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One step.
Two.
I’m about to let loose a breath of relief when Lyra breaks away from me.
My pulse picks up speed as she whirls around and faces the Vision Tech employees.
“I’m her sister,” Lyra announces, lifting a hand. “I’m related to your boss.”
“Stop it,” I warn in a low voice. Hauling her around, I drag her into the elevator and slam on the button so the doors close.
When we’re alone, I give my sister a stormy look.
Lyra smirks at me, her exaggerated lashes looking like she cut the tail off a bird and stuck it to her eyes.
“What is wrong with you?” I ask heatedly.
The smile remains intact. “You’re such a rancid witch.”
Her words singe my skin like poison.
“You really have no idea how disgusting you are, do you?” Lyra taunts.
“I don’t care what you think.”
“No, obviously. You only care what these privileged little white nerds think.” She leans against the wall, her chin tipped up in challenge. “Do you know how pathetic you look? You’re the big boss and you still crawl like a worm in front of them.”
“This is my place ofwork, Lyra. You can’t just barge in when you feel like it and make a commotion.”
“A commotion? No, honey. You were the one making a commotion. Dragging me around, acting like you’d done something wrong for being seen with me.” She pushes off the wall, one corner of her lip curling up. “It must really bother you every day that your skin is dark like mine, huh?” Her eyes slide up and down over me. “How you mustwishyou had their lips and their noses and their backgrounds. It kills you, doesn’t it? That you can never fit into this world, no matter how hard you try to force yourself. It’s like a square box trying to fit in a round, little white hole.”
“I don’t have anything to prove to you.” My eyes stare straight ahead.
Lyra laughs. “By the way, nice hair.”
I self-consciously touch one of my curls.
“You think wearing your natural hair will make you like yourself more? Nah, sis. You’re still buttoned up so tight that not even an afro can save you. There’s just too much you gotta wade through before you’re free.”
“You think you have any right to lecture me?” I spin on her. “Why did you show up at Vision Tech, Lyra? Was it to beg me for money? Or maybe to beg Adam for the cash I wouldn’t give you? You think there’s anything honorable about that? You think you’re making the world a better place by being lazy and bitter and blaming your circumstances on everyone else?”
“At least I’m not conforming.”
“Conforming towhat?Having a stable job? Goals? Ambitions?” The words claw at my throat. I hate that I’m unravelling. I hate that she can get under my skin. “What do you really want, Lyra?”
“What are you talking about?” She blinks innocently at me.
“You think I don’t know how you move?”
“I told you. I don’t need no more money from you. I just want the job.”
“And I toldyouthat I can try to pull some strings somewhere else. Not at Vision Tech.”
“If it’s not here, I’on want it.”
My eyes narrow on her. “Why are you so obsessed with getting access to Vision Tech?”
Her gaze spills to the floor.
