I extend my hand, ready to slap him again, but he was quicker this time. Grabbing my wrist, the force pulling me forward, automatically.
Cole’s eyes are penetrating, deep. His jaw sharpens, almost like he’s in pain.
“Stop touching me.” Voice guttural, dropping my wrist. “I mean it.”
I looked past him, pretending I was eager. When I really just couldn’t stand to look at the way his frown deepened the longer, he looked at me.
The janitor oblivious to our presence. Bobbing his head, listening to whatever song is playing through his headphones.
Cole looks over my shoulder when we hear the crackle of a walkie. Pulling the earphones out and shutting off the vacuum the guy draws the device to his ear. Listening again when the voice speaks.
“We need you down on the main floor. A water cooler fell over and it’s everywhere.” Static crackles across before he responds, telling them he’d be down in a minute.
Grumbling, he shuffles his feet, exiting down the same shaft we’d come up in.
“Quick, we don’t have a lot of time,” Cole says, charging forward.
“What are you looking for?” I ask, closing the door. A thick white fog shielding the once clear glass.
Cole already logged onto the computer by the time I come over.
“How do you know your dad’s password?” I wonder aloud.
“Easy,” he responds, not looking up from the screen. “Passwords rotate out every few months. Security feature.” His face turns cheeky, one side of his mouth lifting. “Silas has used the same rotation for years.”
Scanning Silas’s office, I wait, letting Cole work. It’s bland, impersonal. Nothing but practical furniture and modern appliances spanning the room.
It’s an office, not a playground.Recalling Silas’s words.
Both our heads snap up at the noise.
“Did you hear that?”
“Sounded a lot like an elevator.”
We glance back at each other. My heart pounds against my chest. This wasn’t good. This was bad,reallybad. We were about to get caught. The worst part being I thought I’d been smart closing the door but now I cursed myself for not being able to see outside.
The door to Silas’s office swings opens with gusto. My spirit plummeting right along with it.
“Finn,” I fume, grabbing at my chest. “What is wrong withyou?”
Swallowing, I try to regulate my blood pressure while he stands at the door with a twisted smirk on his face.
“I could have had a heart attack,” I shout, still pissed off.
Cole’s eyes lower, unimpressed. “You know that thing you use to hit up all those chicks up with,” he bristles, pausing a moment. “Rectangular fits in the palm of your hand. Yeah, learn how to use it,” he says on the verge of boiling over.
“Wow. This is the thanks I get for saving the day.” He huffs, sinking into the chair opposite the desk. “No, ‘thanks Finn’… ‘you’re the best Finn’… ‘we’d love to buy you ice cream to show our appreciation,Finn?’”
Cole’s frown deepens.
“You guys suck.” He heaves. Slinging his legs over the arm.
Jumping out of his seat, Finn’s shoulders swell. Not so subtly rubbing my middle finger across my brow, scratching at the irritationhecaused.
“You got something you wanna say?”
“Would you two stop bickering like children?” Coles suggests, cutting in.