Page 59 of The Reluctant Hero

“You’re upstairs with us today,” he says warily as he lifts the box and leaves the room. He’s watching me the entire time like I’m about to assault him. Did he get hit in the face by a lady’s purse? That’s epic.

My mood steps back down when I really take in what he said. Do I have to be upstairs with this plethora of dicks? This raise better be life-altering.

“Why? I’m highlighting, not going through blueprints to plan a heist.” I glare at his back. He catches me as his head snaps toward me.

“It’s sensitive information. It was never supposed to be down here,” he sneers at me. “Just come on.”

How is that my fault? This guy just finds shit to be mad about.

And the day gets worse. Already. I thought it was bad before. Now, I just want to whine about everything. As if I wasn’t before.

My feet scuff along the floor as I follow him, trying not to talk to myself. Or yell at him. That would be more therapeutic, but then he’d talk back. Nobody wants to hear that. I’d rather pretend he doesn’t exist, and he can do me the same favor.

I watch him juggle the heavy box to swipe his card. The glare he sends me makes me smile at him sweet enough to give diabetes. Was I supposed to offer to hold that or swipe the card for him? Too bad.

We’re silent as the elevator ascends, angry tension building between us. I know whyI’mmad. I’m going to be stuck in a room with this douche canoe all day. Which means his spirit twin, Jake, will be there. I have a right to be grumpy for more than that, too.

What’s his problem? Oh wait, I’m breathing. Of course, he’s upset.

The thought makes me chuckle quietly and earns me a dark look that makes it even better. If he keeps acting like this, I’m going to have a great time thinking up one-liners to throw at him to piss him off. I wonder if I can get him to rage-quit.

He ruins it when he clears his throat.

My shoulders stiffen because the loud sound is clearly asking for my attention. I keep my eyes trained on the numbers above me and sip my coffee with an obnoxious slurp. I take my time with it to make it even more annoying and sigh loudly in satisfaction when I’m done.

As soon as I’m quiet again, he says, “I wanted to apologize.”

Does he now. I call bullshit on that.

When I don’t respond, his voice gets a little louder. “I’m sorry. I had my reasons for wanting you out of the class. Yourhealthis one of them.”

I take another slurp of coffee in the hopes that he’ll shut up. I’m not accepting his apology or his bullshit reasoning. If hewas concerned for my health, he could have said that. Maybe even,gasp, helped me understand what had him concerned? I think it was obvious I had no idea what I was doing there.

I almost want to go back just to prove he didn’t succeed in driving me away.

Nah. I’m a Jefferson, but I can pick my fights.

“You could make this easier by not acting stuck up.”

I blink in surprise, the numbers hazing as anger rears its ugly head. I’m stuck up? For a second, I actually listen to what he said and take it seriously. Then I shove that nonsense down where it belongs. He can think what he wants about me. The more he runs his mouth the more convinced I am he’s like Loser.

“I tried,” he says snidely as the doors open for him to storm away from me. I’m tempted to stay on the elevator and let it take me right back down again. I have enough problems. I don’t need to put up with this shit.

The receptionist clears her throat pointedly at me and jerks her chin towards Cade. The clearget your butt out of the elevatormotion makes the urge to leave even worse.

Then, the big guard appears with his arms crossed and a no-nonsense stare. His mere presence cows me into a whining kid immediately. He hasn’t even said anything. The clear disapproval in his expression makes my shoulders slump, and my eyes drop to the floor. That is a man I don’t want to be pissed at me. Especially since he’s the nice one, and he hasn’t been a complete jackass to me. Plus, he’s cute in a giant man way.

I shuffle until I reach Cade where he’s waiting with the box. He gives me a pointed look and looks at the knob.

I slurp my coffee and give him a vacant stare.

The guard clears his throat from behind me and I almost break. Almost.

Fight picked, and I’m a Jefferson. It’s on.

Cade’s eyes narrow on me and mine do the same. A tumbleweed needs to blow through for this.

“All that exercise, and you can’t handle a little box?” I say sweetly.

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