21. Piper
21
PIPER
"Wait. He quit?" I ask. For some reason, my heart jumps into my throat.
"He's decided to step away from the company for the time being,” Sacha looks pointedly at his business partner. “Completely of his own accord, apparently.”
My stomach does a strange squeezing at those words. It’s been less than twenty-four hours since I saw Ant in the building. I slept poorly, showed up late to work, then Magnes called and asked me to come to his office.
Magnes’s office is that hyper modern style that matches the rest of the Cryptech building. It’s irritatingly fashionable. A wall of windows, gray walls, gray floor. Magnes sits behind a glass topped desk. Sacha and I sit across from him. Sacha keeps his arms folded across his chest as he glares at his business partner.
“You’re saying he won’t be here anymore?” The discomfort bubbles up from my stomach into a nervous laugh.
“He won’t.” Magnes shakes his large green head.
"Why did he decide to do that?" I demand.
“Pontius called it an 'extended leave'. He said he has personal projects he wants to work on," Magnes says.
"He wanted to make sure you were comfortable. That we could all gain the maximum benefit possible from our companies working together," Sacha adds.
“When will he be back?” I ask.
Magnes shrugs. “He didn’t say.”
I laugh, feeling uncomfortable. Neither of their expressions change. “You aren’t kidding? That’s it? He built this company! He poured his entire being into this place, and he just has to leave it behind?” I stand up, feeling like I need to get out of my chair. "Because of me? That's not fair."
Sacha sighs loudly.
Magnes stands up and crosses his office. “Would you like a drink, Ms. Hamilton?”
“No, I don’t want a drink.” My feet have me pacing the office. “Does he think that’s what I want? Him just gone?”
“He’s trying to do the right thing.” Sacha remains very sensibly seated.
"Well, he’s not going to make me the bad guy! I won’t let him. I'm not going to be the reason that he abandons everything that he worked so hard to build!" I feel myself ranting as I stab my finger into my own chest, but I don't have the self control to stop myself. "He's not going to blame me."
“No one is blaming you, Ms. Hamilton,” Sacha says.
“Because it’s your fault.” My stabbing finger points toward Magnes.
“Excuse you?” The Lake Monster flinches, although I’m feet away.
“She’s not wrong,” Sacha mutters.
"There's nothing you can do; he’s made up his mind.” Magnes opens a cabinet and stares at a row of bottles of alcohol for a moment before he closes the door again with a huff.
“If you don’t want to work with us any longer, we understand,” Sacha interjects. “We’ll cancel the contract, cut you loose, no strings.”
I stop in my tracks. “You’re punishing me for this?”
“No.” Magnes says quickly. “No, and we don't want you to leave!"
Sacha puts a hand up, and Magnes stops talking. "Pontius was very clear. He wants you to do whatever you want, Ms. Hamilton. It was the only thing that he insisted on before he left. You are free to stay, to leave, break the contract, or move your headquarters to another city. We will help with whatever you choose.”
“My choice?” I tap my fingers on the table. It isn’t really my choice though, is it? It affects my employees. Some of them have been with me since the beginning. They depend on me for their livelihoods. I can’t ask them to relocate to another city or go back to those crappy offices or go back to insecure paychecks. I can’t stand the idea of disappointing them.
No. This choice is between me and him.
He should have to answer for this. He’s forcing my hand, making me the bad guy. Removing himself from my life, just like Colin did.
What I need is to talk to Ant. To yell at him, face-to-face. My employees’ opinions matter, but ultimately, I know they are going to choose the higher paychecks, better office spaces, and better benefits. I can’t leave Cryptech.
This issue is between me and the Mothman.
“Where is he?” I demand.
“At his home, probably. He rarely leaves it during the day.” Sacha sighs loudly. Magnes just continues smirking as I head for the door.
I don’t exactly remember where Pontius lives. It takes me a couple hours driving around the waterfront area of town, before I finally stumble on a building that I am sure is his house. From outside, in the daylight, it looks just like a lot of the other industrial buildings. Except for the nerdy little concrete fire flower out front.
The drive gave me plenty of time to compose a long angry rant. When I finally park my car outside his place, I know exactly how I am going to tear into him.
I step onto the sidewalk and freeze. Like the fresh air has knocked some sense into me. This is a terrible idea. Confronting him, alone, in his house. Last time I was here, I was falling in love.
Crap. Not love, something less intense than that.
I shift my keys back and forth in my hands several times. This is silly. I can’t be in love with him. I barely, know him. I start toward the front door. Halfway down the sidewalk, I stop myself and head back to my car. Three steps later I stop again and turn back toward his apartment. I repeat this at least three more times, loosing track of the exact number.
I just need to walk up to the door. Knock on it. Talk to him. See him again. Confront him. Tell him that he doesn’t just get to wash his hands of the situation.
Another car pulls up on the block in front of me.
A human woman climbs out. She’s pretty, Black, with close-cropped natural curls and bright red lipstick. She confidently approaches Ant’s door.
I duck behind a car and immediately feel ridiculous. She doesn’t know me. How could she recognize me?
I don’t step out from behind the car.
I peer through the car windows to watch her knock on Ant’s front door, and check her phone while waiting for him to answer.
She must know him. Who is she? A date?
Ant appears. He looks adorable, as always, with a video game t-shirt and a pair of loose fitting black pants.
He greets the woman. I can’t hear what they are saying, but they smile and hug each other.
Fucking bitch.
Oh, dear. Where did that come from? I close my eyes for a moment, trying to reset my thoughts. She’s not a bad person. He’s allowed to go out whoever he wants. We aren’t dating. I don’t even like him. I definitely don’t love him. Who cares if he spent an entire weekend giving me mind blowing orgasms like they were Free Comic Book Day issues?
