ReBoot (MAC Security 4)

“Erm…” I worry my lip, moving my eyes from his and focusing on the filing cabinet that sits off to the side.

I shouldn’t be feeling like this; not after only having finished things with Geena recently. But then when I really think about it, what Geena and I had was never serious. Maybe in my mind it was, but not in hers.

To her I was an easy lay and someone that she could control.

“Jesus Christ,” Ty spits out, banging his flat palm on the desk and making me turn back to him. “What about Geena?”

“It’s over with Geena.” I raise a brow. “And let’s be honest, shall we?” I cross my arms over my chest. “None of you liked her—”

“We—”

“I don’t need to hear it,” I tell him, swiping my hand through the air. “I saw it for what it was. It may have been a year too late, but I saw it.”

Ty’s eyes fill with understanding and I know then that they all saw it too, but didn’t say anything to me. Why the hell would they let me be with her if they could see what she was doing?

“We knew it would only push you away,” he says, almost as if he’d read my mind. “You know what it’s like, Evan; you tell someone that the person they’re with is no good for them and all you do is push them closer to that person.”

I nod my head in understanding but can’t help the anger that flows through my veins. “You still could have said something. I trust you all more than anyone.”

He moves around the desk, coming to a stop in front of me. “She was warned,” he says simply.

“Warned?” My head rears back. “What the fuck do you mean, warned?”

His shoulders sag and his head whips to the side when the office door opens and Kay steps inside, her eyes widening when she takes us in.

“Sorry, I’ll—”

“No, sweetheart, you’re fine,” Ty tells her, holding his hand out to her.

She walks toward us, smiling gently at me before letting Ty put his arm around her shoulders.

“Yeah,” he says when he turns back to face me. “Luke saw the way she was speaking to you, how you’d let her, how she’d put you down constantly, so he told her to back off.”

I step back, my body starting to shake as I realize what he’s saying. “What are you talking about?”

“Evan,” Kay calls softly, her brow furrowing. “We were just looking out for you.”

I stare at them both like they have several heads. Have I stepped into another universe? One where things are back to front and upside down?

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I whisper. “It’s just the way she talks.”

Why the hell am I defending her now?

“No, sweetie.” Kay steps forward, her hand landing on my arm gently. “It wasn’t. We all heard the arguments, the ones where she would call you all those names and blame you for everything.”

“No…” I shake my head emphatically.

“It’s okay,” she says, stepping closer to me. My eyes connect with hers and I see the sorrow reflected back at me. She knows exactly what it’s like. “You’re out of it now.”

“I… I…” I swallow against the lump forming

in my throat and turn my gaze to Ty’s, hating the pity that is shining toward me. “I need to get out of here.”

Spinning around, I practically run out of there. I run away from what they’re saying, what they’re thinking, but most of all, I’m running away from myself.

“Are you ready for this?” Seb asks as he gets in the passenger seat, his hair tied back at the base of his neck.

“Yep,” I say, popping the p.