“I’m sorry”—he raises his eyebrows at me—“I didn’t realize I needed your permission to change my mind. Besides, I just realized I can avoid her in the warmth of my own home.” He hesitates. “Maybe.”
“Has she even given you anything yet?” I ask. “Any leads, any intel? Any indication of what’s coming?”
“Who?” He frowns. “Nazeera?”
I exhale sharply, irritated. “Obviously I’m talking about Rosabelle.”
“Obviously?” he echoes, studying the kit of ocean samples still open before me. “How is that obvious? The rest of us have other things on our minds. The rest of us aren’t obsessed with a girl rotting in prison for murder.”
I glance up at him. “Didn’t Nazeera try to kill you once?”
“That was an accident! And she only did it because she likedme,” he adds, his voice quieting. “Damn. She used to like me.”
“And you thinkI’mthe idiot?”
“You know what? I’m leaving.” He shoots another look at the sky and starts moving. “You can walk home.”
“Why won’t you answer my question?” I call out as he goes. “Have you figured out what’s in the vial yet?”
“That’s none of your business,” Kenji calls over his shoulder. “And you know it.”
“It’s been nine days and you still don’t know anything, do you? You still haven’t gotten her to speak, have you? I bet she hasn’t said a single word.”
Kenji stops in place, turning around to glare at me just before his pager goes off again. He scans it, his mouth flattening into a grim line. “I need to take this.”
I shake my head, my mood darkening only further. “Whatever.”
“Okay, what the hell is wrong with you?” he says, stomping toward me. “Is this some kind of delayed puberty? Are you about to grow your first chest hair?”
I flip him off without looking at him.
“Listen,” Kenji tries again, “if you tell anyone I said this I’ll deny it until the day I die, but Warner is, like, genuinely hurt right now. You’re treating him like shit, and, believe it or not, he doesn’t deserve it.”
“I’m treatinghimlike shit?” I look up, eyes wide. “I can’t even use the elevator in my own house without a chaperone! I can’t access the gym in the mornings! He’s docked my pay—put me on probation—”
“C’mon, James.” Kenji looks disappointed. “You knowWarner better than anyone, and you don’t need me to tell you that our favorite emotionally stunted jackass might be feeling heartbroken and betrayed by your stupid, reckless behavior. If you want to fix this, you need to start by apologizing.”
“How many more times do I need to apologize?” I shout, nearly choked with anger. “I’ve apologized a thousand times already—”
“Not for this, you haven’t.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong!”
“Here we go again.” Kenji rolls his eyes. “You know what? I actually think Warner is going easy on you. You have no idea what we’re dealing with right now. On top of everything else he has to manage, Warner has to mitigate the chaosyoubrought into our lives—”
“If I don’t know anything, it’s because no one is telling me anything,” I say, struggling to rein in my temper. “All I want to do is help. Why do you think I’m so pissed off? I’m fuckingworried. We need her to talk before it’s too late—”
“Trust me, Warner is doing his best.”
“Warner doesn’t know how to deal with her!” I explode. “Their temperaments are too similar—”
“Bro, you’re in no position to talk. You spent almost two weeks with her and you couldn’t get her to give up shit.”
I turn partly away, my fists flexing.
“Maybe not,” I admit quietly. “But I learned enough about her to tell you this: Rosabelle isn’t going to open up to any of you. I’m the one who spent eight hours a day withher. I’m the one who knows her, who understands her—”
“Jesus. James, do you hear yourself right now?”
