I said, “I didn’t sleep with Finn!”
And with that, I was out.
Before Cooper could respond, I pushed open the door to the utility stairs with akachoonk, and I launched myself through—right past a sign that readAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. Conversation over. If I never found out about the real Sock Girl, it would be too soon.
Just inside, though, I stopped short and looked down. No wonder they didn’t want passengers in that stairwell. These were the steepest stairs I’d ever seen—like if a staircase and a ladder had a baby.
But they were also the perfect escape, I thought as I pattered down them full speed anyway: They were in an enclosed space.
Which meant Cooper definitely wouldn’t follow me.
But then Cooper followed me.
I hadn’t even reached the first landing before I heard the stairwell doorkachoonkopen again. And then feet tapping the steps behind me—catching up.
“This stairwell is authorized personnel only!” Cooper shouted.
Was he trying to get me on a technicality? “I authorized myself!”
“We can’t be in here!”
“So get out!”
“I can’t get out until you get out,” Cooper declared.
“How are you even following me?” I asked. “Isn’t this an enclosed space?”
“It’s notthatenclosed,” Cooper said.
“What about your cleithrophobia?” I insisted, like I had a technicality of my own.
“It’s mild!”
“You always say that.”
“If I have a distraction, I’m okay.”
“What distraction do you have?”
“Uh—” Cooper said, like this should be obvious. “You just saying you didn’t sleep with Finn!”
At that, I slowed a bit. These stairs were scarily steep, anyway. I reached the landing on the next floor down and slowed to a stop.
Out of politeness, I suspect, Cooper stopped, too—and left about a half staircase between us.
“I didn’t justsayI didn’t sleep with Finn,” I said, looking up at him on the stairs behind me, “I actually didn’t sleep with Finn.”
“If that’s true,” Cooper said next, watching me carefully, “why did you come out of his cabin together in the morning?”
“I slept in Finn’s cabin,” I said, “butalone.”
“Why would you sleep in Finn’s cabin?”
Was Cooper really asking me that? How dare he?
“Why did I sleep in Finn’s cabin?” I demanded. “Because ours was taken! Because I came back to our room looking for you—only to find a sockon our doorknob. A dirty sock, too. You asshole!”
A beat. Then, like he was getting a vivid flash memory of me calling Bridesmaid Two “Sock Girl” in our hallway that morning we fought, Cooper said, “That’s right. You saw that.”
