“But I did notice her and then you saw fit to end her existence!” he yelled. “You’ll do the same to Quentin. Destroy her the moment she’s no use to you. Bonds can break, Grayson. I intend to shatter yours. Happiness is not something you deserve. You’re only fit for an eternity of misery!”
“What is going on here?” Gareth’s voice thundered through the room.
“Leave her alone,” I warned Archer.
“I’m trying to save her.”
“You’re going to get her killed.”
“Grayson!” Gareth called. “Let him go or I’ll need to get Hunter.”
“Gareth, don’t do that.” I turned around to see Quentin squeezing her way into the lab space. “Please,” she said, looking at him. “I’ll sort it.”
She walked through the lab, and the green and black that swirled around us slowly disappeared.
“Morning, Quentin,” Archer said from the floor, and I resisted the urge to kick him in the ribs for addressing her.
“I told you I didn’t need you in the lab this morning. Did someone else in the facility need you?” she asked me, ignoring him.
“No. I had some business to resolve.”
“You’re making things worse.”
“This isn’t all on me.”
“You didn’t need to be here,” she argued. “You came here to pick a fight. Please leave.” Her cheeks were flushed red from embarrassment and her muscles were tense, making her look smaller than she was. “Go,” she said, and I weighed up how much trouble I would be in if I threw her over my shoulder and marched out with her.
“If you can’t handle your subject, then he shouldn’t be out of cuffs.” The attention of the room shifted towards Emmanuel, who’d spoken.
“For your information—" Quentin began.
“I run this programme, Emmanuel,” Gareth cut in. “It falls to me to tell you how to conduct your work.”
“Are you planning to tell her?” he responded. “Look at the state of my lab.”
“It’ll be cleaned. No actual damage has been done. I’m sure Archer will be happy to help.”
Archer picked himself up from the floor gracefully and dusted himself off. “Of course. It shouldn’t take us long and we’ll be back on track,” he assured Emmanuel. “Drop by any time,” he said to Quentin.
Emmanuel scoffed. “I’d rather you not. Keep yourself and your subject off my floor.”
“With pleasure,” Quentin quipped. “Come on.”
She marched past me towards the door, and I followed behind her. When the door swung shut, I opened my mouth, but she beat me to it.
“I don’t want to hear it, Gray. You were the one who said I needed to be liked, but this isn’t helping. Stay away from Archer. I’m begging you not to make this any more difficult than it needs to be.”
She jabbed her finger against the button for the lift and turned around to look at me. The look in her eye told me that there were no reasons to stick on the other side of her bedroom wall.
And I couldn’t blame her.
I was not built for love.
“Iwant to say thank you to my sister, Quentin,” Cass announced to the crowded room.
That Quentin had allowed me to attend her brother’s wedding as her plus one was nothing short of a miracle.
After the incident with Archer, I kept myself away from the lab. During the day, if Charlotte didn’t require my presence, I spent time with Malachi and Flynn.
