I frowned at Hoda now. “What are you talking about?”
She looked at Melissa. “Do you mind? I’m not trying to be rude, and I’m aware I come off that way, but this is personal for me. I’d rather not have an audience when I make Bailey do something we’ve all taken oaths not to do.”
Melissa’s mouth was open. She was half gaping. “What…”
“Hacking. Orunhacking. I need her to unhack something.”
Oh, crap.
Melissa’s phone buzzed, and she read the text. A small and slight giggle left her before she bit down on her lip, looking at us. “You know what? This is perfect timing. I, uh, have something.” She grabbed her books, put her laptop in her bag, and was ready to go in a flash. “I’ll see you all later, then?”
Her bag was swung up on her back.
We watched as she pulled her other arm through the strap before Hoda turned back to me. She was being all fierce-like. “Our deal. I know you had a setback after you hacked Camille—and by the way, she has no idea. I’m living with Liam, but I talked to her yesterday. She didn’t say a word, and I know her—she would’ve been blowing my phone up if she ever figured it out.”She slid her fists over the table toward me and uncurled them, her thumbs sticking up. “So two thumbs up for that feat. But back to me. You said you’d pull your program from my stuff.” She was all business and no nonsense. “I want to watch you do it.”
She was right. I’d had a setback, but it hadn’t lasted too long.
Grief was a cycling tornado. It hit, and it hit hard. It left a trail to recuperate afterward. You recuperated, and then it swung back again for destruction.
Hoda cleared her throat, staring at me pointedly.
Right.
She was here. She said something.Brain, go back, and what did she say?
“I want to watch you do it.”
Got it.
“Now? Are you sure?”
Her eyebrows arched up. “You can do it now? On your laptop?”
I nodded. “I have it set up to do it anywhere.”
She groaned, closing her eyes. She lowered her head, folded her arms, and laid her forehead over her arms. “Why me?” She lifted her head and her eyes opened. “I had it all worked up in my head. You could break into accounts but you had to do it in a certain room, with a certain computer, and there were all these precautions you had to take. You had to at least work for it. Nope.” She snapped her fingers, leaning back in her chair, her shoulders slumping. “You can do it here. Now. Just like that. With your freaking laptop, that you can take anywhere. Of course. Of course!” She looked upward. “Why couldn’t I have been the genius in our program?”
I sighed. “Are we really back to this? This was so first semester.”
“Of course.” Her hand flew up, gesturing to me. “You’re funnier, too. Agh!”
I waited.
I waited another beat.
She remained quiet, so I asked, “Want me to do it now or what?”
“Yes,” she bit out, shoving back her chair. She stalked around the table and stood over my shoulder, her arms crossed over her chest. I glanced up. She had an annoyed scowl on her face.
Well. She was about to get even more annoyed.
I opened up my program.
Click.
Anotherclick.
I typed in my password, which I know she saw, but I would change it the second she left.