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“Cut the act,” he snapped.
Calla flinched. She deserved an Academy Award.
Hunter kept his voice even. “I have never threatened you.”
She looked up. There were tears in her eyes. “I liked you, Hunter. I really did. But—”
“Stop it.” He wanted to list everything she’d done. The fires, the break-in, her mission to kill people. But he’d sound like a raving lunatic.
When she was the one who was nuts.
Ms. Vickers rocked back in her chair. She had to be in her forties, with that many gray streaks in her brown hair. Her eyes were tired over sagging cheeks, but she still had a steely gaze. “I’ve asked Calla to come see me every morning,” she said. “I’m going to ask you to give her some space, Hunter.”
“Gladly.”
“We take harassment very seriously.”
“Fine. Whatever. I won’t harass her. I won’t even talk to her. Can I go?”
“No. I’d like Calla to go. I think you and I should talk for a few minutes.”
Calla sniffed a final time and picked up her backpack, grabbing a few tissues from the box on Ms. Vickers’s desk.
Hunter couldn’t look at her when she edged past him. The door closed behind her with a soft click.
He didn’t want to look at Vickers, either.
“Do you want to tell me your side of the story?” she asked.
“There is no story.”
Vickers didn’t say anything.
Hunter could feel her waiting, and he finally looked up. “There’s no story,” he emphasized. “I will completely avoid her.”
“You sound like you feel you’re being victimized.”
Victimized. There was no safe answer to that, so Hunter just looked away again.
“How would your mother feel,” said Vickers, “if she knew why I called you down here today?”
He snorted. “She’d say, ‘Hunter who?’ ”
Ms. Vickers seemed to freeze, and he realized it was the wrong thing to say.
“Should we talk about your mother?” she said quietly.
This was just great. “What, you think I’m not getting attention at home, so I’m roughing up girls?”
“Are you?” said Vickers.
“No. God. No.” Hunter leaned forward and put his hand on the edge of the desk. “I don’t want to have this conversation.” He grabbed his bag and stood to leave.
“Hunter,” she called after him.
He paused in the doorway.
“I want you to steer clear of Calla Dean, do you understand me?”
