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Grace nodded. “I did. That’s who told me it’s all gone, and they said someone with my code did it.”
He winced. “Who did you give it to?” he asked her and took a step towards her. “You know you shouldn’t do that.”
She glared at him. “I gave it to you! That’s who!”
“You.” Elisha waved her arms, “Just like I said. She gave it to you, and now everything is gone. Don’t play stupid.” A couple of the scientists grumbled in agreement with her. It was then that it all began falling apart. A physicist from New York told Elisha to back off, prompting the woman to threaten him. Lou rushed forward, trying to calm everyone, but the arguments spread to everyone around them.
“You came here to steal from us!”
“What are you talking about? We were ripped off first!”
“Maybe that’s what you wanted us to think so Lou would bring you here!”
Grace squeezed her eyes shut, trying to focus on Anton alone. “You,” she said again, opening her eyes to stare back at him.“I only gave my code to you.”
“That doesn’t make sense. I didn’t do this.” He moved forward, closing the space between them faster than she could back away, and caught her hands in his. “I would never do that to you.”
She stared down at where he held her hands and tried to ignore the uproar going on around her. “The tech said someone logged on with my code when—when you were using my tablet.” She nodded at the sticker-covered device tucked under his arm. “They said someone exported it all and then wiped it. I didn’t do it, and no one else but you had the code.”
“So you think I did this?” Anton whispered, his face falling.
Grace bit her lip. She had to raise her voice to be heard over the others. “I don’t know what I think.”
“You know me. Grace, you knowme,” Anton insisted.
Memories from the past few months and weeks with Anton flashed before her, and Grace wanted to agree that she did know him, but their first encounter burned like a too-bright star in her mind and the words got stuck in her throat. She sucked in a deep breath, trying to shut out the angry voices around them.
“I just...I need a minute,” she whispered and pulled her hands away from him.
Elisha appeared at her elbow. “Don’t you dare fall for his stupid puppy dog face. He’s a thief!”
Grace rubbed her temples. “Elisha, back off.”
Lou shooed Elisha back into the throng of scientists looking ready to start a raid. It was understandable that they shared Grace and Lou’s frustration, because they had been working right alongside them all those months. It seemed Grace had been right in her earlier estimation. She was exactly the same: the girl who loved too big and cared too deeply. The one who followed her heart to the bitter end. She’d tried to change who she was when she was growing up and it hadn’t taken. She’d learned to never be anything other than she was. There was no other way for her to be.
“I believe you,” she said, turning to Anton. “I believe you.”
Anton let out a relieved sigh. “I swear I had only just logged into the server when the server crashed. I came back to find you when I realized there was no way around it, and that’s when I walked into this.” His eyes moved back to where Elisha watched him. “Whatever this is.
“Things are just tense,” Grace said, taking his hand, “and we’ll figure it out. I promise I believe you.”
Anton nodded. “So long as you believe me.”
“I do, but I also think I kind of love you, too,” she told him. It was the second time she had said it, but she was glad this time she got to say it to him, even if the atmosphere was lacking.
His mouth dropped open. “What?”
Grace shrugged, giving him a lopsided smile. “You heard me.”
“What the hell is going on here?” Elisha demanded, stepping around Lou, who had been only just holding her back. “You’re holding hands and looking awfully cozy with someone you just said had your code. The only person you gave it to.”
Lou darted forward, holding her hands up.“Just give us time to figure this out.”
Elisha glared and opened her mouth to speak but Grace shook her head. “You’re my friend and I love you, but you have to trust me right now.” She squeezed Anton’s hand. “Anton didn’t do it.”
“How do you know that?” Elisha asked. The scientists around her murmured and nodded in agreement.
“I just do. He wouldn’t do that to us.”
