Page 128 of The Monster I Am
Turning my head away, I boldly choose to ignore his logic. “Why are you here then?”
“I spent the night obviously. We studied until late. I assume you did the same considering what time you arrived back.”
I decompress—slightly. “Well, yes,” I mumble admittedly. “But why are you sneaking out so early?”
Parker gives an amused smirk. “I’m notsneakingout,” he starts. “I’m heading into town to pick up the Strawberry Banana Pancakes I just ordered for her from IHOP.”
“Oh,” I mutter quietly. “You know they’re her favorite?”
He shoots me an incredulous look, snarkily remarking, “What do you think?”
Sighing, I hold up my hand, conceding defeat for today. “Alright. Fine. But Iwillkill you if you hurt her, Parker. I’m currently up to number forty-seven in my list of ways to end your existence.”
“Duly noted,” he says dryly, starting to step around me. “What are you doing awake anyway?”
“Going to work on that code,” I say, gesturing for him to follow me down the stairs. Now that I’ve gotten my answers, I’m horribly aware that if we wake Soph up, she’s going to make me regret the day I was born. I mean—same day as her, but whatever.
Parker nods, pausing when we reach the bottom. “Soph won’t wake for another hour. I can come help when I get back if you want.”
Part of me wants to be stubborn and refuse, but I’m aware, even at this hour, that I’m being a bit of a dick and I have nothing to gain by turning down the assistance.
“Fine,” I grumble. “I suppose that would be…okay.”
Ry rocks up post-morning run at the same time as Parker returns, the pair of them walking into my room, conversing like old acquaintances.
It’s alright, though. I’ve downed a coffee so I’m slightly more approachable.
“Here,” Parker grunts, reaching into a plastic bag and extracting an energy drink. “For your mood.”
My eyebrows shoot up in pleasant surprise. With a serious expression, I take it from him. “I’ll let that comment slide. Thanks.”
“Don’t mind him,” Rylan chuckles. “He’s grouchy in the mornings.”
“Piss off,” I grumble back, holding out a thumb drive to Parker. “Made you a copy.”
Parker plucks it from me with a nod. “I’ll go store Soph’s breakfast until she wakes and grab my laptop so we can make a start.”
H wanders in not long after, oddly refreshed and relaxed, even with Parker’s unexpected presence in my room. Clearly, Bex is affecting him too, because I’ve never seen him sodociletoward another Cedar Heights peer.
I’d say it was the dress and concert tickets. Lots of cardio has occurred in between study sessions, and I keep catching myself daydreaming about the look on her face when we surprised her with both.
Sure—she scolded us afterwards. But there was no bite. It was basically a Calvin-coded bark level.
I let Parker take over the reins of decryption while I switch between my own attempts and searching for info on this Elliott guy. I know I gave Ry shit for his obsessive need to stalk him, but after hearing what he did to Bex, it promptly went to the top of my priority list as well.
I’ll break every finger on his slimy hands if he touches her again.
Then shove them down his throat until he suffocates to death.
The four of us keep plugging away, only briefly stopping when Soph rushes in with wide eyes, alarmed and surprised at finding her… argh,friend, hanging with us.
I’m equally surprised when after he leaves to retrieve her food, the door reopens a short time later, Soph shoving Parker back inside.
I must give her an odd questioning glance because all I get is a shrug and, “for the greater good!” before she ditches the poor fucker in the wolf den.
We’re just about ready to call it quits to head to Willowbrook, when something on my database catches my attention.
“Whoa—I found something,” I announce out loud. “Did a little search on McIntosh’s medical history. His old PCP’s patient protection software is severely out of date.”
