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Hardin’s not his most favorite place in the world.
Today’s my day off but I thought it would be nice to bring Abram dinner. Besides Finn wasn’t doing anything at home but sulking after Hailey canceled at the last minute, anyways.
Everyone else seemed busy too. Cole’s already here, and Eli wanted to spend time with his family since his sister’s still home.
I took my shot. Fully guilting him into coming.
The jerk called Hailey up right after, and all but begged to help load up more boxes with her and her mom. She refused, wanting it to only be the two of them.
The added sting of rejection on top of another round of denial soured his mood further. Now I’m stuck dealing with the six-foot-something teenager who’s acting like a man-baby.
My nostrils flare.
He’s here, that’s all that matters.I have to remind myself of this on our way up to the top floor.
“Quick question, how do you know so many people?” Finn quizzes while we wait.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, when did you turn into Miss Popular?” he scoffs, peeved when I don’t instantly understand. “You kept getting stopped. It’s like everyone in this damn place knows you.”
My forehead pinches. “I work here?”
“You work in the mail room.”
Now my eyes are the ones thinning out.
“I do actually leavethatroom, you know? I do other stuff than just sit all day.”
“Okay,” he states, tone unconvinced. “You do realize they’re all only nice to you because they know who you’re related to, right?”
I gape. “You did not just say that.”
Finn lifts a shoulder, nonchalant. “It’s the truth.”
My teeth grit. “Fine, but if that’s true how many people besides the doorman said hello to you on our way up here?”
That long blunt line of his jaw firms the longer he takes to answer. I’m also pretty sure his cheek twitched, but I’m too busy smirking to be sure I didn’t imagine it.
“Who cares?” he surmises, coming off aggressive after stalling a handful of seconds too long.
“Uh, the people who work here? Everyone deserves the right to feel included if they want that.”
He dismisses me with a flick of his wrist.
Finn isn’t getting it.
“Would you want to work somewhere where it feels like you don’t have a voice? Like your opinion doesn’t matter?”
My armor is on now, ready to handle whatever verbal disagreement he’s got. I thought he and Cole understood this better than anyone? He’s the one who has a scholarship offered to him for crying out loud.
The very same one who said he couldn’t take it because of Hardin and his responsibilities to this company. How’s he not getting it?
“People here knew of you before they did me, but how many of them were comfortable enough to start a conversation? Ask you about your day? Discuss work because they want to and not because you know the boss?”
“Why should I care?”
My hands start to tremble in frustration, so I fist the bag with our food. Imagining it was a limb on Finn and not a paper bag.