I definitely don’t wish this woman was dead. Or maimed. Or hit by a car. Then he’d just have to sit by her hospital bed and nurse her back to health. It would only bring them closer.
I open my eyes. They’ve disappeared. Crap.
I hurry down the block and around the corner to find them again. Their silhouettes, highlighted by the sun low over the horizon. The frigging golden hour casting them in the perfect amber light. I still can’t hear them, but I can clearly read their body language. He leans toward her and she laughs at something he says.
Slut.
Nope. No. Not that.
He’s the bastard.
Nope. Not that either. They are fine. They are two consenting adults, and they are allowed to do whatever they want on this fine spring evening. I follow them several more blocks, until they enter a local park, headed for a romantic little gazebo overlooking a duck pond.
I bet he hasn’t told her that he has a fated-mate. I wonder if she knows he told me he loved me two months ago. She’d back off then.
Crap.
I have to stop. I turn around to head in the opposite direction. I do not need to follow them. He’s not dating Tiffany again. That’s all that matters. That woman was genuinely bad for him. This one, she’ll be different. Probably. She probably isn’t just after his money. She probably won’t mistreat him. She probably isn’t like Tiffany?
Crap. Is that Tiffany? I never asked what she looked like.
I just have to make sure he’s okay. I spin back around and head after them, keeping a respectable distance, hoping they won’t notice me. They stop to chat beside a playground. What do they even have to talk about? What could he possibly have in common with her? What could she be saying that makes his face light up and his antennae quirk to the side like they do when he is amused?
Ugh. I have to get out of here.
Two waist-high brown creatures race past me. One spreads little wings, lifting itself a few inches off the ground to take a half-hearted attempt at flying before its feet stumble back to the sidewalk. The figures are yelling incomprehensible baby speak. They are followed by a full-grown Mothwoman in a lavender wrap dress. She pulls a wagon full of toys behind her.
I briefly make eye contact with her, and her mouth arms lift into an awkward smile. Very similar to the face I make when I am expecting an inappropriate comment from a stranger.
Crap. I know I’m being rude by staring at her the way I am. She isn’t a spectacle. I return her awkward smile before I turn away and pretend I wasn’t watching her.
I’ve never seen another Mothman before. I know they exist, certainly. But they’re rare. She’s not much different looking than Ant, slightly different shaped, a little larger, a little rounder, her facial features are slightly more delicate, and the babies, with her are the cutest things.
What a coincidence, to see them in the same park as Ant.
The human woman beside Ant waves in our direction and the Mothwoman waves back. They know each other.
Ant is also looking in this direction.
Crap. He knows I’m here.
“Piper?” He calls.
I try to ignore it, turning my awkward smile away from him.
The two tiny Mothmen crash into the human woman’s legs, giving her intense hugs, before they turn and race into the playground area.
It’s Ant’s family. It has to be.
The two females greet each other warmly with a kiss.
His sister and her mate and two babies. A niece and a nephew maybe?
I can’t stop staring. I’m such a jealous idiot. I’m so stupid. I shouldn’t be here. This is none of my business. I have to get out of here.
“Piper. Wait,” Ant calls as I turn to leave.
I pretend I don’t hear him, hurrying back the way I came. I freeze in place as his shadow passes over my head, and then he lands nearly silently in front of me.
“What are you doing here?” he asks.
“Nothing!” I say brightly. “Just going for a walk.”
His antennae twist to the side, amused. “Were you following me?”
“I came to speak with you about leaving Cryptech.” I roll my shoulders back, trying to appear more confident.
His mouth twists into half of a grin. “You followed me here, from my house,” he reiterates.
“I saw you with that woman and—” I pause, and roll my eyes. “I wanted to make sure you weren’t wrapped up in another Tiffany situation.”
“You followed me to make sure I was safe.”
I’m a little annoyed with how pleased he looks.
“Fine. Yes,” I snap. “Are you happy? I wanted to make sure you were alright.”
“Would you like to meet my sister?” he asks much more quietly. I glance back at the couple and the two tiny mothlings.
“Your sister? And the human woman is her mate?” There’s an uncomfortable pit of shame in my stomach. The woman I’ve been intensely jealous of for the past ten minutes is basically his sister-in-law. “I didn’t know they had kids.”
“They flew down a few days ago for the adoption. They are staying in town for the rest of the month, until the kids are big enough to make the flight themselves.”
“Adoption?” I ask, almost dumbfounded. They are so sweet together, and the kids are adorable. Tiny red eyes, fuzzy brown bodies, and little wings that don’t quite work yet. The cutest things I have seen in some time. “I thought Mothmen abandoned their young?”
“Maisie and her mate adopted them as eggs. The twins were left under an abandoned rail bridge. Maisie and Janelle wanted a family. Now, they don’t have to grow up alone. The way I did.”
My stomach twists. A family.
“They just hatched a few days ago.”
“A few days ago!” I can’t help laughing. “They are so big.”
“They’ll be large enough to fend for themselves soon. Mothmen have a shorter childhood, but a longer adolescence. We reach maturity roughly the same age that humans do.”
“Oof. They’ll be teenagers for two whole decades?” I ask with a smile.
“Something like that.” He laughs. “It’s just a different development cycle than humans.”
“That makes sense, if you need to fend for yourself from birth.” I cross my arms while I watch. The two tiny mothlings have already fully thrown themselves onto the playground, clambering over the jungle gym. They couldn’t possibly be cuter, it hurts thinking about them truly fending for themselves. The thought of tiny Ant all alone makes my heart squeeze.
“Do you want to meet them?” Ant’s voice cuts through my thoughts.
I nod easily. “Okay.” I really would.