“Sylvan, Revea was just in this office with you, and a few minutes later, she’s rushing out of here crying.”
Something sharp and painful happens inside me. “She was crying?” I don’t know why I repeat that; they just said she was.
“Yeah, and then she’s rushing out of here.” Luciano moves closer to me, placing both hands on the desk. “Syl. What did you talk about?”
“Her systems, like you asked me to.”
“And?” He lowers his head, then looks straight at me.
“And how they’re inadequate.”
Luciano’s mouth slowly opens and stays open. I wait for him to speak, but realise it’s open for another reason. He’s in shock.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, looking to Valentin for help.
“I know you wouldn’t have meant to, Syl. But I think telling Revea that might have upset her.”
“Upset her?” I frown. “Why would someone be upset about artificial systems? You’re wrong. She wasn’t upset. She told me she felt unwell.”
“Course she did,” Luc murmurs, and it sounds sarcastic.
I look to him, not understanding, and my expression must show it because he sighs, softening his gaze.
“Sorry, Syl. I’m being an ass, it’s just…” He wets his lips, then edges onto the desk. “I really like Revea, Syl. I don’t think I’ve ever liked anyone the way I like her. And I think she’d be a really good match for this pack, for—”
“—me,” I finish.
“Yeah.” He sighs with a tight-lipped smile.
“Me too, Syl,” Val adds, running a hand through his hair. “Which is why we wanted her to meet you. We’re pack, what you want matters to us, so if you don’t like Revea, if this isn’t going to work, then you need to tell—”
“I like her.”
Valentin’s dark brows furrow deeply; Luciano’s mouth hangs open again. Both expressions of confusion and shock.
“I like her,” I repeat. “She’s… interesting.”
“Holy fuck,” Luciano whispers, eyes wide as they dart over my face. “Seriously? But you’ve hardly spoken to her?”
“I’ve watched her on the CCTV.”
“Okay… maybe don’t start your next conversation with that,” Luciano says, glancing over at Valentin, then back at me. “Can we hash out a hypothetical, Syl?”
I nod.
“Let’s just say shewasupset by what you said. How could we fix it?”
“Do you really think I’ve upset her?” I look between them, the tightness in my chest starting to feel like a hard knot.
Valentin moves to stand beside his brother, eyes intent on mine. “Let’s just focus on one thing at a time, Sylvan. How could we fix it?”
I swallow. “Well, you two couldn’t. You don’t know how to segment systems, or stop hackers, or improve a sign-in system.”
I wait for them to add their suggestions to the hypothetical, but instead, Luciano nods again, but more like he’s encouraging me rather than agreeing.
“But I do,” I say, feeling the need to rub at my chest. “I can fix it.”
When the twins give me a small smile, I realise that’s what they were waiting for me to figure out.
