“Yes, you idiot! If I hadn’t said anything he would have blamed you.”
“So what, Annie? Even if he did, he never would have been able to prove that we put that information out on purpose.”
“I can’t believe this. You’re standing here acting like you’re the one who should be mad.I’mthe one who just got fired!”
“And that’s your own fault!” He seethes.
“Oh, thanks—really nice, Connor.”
“After your heroics with Brad there was only one way that could end. Itoldyou that info was confidential. Itoldyou not to say anything. But of course,” he says, smacking his palm against his forehead. “How could I forget? Annie knows everything.”
“You know what,” I snap. “Fine. Maybe that was the wrong call. But I did it for the right reasons. When did you become such a fucking Taskio robot, Connor? Brad sucks. This is wrong. You know it’s wrong! And you won’t doanythingabout it. You’re taking the easy way out. Just like you did withDinoCode.”
My words land between us with a dull thud. There’s a difference in the way we’ve been arguing. Everything he said was true. Everything I said was mean. The hurt and disappointment is etched all over his face.
He swallows, looks away. Swallows again. “So that’s what you really think of me. I’d been wondering.”
“Connor,I—”
He shakes his head. “Forgetit.”
I watch him turn and walk away.
Thirty-Two
Sam is waiting for me when I push through the apartment door, my tote bag tangled around my wrist and dangling at my side. I made a detour to Citarella on the way, thinking I’d bake something—good to have a hobby when you don’t have a job—but then saw they had pre-made cookies and thought, you know what? This seems faster.
Sam follows me into the kitchen, hovering over my shoulder while I hoist my bag up onto the countertop. It’s hours before I usually get home, yet Sam seems totally unsurprised that I’ve appeared here mid-afternoon. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was waiting forme.
I take a cookie and then slide the box onto the shelf above me, but then: what’s the point? I’m going to eat them all now anyway. I scoop it under my arm instead, and turn toward my bedroom.
“How was your day?” she asks, her voice rising on a note of extremely manufactured concern. Samantha is not a comforting person by nature. Need a hug? Don’t go to Sam. Need someone to give you an honest opinion about your bad haircut when it feels like everyone else is lying? Sam is your girl.
“It was fine.”
I try to shuffle past her, but she blocks the entrance to the kitchen. “Are you sure?” she says, trying again. “You didn’t get fired or anything, did you?”
I stop. Turn.
“I did, actually,” I say, my eyes narrowing. “How did you know?”
“I might have heard something through the grapevine.”
There’s only one way Sam could have heard, and that’s through Carrie, who must have messaged her to give her a warning. I am incensed by this.
“SinceCarrieis such a stickler for the rules this afternoon,” I seethe, “why don’t you remind her that sharing my employment status with someone outside the company isalsoa violation of Taskio’s confidentiality rules. She needs to be careful. I wouldn’t want her to get fired.”
I push past Sam and into my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. It’s a move so satisfying I consider opening my door just to slam it again, and again, and again.
I sit down on my bed, then stand back up. My entire system is humming. I pace in a circuit from one end of the room to the other, there and back again, until I’m dizzy.
The cookies, I find, hold no appeal. I have no appetite. I check my phone. No messages. I check again. Nothing.
I type out a text to Andy.Got fired hope you’re happy.
I watch as three little dots bounce across my phone screen, then stop. He doesn’t finish his reply.
Instead, Sam leaves, hours pass, and I don’t hear a word from anyone. Not Carrie, not Andy, definitely not Connor, and not any of my old teammates, who are probably together in a bar right now, laughing atme.
