Page 10 of Even if You Fall

“Cameron, hi,” I said, the words sounding embarrassingly relieved. But I was truly thankful at least one person here wouldn’t either hate me on sight or try to hit on me.

He pointed at me as he took the last step inside, then looked off to the side, letting his finger slowly follow to point in the same direction. A second or two later, a loud laugh burst from him as his gaze settled on me again.

“Ah, man,” he began, head shaking sadly. “Asher’s gonna lose it when he realizes what Ada’s about to do.”

“Did,” I corrected. “And he already knows. He wasn’t thrilled.”

“Got it,” he murmured as he stole across the small space to rest his forearms on the top level of the desk. “Well, if she’s gonna leave anyway, I guess we’ll take you.”

I rolled my eyes at the tease but kept my voice low when I informed him, “I’m pretty sure at least one of your coworkers is already trying to get rid of me.”

Surprised bemusement crossed his features. “What? Why?”

But before I could decide what all to tell him about the unfortunate incident with Steel Wall, he glanced to the side and asked, “Where is Ada anyway?”

“Right, so?—”

“Why aren’t you answering the phone?” The voice lashed out, preceding Asher as he charged around the corner. With a nearly imperceptible nod Cameron’s way, his eyes quickly scanned the entryway of the building before snapping to me. “Where’s Ada?”

“I already asked,” Cameron said, then slanted his head toward me. “You stopped Chloe from answering.”

Asher looked to the door as if he knew what I was about to say, then set his infuriated stare on me. “Where’d she go?”

“I’m not sure,” I said with a shrug. “But she did leave.”

Asher worked his jaw, his head bobbing in quick, firm nods. “Your training?” he asked, once again already seeming to know that Ada hadn’t just stepped out for a minute or two.

I glanced at the binder as hesitation swirled in my stomach. But I could do this. Iwoulddo this. There wasn’t an option because I needed this job.

“I’ll figure it out,” I said with a confidence I in no way felt.

With a heaving breath, Asher sent a chilling look Cameron’s way that had me taking a step back, and I wasn’t even the reason behind the look or who he was directing it at. Not to mention, there was a desk separating us.

“She couldn’t have done all this in a normal way,” he seethed to Cameron. “She had to push me—frustrate me—as much as humanly possibly on her way out.”

“It’s Ada,” Cameron said, his easy smile showing he wasn’t intimidated by Asher or surprised at Ada’s tactics.

“Drives me crazy.” Asher reached over the desk and picked up the office phone. After a quick look all around it, he pinched the bridge of his nose before messing with the side of the phone. “She shut it off,” he muttered as he set the phone on the main part of the desk again. “If it rings, answer it. If the call needs to go to one of us—” With another frustrated exhale, he glanced between Cameron and me.

“I need to start the morning meeting,” Asher informed Cameron, or maybe me, I wasn’t sure. “I don’t have time to show you the phones. Just take a message if someone calls. I’ll send someone up here later to walk you through everything.”

“Okay,” I began, but the brightness of the word faded because Asher was already walking away.

Not that that was unusual for Asher Briggs. I’dmostlygrown used to this side of him over the past months. But his brusque manner on a regular day was one thing. On a day like today, when I felt so completely out of my element and had already felt the animosity of two other people? Well, it was a wholly different thing.

“It’ll be okay,” Cameron said with an encouraging smile. “Most of Ada’s job was answering phones and organizing client files, which we’ll get you into.” Tapping his hand against the top section of the desk, he pushed away. “You’ll pick everything up in no time.”

My shoulders jerked up in a shrug that was too jumpy to be anything less than anxious. But my smile and tone gave nothing away when I lied, “I’m not worried about it.”

“Good,” he called out as he strode away just as my phone chimed.

Scooping it up, I let myself sink into the desk chair just as another message from Lainey came through.

Lainey Pearson

You’re not actually being serious about that part about yourself...right? But does that mean you met the Deadly Duo?

Also, I can’t say I’m surprised about Ada, even though I wasn’t expecting her to do this. But I know nothing about what she did there. Sorry! Maybe talk to Asher?

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