Page 43 of Specter Bred

"Ding, ding, ding," I said dryly. "Look at you putting the pieces together."

Hayes climbed onto the treadmill beside me and started punching buttons into the console.

"Because of the room assignment thing?"

"Obviously."

I un-racked the bar and lowered it to my chest.

"He knew exactly what he was doing, mentioning it to you in front of me."

Hayes frowned.

"Do you really think so?"

I let out a humorless laugh.

"I don't think so. I know so."

The bar rose back up.

"Everything Graves does is calculated. Every comment. Every nickname. Every time he singles me out in front of the class."

Another rep.

"He wasn't just casually mentioning the room reassignment."

Another.

"He brought it up because he knew it'd get under my skin."

I shoved the bar back onto the rack and sat up.

"And the most annoying part?" I asked, glaring at the ceiling. "He's really fucking good at it."

Hayes was quiet for a moment.

"He hates me," I muttered.

"Maybe," he said.

I shot him a look.

"Maybe?"

He shrugged.

"Or maybe he doesn't."

I barked out a laugh.

"Hayes, the man has spent the last several months making my life miserable."

"Yeah, but that's not the same thing as hating you."

"It absolutely is."

Hayes shook his head.