Page 25 of Even if You Fall

“Understood,” I muttered as I opened the door.

Gray’s, “Where’s he going?” was the last thing I heard before the door shut behind me, and then I was slipping through the office and rounding the corner to the front.

To all that coconut and vanilla and joy, even though Chloe’s head was bent over a book.

“Bubbles—”

The way she jumped, a startled sound leaving her as she scrambled to keep her hold on the book all while pushing her hair out of her face with her free hand and straightening her spine, had me stepping back and lifting my hand and tablet in the air to let her know I hadn’t been trying to scare her.

“Sorry,” I muttered as her free hand fell to her chest with a heaving breath. “Scary book?”

A stunned laugh tumbled from her as she placed the book on the desk. “No. No, you just...appeared. Soundlessly.”

My head dipped in understanding. “Unintentional,” I assured her. “But I think most of us do that.” When her expression scrunched in confusion in a way that was too endearing for my good, I clarified, “Special Forces training. We had to learn to be ghosts.”

“Oh.” Surprise lit in her eyes before all that excitement and bubbliness were back. “What do you need, Superman?”

Irritation left me on a breath at the name she’d given me, but I just gestured back the way I’d come. “Come with me.”

The fact that she didn’t even hesitate as she got out of her chair twisted something in my chest. Because I’d been awful to her, yet I’d hesitated when she’d come asking me for help lessthan an hour before. And I was sure, given another chance, I’d hesitate again.

Because she’s a threat.

I forced myself to remember that. I repeated it to myself as I led her back to Briggs’ office.

“Um...” she muttered when I shut the door behind her once we were inside the office, then quickly glanced around. “This is Asher’s office.”

“I’m aware,” I replied as I went to sit in his chair.

Her head was bouncing in slow bobs by the time I focused on her again. A line of worry was between her eyebrows as she stared at the desk now separating us. “Does my working here really bother you that much?”

Yes.

Forcing the word back, I asked instead, “What do you mean?”

Sad eyes flashed to me before she managed a smile that was a fraction of her typical one. “Aren’t you making me quit?”

I hated that she could evoke these emotions in me. I hated that I wanted to comfort her and that I felt like a terrible person for putting this worry in her thoughts and sorrow in her chest. I hated that I cared about her at all.

“Not what this is about,” I finally said once I managed to clear my mind and gather myself. “If you quit, that’s on you. I’ll never make you do anything, but I’d prefer it if you were sitting for this.”

Genuine surprise flared as she shifted to sink into one of the chairs opposite me.

Just as I started remembering the way she’d panicked at the sight of the document earlier, and just as I started losing my nerve because I didn’t want to push this girl into anything that might make her uncomfortable, I reminded myself of those deceitful eyes and began.

“You worked as a teacher up until last spring, right?”

As if the memory of the document was fresh in her mind, a look of horror passed over her face before she could hide it. “That’s right,” she agreed, her voice not betraying a thing.

“Why’d you leave?”

One of her shoulders lifted. “I realized it wasn’t for me.”

“You sure about that?”

Surprise crept through her features as a slow smile tugged at her mouth. “Pretty sure, Superman. Why? Are you thinking about becoming a teacher?”

“I’m thinking about how good of a liar you are,” I countered and watched for the next flash of panic she attempted to hide. Before she could respond, I said, “You and I both know there wasn’t a spider, Bubbles, so why don’t you tell me what about that document made you have that reaction?”

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