

Adrian looked at her hands, then up to her eyes. "Come with me to the indoor range off-campus. Let me get my pride back with a real gun. Then I'll email you everything."

The word 'range' hit Juliette like a physical blow.

Her spine locked up. The carnival noise faded, replaced by the phantom echo of a starting buzzer and the blinding glare of stadium lights. Her breathing hitched.

Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched her freeze.

He immediately picked up his phone, feigning indifference. "Never mind. We can talk another day."

He turned to walk away.

The thought of losing the data snapped Juliette out of her panic. She reached out and grabbed his wrist hard.

"Fine," she blurted out, her voice louder than necessary. "I'll go."

Adrian stopped. He didn't pull his arm away. Instead, he twisted his wrist, his large hand loosely wrapping around hers.

A tiny, triumphant smile touched the corner of his lips before he masked it. "Let's go."

Juliette followed him to the parking lot. She climbed into the passenger seat of his black SUV.

The interior smelled strongly of cedar and expensive leather. The scent grounded her slightly, easing the tight knot in her chest.

Twenty minutes later, they pulled into a high-end shooting club in the Los Angeles suburbs.

Juliette stared at the thick soundproof walls of the building. Her fingernails dug into the fabric of her seatbelt.

Adrian opened the heavy glass doors. The lobby was quiet, the gunfire muffled by the tactical barriers.

Gregory Bernard and Jax, already in their shooting gear, were waiting for their reserved lane on a leather sofa near the front desk, drinking energy drinks.

When they saw Adrian walk in with Juliette, Gregory choked, spraying his drink across the coffee table.

Gregory jumped up, wiping his mouth. He circled Adrian and Juliette, his eyes wide. "Castillo? You brought a girl to the range? Why?"

Adrian shot Gregory a cold, warning glare. "Shut up, Gregory."

Adrian walked to the front desk to register for a lane.

Juliette stood awkwardly by the sofa. She rubbed her arms, feeling the chill of the air conditioning. "I'm just here for an academic exchange. I hate shooting."

Gregory scoffed, leaning in close to her. "Good luck. His motor skills are a disaster. It's embarrassing."

Adrian walked back holding two pairs of safety glasses and earmuffs. He handed a set to Juliette.

As she took them, his fingers brushed against her temple. He gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Juliette's breath caught in her throat. Her skin burned where he touched her. She quickly shoved the earmuffs onto her head to hide her red ears.

They walked into the active shooting bay. The smell of gunpowder hit Juliette's nose, making her stomach clench.

Adrian picked up a standard .22 caliber pistol. He stepped up to the line.

His shoulders were stiff. His grip on the gun was entirely wrong.

Juliette stood behind the yellow safety line. Her hands twitched. Every instinct in her body screamed to step forward and fix his terrible posture. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself.

Adrian took a deep breath. He pulled the trigger.

Bang. The shot went wide, punching a hole in the paper target's empty border, scoring a definitive zero but at least hitting the right zip code.

Gregory slapped the protective glass partition, howling with laughter. "Still completely useless, Castillo!"

Adrian slowly lowered the gun. He turned around to look at Juliette.

His dark eyes were wide, filled with a mixture of frustration and vulnerability. He looked like a kicked puppy waiting for a pat on the head.

Juliette looked at his flawless face. The last bit of her defensive wall crumbled.

She let out a soft sigh. He really was just a helpless nerd outside of a classroom.