‘It’sGarbagè.Not garbage. She is a classy girl. Plus, I found her tied up in a garbage bag, so, it's fitting.”
She has been my little emotional support friend ever since.
I watch her as I sit at my desk, giving her love before she curls up in my lap, letting me return to my work. Her purring calms my rising nerves.
I try to break through the cyberwall another way, using multiple coding series. I’m desperate at this point. This whole thing has me thinking of other ways to force my way in. I finish the sequence and push the enter button, falling back onto my chair, feeling defeated. To my surprise, files start to upload and appear on my screen. The desktop monitor on my left starts to morph into a screen mirror of whatever computer I’ve managed to break into, and I fucking light up with excitement and start to back-up all the files and hard drives immediately. I know better than to trust how long I can stay in here.
It starts to load as I begin to dive in, and I can’t wait to see what they have in all these documents and folders. I see one markedmembersand decide that’s a good one to start with. The folder opens to show even more folders with a range of titles like men, interviewees, women, children, Chosen, to be Chosen, and failed.
I click on 'to be Chosen' and I my teeth grind at what I see.
I push up from the chair and it rolls back hitting the wall, Garbagè springs from my lap.
I need to get Hunter and I already know where he is.
***
I stomp through the house and stop at his office door. It's cracked open and I'm already annoyed watching how she reads her book on the couch, with a coffeeheprobably made for her. I'm just standing here like a fucking creep watching them co-exist so effortlessly.
"You coming in or not? I don't like hearing you linger in the hallway."
I see Elliot jump at his words.
"What are you—" her question is cut short as I push the door open further. Her curious eyes land on mine, and I watch as the calmness she had moments ago fades into annoyance.
"I didn't want to interrupt reading time for princess over here." I nod my head to her.
"Flores."
"Sinclair." I snap back at him.
We keep our eyes locked for a moment before he breaks the silence, "Did you find something?"
"I was able to break through some of their systems. I think you’re going to want to see it." I flicker my gaze to Elliott, "She should stay here."
"Why?" They say in unison.
I shot him a stern look, "Trust me on this."
He sees the seriousness my words hold and agrees with a slight nod of his head. "Show me."
"Wait, are you seriously not going to let me go?" Elliott says standing from the couch.
"Go back to your book, princess."
"Stop calling me a fucking princess. It wasmyhome.Myfamily. I deserve to know what the hell is going on." She steps up to me.
"Not when it involves your past. You are too fragile to see this." I mean it, she doesn't need to hurt all over again but it comes out harsher than I mean it to.
"I amnotfragile."
"Sit. Down. Elliott."
"No."
"Hunter, I suggest you talk to her because you aren't going to like how I handle this situation." I turn to walk away but she grabs my arm and I yank it out of her grip. "You don't get to touch me like Kam and Hunter. I'm not going to crumble just because you have a pretty face and fuckable lips, princess. It won't work on me."
Her mouth drops open and her eyes widen at my words.
