Page 17 of Close Quarters

“I didn’t say go ahead yet,” Leon muttered, but so quietly I thought it was safe to ignore him.

“Secondly, fuck you,” I continued, sneering when Reno flipped me the bird. “You’re just doing the same thing you did to Riley, but now you’re doing it to Leon. All Leon wants to do is what’s right for you.”

“That’s his job,” Reno shot back.

“It’s not a job. You don’t just get assigned to his ‘job.’ You have to show you want to help people, maybe you could try some of that. And then you have to accept it, choosing to want to help people,” I said, slapping my hand on the table. It went off with a harsh crack, but I ignored it. “So yeah, he wants to help you. That’s who he is. Just like Riley is a decent person who’d probably help you too if you let him.”

“I don’t?—”

“Want any fucking help? Yeah, we know, we got it. All you’ve done since you got here is be a giant bag of dicks to anyone who showed you even the slightest smidge of kindness or friendliness. And now, after you fuck up and deserve to get slapped upside your head, you’re going to spit in his face?” I asked, standing up and gesturing around. “If you don’t want to be here, if you don’t want to be better, then just fucking say it and save everyone the trouble. That way, the guys won’t keep trying to see if you’ll ease up, Leon can spend his energy on someone who won’t waste his time, and the ranch can have someone in your place willing to do more than roll over and die.”

“You…” Reno began, eyes widening.

“Elliot,” Leon began in warning, but I was just about done.

“You want to give up? Then give the fuck up,” I told Reno in a low voice. “This wishy-washy, back-and-forth bullshit is doing nothing but making everyone here, including you, absolutely miserable. Either commit to leaving or commit to getting your shit together. If you can’t do either of those things, then yeah, you really will have fucked up. You will have fucked your life up all over again. So put up, or shut the fuck up.”

I let out a ragged breath and dropped back into my seat, snatching up a piece of bread and shoving it into my mouth. I glanced around nervously, finding Mona watching me intensely, with no expression on her face, but at least I didn’t feel like I was about to get struck. Leon was watching Reno intensely, with Reno giving me the fiercest stare I’d ever seen him give.

“Done?” Leon asked, clearing his throat.

I looked at Leon. “Don’t try to use kid gloves on him, he keeps taking it as you coddling or babying him. Just be direct. Maybe you’ll get somewhere.”

Mona made a soft noise, but when I looked at her, there was still no emotion on her face. She ignored me, looking at Leon, who gave a weary sigh and looked back at Reno. “Alright, we’ll try it this way. You screwed up, Reno, and by all accounts, we’d be in our rights to send you back and find someone else to fill your place.”

Reno was still watching me, his throat working for a few seconds before he took a breath. “And why haven’t you?”

“I want you to answer a question, and I want you to answer it honestly.”

“What?”

“Do you want to stay here? Do the program properly?”

“Seriously?”

Leon turned on him, his voice low. “Yes, seriously, Reno. Because despite how…roughly Elliot put it, he’s got a point, and I think you see his point, even if it pisses you off. I still believe there’s a chance for you, but of everyone here, you’re the one who has to believe in you. If you don’t think you can get your shit together, then there’s no point in you being here.”

Reno flicked his eyes toward Leon before turning to me. I couldn’t tell if the man wanted to murder me on the spot or just punch me in the face. Either way, he didn’t look thrilled, and in that moment, I couldn’t give a shit. His tantrum was just…ridiculous, and I didn’t understand. If he was going to get the boot immediately, they wouldn’t have bothered having me here, that much I knew.

“And if I say yes?” Reno asked slowly, Adam’s apple bouncing as he swallowed hard.

“Then you’ll agree to some terms while we put you on special probation,” Leon said, and I watched him glance at Mona again.

Reno bowed his head, making it impossible to see the expression on his face. I didn’t know what was going on with him or what had made all this happen. It didn’t take a genius at reading people to know he had anger problems or that his lashing out at Riley had been unusual, even for his angry ass self. But whatever was eating him up inside and making him so pissy all the time wouldn’t help him here. He needed to figure it out. Maybe one day he could stop being pissed off enough to tell what he was pissed off but right now?—

“Fine,” he said, picking his head up. “Chipmunk for Brains over there is right. I need to give up or commit, and I’m not giving up. I fucked up, and you’ve clearly got something in mind to punish me.”

“Not a punishment,” Leon said, apparently satisfied with Reno’s answer. I wasn’t, but then again, I wasn’t the type of person you put in charge of people for a good reason. “Think of it more as a way to give you a…tether.”

“A tether,” Reno repeated slowly.

“A connection you’ve struggled to make since you got here despite my attempts. I’ve only seen a hint of connection here and there, but you’re still a mystery to everyone here,” he said, something passing between Leon and Mona as he finished. “But for this to work, you’ll?—”

“I agree already, okay?” Reno said with a roll of his eyes. “Chipmunk for Brains?—”

“Said to take off the kid gloves with him,” I growled. “The Dick for Brains.”

Reno hesitated and, unbelievably, let out a snort of what should not have been amusement. “Yeah, that.”

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