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Blackhawk: Good luck, babe.
Blackhawk: And anytime, little hacker. I’m here. Always.
PRESENT DAY
Stopping at the staff bathroom, I used some paper towels to get as much of what I was now sure was glow-in-the-dark paint off me. The part of me that wanted to stay and snoop around and find the secret underground club struggled to leave, but I knew I needed to get back to my computer and solve this next clue before I lost him again.
Trudging back to the hotel, I kept replaying all the times Blackhawk had been kind to me, a true friend. It was why it hurt the worst when he betrayed me. Obsidian had always been stern, and Mongoose, well, he didn’t last long. In the end, it was Blackhawk who meant something to me and then he’d betrayed me.
I needed to confront him and find out why. I just wasn’t sure if I was ready for the answer.
Stepping into the hotel room, the light flicked on, and I barely stopped myself from squealing for the second time tonight.
“I wondered when you would show up.”
Ten
COHEN
Most peopleprobably had several moments they wished they could redo in their lives. Me, I only had one. That might sound arrogant, but I strove to lead a life of no regrets. And for the most part, I’d been successful, living my life to the fullest. If I wanted to kiss a boy, I did. If I wanted to kiss a girl, I did. If I wanted to fly to New York, I did.
Too much of my childhood had been limited, so I’d vowed to live a life of abundance when I could. And it had worked out, until her. The only mishap had been Finley Reyes—the girl with the magnetic eyes.
When I met her that first summer, I was enamored with her, but she was seventeen, so I put her firmly in the “do not think about” category. I hung out at her house a lot that summer and got to know her and Henry. Fin hadn't been around as much due to her community service obligations that summer, making it easier to ignore my attraction.
It took me longer than I’d like to admit to figure out she was Oblivion. Mostly because I had a massive crush on Oblivion and didn’t want to reconcile that she was the seventeen-year-old daughter of my boss.
So when I discovered that the unattainable girl who made me curious was the same as the online hacker I’d befriended, I froze, not knowing what to do. So, I did what I did best and ignored the parts of my life that I didn’t want to acknowledge.
I pretended it didn’t matter. She hadn’t met me, and I continued on with my flirting.
The moment her eyes landed on mine last year in that conference room, I felt the unmistakable regret I’d worked so hard to avoid. She pierced me with her hypnotizing eyes, a look of pure betrayal staring back at me, and it felt like someone had reached in and ripped my heart out.
I’d never felt so ashamed of myself, and I’d done a lot of shady things. But that look made me regret not coming clean with her sooner. Maybe then I could’ve had a chance with her instead of the scraps I’d been relegated to devour.
Despite her cold shoulder, I couldn’t seem to leave, and I found any excuse I could to stay in Utah. First, it had been to help the Agency take down the Council. Then was the job offer from Samson to work with him at Alpha Security Solutions. I took a hiatus from my post, so I could be near a girl who didn’t even like to be in the same room as me.
So when she disappeared, I knew it was time to quit staying in the shadows, hoping she’d recognize me and forgive my transgression. Sawyer had sat me down at one point and told me that the fastest way into Finley’s heart was to be honest, but I couldn’t even seem to be honest with myself.
Facing her departure, I knew it was time. Time to correct the one regret I had in my life.
So, I used all my resources, and I tracked her down and went to Asa, knowing I needed to figure out a way to make it work. If Fin wouldn’t give me a chance, at least I could bring them back together. I owed her that. Asa was a good guy and someone she deserved. He’d surprised me when he asked my feelings about his girlfriend, and for a second, I’d hoped before remembering the crushing reality of my life. I didn’t get the girl.
“What do you mean?” I asked, shuffling my feet. “I care for her. She’s a good friend.”
“Listen, I know I haven’t been the most open, avoiding the fact that my girlfriend seems to collect men like they’re lost puppies. I can’t say I know what she feels, but she’s worked hard at ignoring you, and the other guy we don’t mention, too hard for it just to be friendship.”
“Milo?” I asked, raising my brow, purposefully ignoring the part about me.
“Yeah, but since you’re here, let’s talk about you.”
Sighing, I nodded, dropping my arms. “I met Fin when she was seventeen, both online and in person. I didn’t know they were the same girl for a while. I had a crush on her, it’s hard not to. But that’s not in the cards for us. I’m here to make sure she’s safe and to help you get her back. She deserves to be happy.”
Asa watched me for a while before walking over. He dumped his empty plates into the sink and turned to look at me. “I didn’t know how I’d feel thinking about my girlfriend with someone else, but I can’t deny that it’s nice having you here. You’re a good guy despite your outward appearance. I won’t stand in the way if Fin decides she wants to give you a chance. I’ve experienced life with and without her now, and I much prefer the one with her. Even if that means sharing her, I’m cool with that. We can figure something out together.”
“Yeah, well, let’s just focus on finding her first.”
I knew the reality of this and told myself the plan was to let her go, to let them be together. But when she walked into that hotel room looking like a drowned rat, I couldn’t seem to catch my breath.
