Chapter 32
Mason lifted Lacey to her feet, anger etched on his face.
A crowd started to form.
Antonio, who was by the bookshelf, rushed over at the commotion.
He took a quick look at my laptop screen, then at my face, and got the picture.
“Your paper is gone?”
Ruben’s angry face went still for a beat. Then he came over and checked. out my laptop.
After a long moment, he frowned, “No way, Lacey…….”
“Let’s just go.” I said, cutting him off and turning to Antonio.
It was strange.
I should have been seething, like I had been so many times before, ready to tear into Lacey. Maybe I would even have thrown a punch.
I would have usually lost it on my brothers too, for always backing her up.
But right now, all I wanted was to get out of there.
I had been butting heads with them for four years.
There were so many fights, and they always ended the same.
Now, I was over it.
I was leaving in just a few days, anyway.
I grabbed my laptop and headed for the library exit.
Ruben came after me.
His voice, usually so aloof, sounded a little off. “This paper is on me. I’ll give you an extra week.”
“No. I’m good.” I said softly.
I didn’t have a week to waste.
I headed down the hall.
Ruben was acting weird.
He hadn’t wanted to say more than a word to me in years. Suddenly, he chased after me and grabbed my arm.
“Grace, what’s up with you these days?”
He sounded a bit anxious, but I didn’t turn around.
I just reached out and gently shook off his hand.
As I stepped into the elevator, Mason followed and held the door.
He glanced at my laptop and awkwardly said, “Give me the laptop.
“I’ll find some time in a few days and see if I can get it back for you.”
He studied computer science and now ran a tech company.
It felt like something nudged my heart.
Ever since Lacey showed up, Ruben had been the one who really argued
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with me or got mad at me more often.
Mason was quiet and had always been easygoing, so we didn’t really have. many conflicts.
I was silent for a bit, gazing into his eyes.
Then he spoke again. “Lacey is still young.
“If she did delete it, it wasn’t on purpose.”
So, was he worried I would hold a grudge against Lacey and push her down the stairs in a fit of rage?
I figured for a second there he might actually be on my side.
I forced a smile, feeling a little foolish.
I hit the button to close the elevator doors.
My heart, once aching with restlessness, had finally settled down.
I felt like I was over being upset now.
As the doors started to shut, I murmured, “It’s cool. Don’t bother.”
Mason made a move to stop them, his hand reaching out in a hurry, but it
was too late.
In that last look, I seemed to see a flicker of panic in his eyes,
The sight vanished quickly, and the elevator doors closed.
Maybe I just imagined it.
