Page 68 of A Barista's Guide to Love & Larceny
But she didn’t get much quality rest. Her dreams were haunted by vignettes of Kass discovering her breaking into OneiroLabs.You betrayed me, he said, over and over.This is my family. How could you do this to me? I thought I could trust you.
Dani woke with a start after only a few hours, sitting up straight. Sweat was sticky in her hairline. From his roost, Gingerbread asked a sleepy question.
“I’m all right,” she told him. The window was still dark, andMcKenna was snoring softly. Dani was certain that even if she could go back to sleep, she didn’t want to. It was fourA.M., and she didn’t want to wake McKenna, to burden her with all this again, so she took a quick shower, packed up her things, and headed out to the café attached to the library, the only place on campus open this early. She splurged on an almond croissant and a triple espresso with a packet of raw sugar in the hopes that she could make some headway on next week’s tarot assignment.
But it was hard to focus on homework when she was terrified she wouldn’t be at the Leap long enough to turn it in. She couldn’t tell if it was a void sickness hangover making her queasy or if it was her fear that Dr. Rodriguez had somehow recognized her through McKenna’s glamour last night. And even if campus security wasn’t on their way to detain Dani at this very moment, there was still the soul-crushing, heart-wrenching matter ofKass.
What was she going to do? Put it all out there and tell him she was attempting to sabotage his father’s company? If she did that, she’d lose himandher place at the Leap in one fell swoop. She knew he liked her, but this was his family. What were the odds he wouldn’t go straight to his father with this information? Then they’d all end up expelled, maybe even in prison.
But on the other hand, could she really keep dating him without saying anything? A relationship without trust was no relationship at all. She couldn’t lie to his face and then kiss him in the same breath. Could she?
Dani couldn’t bear the answer. Instead, she brute-forced her attention onto her tarot deck and tormented herself with astrological associations for two hours, until her quartzpad pinged a message in Katya’s app.
My office. Noon.
The command from Silva didn’t come as a surprise, yet it filled Dani with trepidation. She went to her morning classes in a stupor, her lack of sleep dogging her and the nightmare still lurking in herneurons. Her wifting was heavier than usual as she made her way to the OS building just before twelve.
She ran into McKenna in the lobby, answering the same summons. The other girl took her by the hand, and they arrived side by side at the door to Silva’s office, which opened at the sound of their voices. Wyatt was on the other side, looking apprehensive and a bit haggard, and behind him, Katya was seated in the chair meant for students at office hours. Oliver was slouched against the wall, their expression somber, but they gave Dani a small smile when she entered, clearly glad to see her in one piece after last night.
Silva was seated at her desk, stone-faced, and Dani bit the inside of her lip, sensing the aura of crankiness that hung over the whole group.
“Come in, ladies,” Silva said stiffly. “Close the door, please, Mr. Shalhope.”
All of them obeyed. It was a tight fit, the six of them in the office, and Dani felt properly sandwiched between McKenna and Oliver.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” the professor continued. “I know you all have to get to afternoon classes soon, but I wanted us to make certain we’re all on the same page after the disaster that was last evening’s mission.”
“Disaster?” Wyatt repeated. “How is doing what we set out to do a disaster?”
Dani wanted very badly to lean over and smack Wyatt on the side of the head, but resisted the urge.
“Mr. Shalhope,” Silva said, and Dani could practically feel the ice crystals forming on her words. “I would suggest you choose your stance very carefully, considering your actions last night. An apology would not be amiss.”
Dani swallowed, willing Wyatt to conjure some of the humility he’d shown in the hookah bar, but he clearly wasn’t on her wavelength, because he puffed up his chest.
“I don’t think I have anything to apologize for. I saw a chance and I took it. It’s not my fault you squandered the opportunity I dumped in your lap.”
“Theopportunity?” Silva’s venom was such that Dani leaned away from her. “You went rogue when I explicitly instructed younotto act upon any of your foolish ideas. Then you assaulted one of the highest-level employees at OneiroLabs. My priority is your safety and the success of the operation. Pardon me if I’m not fawning over you with grati—”
“Bullshit!” Wyatt said. “You don’t give a rat’s ass about our safety, or you wouldn’t have recruitedstudentsto do your dirty work. I didn’t seeyouin there sticking your neck out for your so-called moral cause. Nope, you were speeding off in your van while Dani and I were left to fend for ourselves. Because why do it yourself when you can send a couple of students in and hang us out to dry when things turn ugly, right?”
There was a long, frosty silence. The enchanted skylight overhead darkened. At Dani’s side, Oliver shifted.
“If that’s how you feel, Mr. Shalhope,” Professor Silva said, her voice taking on an android edge, “you know where the exit is.”
“I don’t want to leave,” Wyatt said, some of his fire finally dying down. “I just don’t think it’s fair that you want us to do the hard parts but won’t listen to us.”
“I—” Silva started.
“Stop.”
Everyone turned toward Oliver, who pushed themself off the wall. They looked weary, but this time it was because of the firefight going on in front of them.
“Just stop,” they repeated. “None of this is helping. It’s a tough situation all around. Can we just agree to be a team from now on? Or at least pretend to be?”
“Wearea team,” Silva said, “and every team needs a leader. I’mdoing what I can to be the best leader possible, which includes listening. If someone has something to discuss, my door is always open. But it’s imperative that we’re in alignment when we’re in the middle of an operation. Is that understood?”
Everyone nodded or murmured affirmation, including Wyatt, though he did so reluctantly.
