Page 68 of Secret Spark

Hmm.Spark and Ice’s last job.

They exited the apartment. Easing into more truth-telling, Joan said, “So what do you really think about my wanting to change careers?”

Sadie cocked her head, taking her time before answering. “Can you walk away from what you’re doing? Like, can you stop doing it?”

“I don’t know,” Joan answered honestly. “Could I stop cold turkey? I’d like to think so, but…”

“Sorry, I meant are you allowed to retire? I know”—Sadie mouthed the wordSupers—“retire when they get old. Are you allowed to step away while you’re still in your prime?”

“Yeah. I mean, nobody’s beholden to anything. The nice thing about having an alter ego is you can just stop being them and be your true self.”

“Maybe you can cut back your hours? Go part-time?” She giggled. “Part-time crime fighter sounds like someone who dons a cape and tights and patrols their neighborhood in their spare time.”

There was one thing Joan was fairly certain about. “If I stop, I have to stop completely. Make a clean break. It’d be too easy to slip back into that life.”

A neighbor approached with two bags of groceries. They exchanged hellos with the tall person rocking an all-denim ensemble.

Once they were out of earshot, Sadie said, “I imagine it’d be hard to walk away in times of need. Maybe you could be around for, like, the really big stuff. When the you-know-whos are really wreaking havoc.”

“Hopefully, what I’m working on will put a stop to most of the havoc.”

“That would be great.”

Going for a joke, Joan said, “Then I can just save the occasional dog, or a cat up a tree.”

Sadie gave her a close-mouthed smile. “You do so much more than that. You literally save people’s lives.”

“That’s a bit extreme.”

“Don’t be so modest.” She leaned into Joan’s side. “I saw you save a busload of children from an oncoming train. You’re a hero.”

Shit.That’d been the biggest win of Catch’s career. Even Joan had to admit she’d been impressed by Darlene’s heroics. “I didn’t do that,” she whispered.

“Well, okay, if you want to get technical, Race pushed the school bus off the tracks. But you stopped the train.”

Her stomach bottomed out.Fuck.“I didn’t do that.”

Sadie held her palms out. “I don’t want you to think I’m a superfan or anything. I’m kind of embarrassed to admit this, but I’ve had a huge crush on you for years. Ever since I saw you do that. I was there.”

Shit fucking shit.That was why she was so excited about Joan being Catch.

Joan paused a few feet from the elevators. Dread swam around her head, making her a little dizzy. “Sadie…”

“I know, I know.” Sadie bit her lower lip. “You’re used to people gushing about how much they adore you. You’ve probably gotten marriage proposals.”

“No, it’s?—”

“I really do like you. Please don’t think I’m only interested in that other thing. You trusted me enough to tell me about Mark. I hope you know I’m totally here for you. You can trust me.”

“I do.”

Thebutsat on Joan’s lips, a breath away from letting the truth out.

But you shouldn’t trust me.

Something passed over Sadie’s face. Like she sensed thebut. One of her eyebrows scrunched lower as she studied Joan.

This was it. The door was open. She had to push through and accept the consequences for once in her goddamn life.

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