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I scream at the top of my lungs and whirl around to find a member of housekeeping poking her head in the closet.
I clap a hand against my chest. “Shit. You scared me.”
She smiles. “Sorry about that. I just thought ...” She lets her attention stray from me over to the mop, and her eyes narrow. I grow impatient.
I don’t have time for this. I have a monologue I need to get through.
“What do you need?” I sigh.
She points to the bottom shelf behind me. “Toilet paper. Two dozen rolls.”
I top off her cart in the hall and then watch her wheel away. The moment she turns the corner, I whip back around to face Mop-Cole with a lifetime’s worth of anger.
“Another thing, you—you,you JERK!” It’s not good enough. The word doesn’t sting like I want it to, so I try again, with more conviction the second time. “You arrogant, no-good scum of the earth.”Nowwe’re getting somewhere. “I hate you. I really, truly hate you. I wouldn’t talk to you again if you were the last man on earth. The last man in the entire fucking universe!”
“Tell me more.”
Jesus! I shriek and turn around to find the man of the hour leaning in the doorway, as confident and smug as ever. It’s like, for him, the game is on. All is well. There’s no panic, no apology, no sign at all that he was just casually discussing my inevitable layoff with Todd.
I can’t take it. Something in me snaps. Maybe my last shred of sanity. There it goes, drifting slowly to the ground, only to be crushed under the soles of my sandals.
I don’t even think before I act. I look back down at the remaining row of toilet paper, and I start to load up. I’ve got a whole arsenal here,and an arm that’s begging to be let loose. Without warning, I fire roll after roll of three-ply at him, satisfied when one roll pings off his elbow as he tries to deflect it, then his hip, his hand, and finally the side of his head.Sweet, sweet victory.
“Would you knock it off?” he asks, only mildly annoyed.
How dare he manage to keep his composure at a time like this? I want us on an even playing field. I want a proper drag-out fight, an even match at the very least.
I’m about to bend down for more rolls, but Cole’s too quick. He comes into the closet and wraps his arms around my forearms, pinning them down at my sides.
My fury explodes. “Let me go. LET ME GO this instant orI’ll scream. I will.”
“Stop thrashing around.”
I try to stomp on his foot, but Cole’s one step ahead of me. He keeps a tight hold on me as he kicks back with one foot, using it to slam the closet door closed. We’re thrown into darkness.
My attempts to get away from him ratchet up tenfold.
“Paige,” he growls. “Stop.”
“I swear to god.” I say it twice.“I swear to god.”
I hear my voice breaking, the anger slowly being consumed by something heavier as he clutches me tight against his chest. Emotion squeezes my throat. Tears threaten the corners of my eyes, and I’m so sad. I’m so sad, and now so drained.
Left with no other option, I give up, all at once. I go limp in Cole’s arms, and at first, he doesn’t believe it. He keeps his hold on me just as tight as ever, like he’s worried I’m trying to fake him out. He thinks I’ll ramp it up any second now and start round two. In reality, I’m defeated. A sad little fish dwindling on the end of his line.
“You win.”
I say it so quietly he doesn’t hear it the first time.
“What?” he asks sadly.
I say it again, enunciating the words slowly, wearily.“You. Win.”
Suddenly, he lets go of me and steps back so he can pull the string for the overhead light, the one I couldn’t reach earlier. A shallow glow penetrates the space enough that, if I turn, he’ll see my tears. Cole’s done a lot of things to me—testing every boundary humanly possible—but he’s never made me cry before today.
I hug myself and stay facing the supply shelves, wishing he would just leave already.
“Is that what you think I want? To upset you like this?Paige.”
