Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Cam
Nikki
have you stabbed anyone yet?
Cam
no but its just day 1
Eric
Celebrate the small wins. You’re almost one day down!
Cam
i alrdy have more reasons to hate this place
Nikki
you can do this! hug
so how was lonzo?? ;)
Cam
ur such a meddler
Nikki
you’re welcome 3
If there was a world record for the most number of glares suppressed in a single day, I would have won it.
The boot camp tested my self-control—from entering the venue and being told that I must be lost to the overwhelmingly male population of applicants eyeing me like I was a joke.
And then there were my so-called teammates ignoring my suggestions, only to agree when they came from someone else.
The one saving grace was that the Tritech employees were decent, if not actually nice. They announced that face-to-face interviews with our hiring managers would be on Thursday, which meant I needed to do my best to keep my cool for three more days.
After too many icebreakers, lectures, and team activities, they finally let us go. My teammates chattered about grabbing dinner, but I didn’t hang around for an invite. I simply nodded at the one guy who’d backed me up during our brainstorm and headed out.
While waiting for Alonzo, I browsed through a small secondhand bookstore in the building next door.
It reminded me of the months I’d spent hiding in the library before I quit college.
Mostly, I’d been studying, determined to prove I wasn’t dropping out because I was dumb or incapable.
Other times, I’d been so desperate for an escape from reality that I indulged myself in make-believe worlds.
“You’re such a liar, Cam. Everyone knows you’ve had the hots for Dave since forever.”
“It’s pathetic how you’re ruining someone’s reputation to get attention.”
“You call yourself a friend?”
“Such a try-hard.”
“No class.”
The voices from the past tumbled in my head, dredging up those too-familiar feelings of shame and worthlessness.
I forced myself to open a fantasy novel, longing for that comforting feeling of slipping out of the cage of my thoughts and sinking into a story.
Before I knew it, my phone was buzzing in my pocket. I pulled it out and accepted the call.
“Maya,” Alonzo said. “I’m turning onto your street.”
“I’ll meet you in front of the building.” Cutting the call, I returned the book to its shelf and hurried outside.
The sky had darkened and the sidewalk was busy with people in business wear marching in opposite directions. As I broke past a group in matching white polo shirts, I spotted Alonzo’s car pulling up along the sidewalk.
The passenger window rolled down. “Get in,” Alonzo called out.
“I just need my bag,” I said as I reached for the back door.
“It’s about to rain. I’ll drop you off at your place.”
A droplet landed on my arm, and more followed in quick succession. Making a split-second decision, I opened the passenger door and got in.
“That was easy,” Alonzo said as I shut the door. “I thought I’d have to convince you.”
“I didn’t bring an umbrella.” I buckled myself in.
“Good thing I’m here then. What’s the name of your hotel?”
“Hotel?”
He paused with his phone in hand and stared at me. “Airbnb?”
I snorted and read out the address of the boarding room I’d booked.
Shaking his head, he typed it into his phone. “I definitely need to check this place out.”
“You don’t need to do anything.”
“Hey, your best friend asked me to look after you,” he said as he started driving.
Damn it, Nikki. “She’s overly paranoid. To make it clear, I’m just going with you out of practicality. I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can, but isn’t it nice not to have to do that all the time?”
“Some of us don’t have a choice.”
“Now you do.”
I opened my mouth to argue that it was well and good but that it would only be for now. Thing was, saying it felt uncomfortably close to admitting vulnerability. I’d already revealed too much earlier this morning.
He glanced at me. “What was that? You were going to say something.”
How could he tell when he was supposed to be paying attention to the road? “I changed my mind.”
“Okay. If you change it again, I’m all ears.”
He spoke so casually that I couldn’t help asking, “That’s it? What happened to the guy who insisted he needed to know why I dropped out of college?”
“I learn from my mistakes. It doesn’t take a genius to know you won’t do anything you don’t want to.” He paused. “Or need to.”
I grunted.
Chuckling softly, he added, “Doesn’t mean I’m not still curious.”
Of course he was.
“How was the boot camp?”
“Ugh.”
He threw me a look of commiseration. “That bad?”
“It would have been okay if it weren’t for the stupid guys treating me like I was planted there for comic relief.”
“Seriously?”
I balled my hands on my lap. “What is it about me that screams stupid? Is it my boobs? My skin tone? Is it that I’m from the province or simply the fact that I’m a girl?
Because I’m sick of people judging me based on the way I look.
I might not be some huge success story, but I worked hard to get where I am, and I did it on my own.
I hate it when people treat me like I don’t know shit, cause I do. ”
I clamped my lips shut before I said anything else. I hadn’t meant to rant to him, but his questions had popped the lid off the frustrations I’d been fighting to contain. A part of me felt compelled to apologize for my outburst, but he’d asked, and I had told him the truth.
The air buzzed with silence—the type that kept you frozen in anticipation of what the other person would say next.
I found myself holding my breath, as though releasing it was a sign of weakness or defeat.
It shouldn’t have mattered what he thought of me—what any of them did.
I knew my worth, and no one could take that away from me.
My brain knew that full well. If only my heart didn’t get bogged down by stupid feelings .
“I’m sorry you went through that,” Alonzo said. “It sucks when people assume things about you, and I bet it was extra hard with you being in a new place and everything.”
My breath escaped me in a heavy whoosh, leaving me deflated and tired. “It’s not your fault. Anyway, I’m used to the judgment.”
“I know I underestimated you the first time we met, and that’s on me. I hate to think I’m one of the jerks on your list.”
“To be fair, I judged you more,” I reluctantly admitted. “I’m sorry.”
He nodded. “Does that mean you’ve changed your mind about me?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” I answered with a shrug, unwilling to admit what I already knew—my prejudices against him were shifting with each encounter.
And that was the scary part.