ReBoot (MAC Security Series Book 4)

by Abigail Davies

  “If you get drunk, don’t think I’ll be driving your monstrosity.” Her snippiness grates on me, and for the first time ever, I want to tell her to leave.

  “Geena,” I warn, my tone one that I don’t use often. She rolls her eyes and crosses her legs, ignoring me.

  “Where’s that old man!” I jump at the sound of Livvy’s voice traveling from the hallway and nearly drop my beer as she barrels into the kitchen. For an old lady, she sure can move sometimes.

  “Livvy.” Pop wraps his arms around her as Dad waits to do the same before she passes them a gift bag.

  “Got a new gray hair there, Cal,” she sniggers.

  “Evan already tried it,” Pop answers, rolling his eyes. “Thanks for this, but I told you not to get anything.”

  “Oh, hush.” She spins around to me, opening her arms. “How’s my computer genius?”

  I shake my head and laugh as I wrap my arms around her. “I’m good.”

  “Tell me you didn’t bring the evil witch,” she whispers in my ear.

  I grimace, not bothering to try and correct her. Over the years I’ve tried countless times, now I just let it go. “She’s behind you.”

  She groans and lets go, turning around. “Hi, Geena.”

  “Olivia.”

  Tension fills the air and I clear my throat, trying to cut through the awkwardness, but as I turn around at the sound of footsteps, I’m speechless.

  This woman stands in front of me, a flowing dress covering her body and hitting just above her knees; knee-high brown boots covering the smooth, pale skin of her legs. Skin that I want to touch. Skin that I imagine will feel like silk. My fingers itch with the urge to test the theory and as I bring my eyes up to her face I see her shocked, wide, hazel ones, full of questions.

  I step toward her, my hand reaching out to touch her dark-brown hair that is hanging over her shoulders in soft waves, but my brain kicks in at the last second and I pull away.

  “Lexi? What are you doing here?” My voice comes out harsher than I mean for it to but I don’t correct myself.

  “She’s my guest,” Pop says, pushing past me and wrapping her up in a hug, lifting her off the floor and whispering something in her ear that makes a blush rise on her cheeks.

  I want to cause her to blush like that.

  Stop it, Evan. Just... stop it.

  “Happy birthday, Cal.”

  I stand stock still, not believing what I’m seeing. Pop is a lawyer in the city, one of the best ther is. He hates people as in, can’t stand them. There’s only me, Dad, and Livvy that I’ve ever seen him talk to properly. But here he is, wrapping Lexi up in a hug. Have I entered another universe?

  “I didn’t know you knew each other.”

  Pop pulls back and leaves his arm hanging around Lexi’s shoulders as he smirks. “I’m guessing you two met at the community center?”

  “I… yeah.”

  “Livvy… I live with Livvy,” Lexi blurts out. “I mean, she’s letting me live there.”

  “Lexi?” Livvy calls.

  “Yeah?”

  “He gets it, lovely. Now, who wants wine?”

  “No, thanks,” Lexi answers.

  “Oh, go on, Lex. One glass won’t hurt,” Dad says, a mischievous grin lifting his lips.

  I don’t know whether to look at Lexi or not and pretend like she’s not even here, or whether to go and sit next to Geena because there’s no way she missed that exchange and I can almost guarantee that I’m now in the bad books, again. Simply the way that Pop acted with Lexi will be all my fault. I can imagine the whole argument now and I’m already tired of it and I haven’t even looked back at her yet.

  “Evan?” Geena calls and I wince before grabbing my bottle of beer and making my way over to where she sits at the table.

  “Sorry.” I don’t know what I’m apologizing for, but it seems like a good place to start from the look in her eyes.

  “Who is she?”

  “She works at the community center, and is staying with Livvy apparently.” Geena looks over to where they’re all standing in the middle of the kitchen and then smirks, her eyes flashing before she lays her hand on my thigh and leans closer.

  “I wondered how she knew Mal.” I frown but before I get to ask her what she means, she whispers, “It doesn’t matter,” in my ear, her hand climbing higher. What the hell is she doing?

  “Geena.”

  “Shhhh.”

  I cover her hand with mine and pull back, shaking my head at her. “What are you doing?”

  “Nothing,” she answers innocently, her voice rising.

  “Food’s ready!” Pop announces which causes Geena to move her hand as she leans back in her chair, sneering at Lexi as she sits opposite me.

  I place my knife and fork down on the plate, not able to eat another bite. When Livvy told me that I had to come with her to Cal’s birthday meal, I had reservations. Birthdays are family occasions and I’ve only lived with her for just over a month: they couldn’t possibly want me to be there with them.

  Thirty minutes before we were meant to be there, I had a message from Cal, telling me that he knew it was my night off and if I’m not there, he’ll carry me over to his place in my pajamas. Needless to say, I got dressed and made my way over here with Livvy.

  I lift my eyes from my plate, and my gaze immediately focuses on Evan before turning to Mal. He knew all along that I knew Evan and didn’t tell either of us if Evan’s reaction was anything to go by.

  Is that what he meant about the jacket looking familiar?

  The harshness of his voice when he asked why I was here still rings around in my head. Maybe he doesn’t trust me in his parents’ house? Maybe he doesn’t want to be around me at all?

  That’s okay though, because I’m not here for him, I’m here for Cal’s birthday.

  “So, Beccie—” the woman sitting next to Evan says.

  “It’s Lexi,” I interrupt, earning me a slight narrowing of her eyes.

  She straightens in her chair, pulling her shoulders back. “What brought you to our little town?”

  I fidget in my chair, lifting my thighs and placing my hands under them so they’re squished between them and the seat of the chair. My eyes move briefly to everyone around the table. “I’m in a program.”

  I know Livvy said that I shouldn’t tell people straight off the bat where I’m from and all of my history, but I get a sense that this woman would get to the bottom of who I am and why I’m here anyway. Roy’s warning sounds in my head, “She’s a dog with a bone.”

  “Oh,” she comments, cutting a piece of her steak. “What program is that?”

  “You don’t have to answer that, sweetheart,” Cal says, his voice like thunder as he leans back in his chair.

  “No,” I whisper, flicking my gaze up to his and forcing a small smile. “It’s fine, I have nothing to hide.” I clear my throat and look at Evan—his eyes watch me, the gold flecks flashing. “I was in prison—”

  “Prison!” The woman drops her knife and fork on her plate, the clattering sound making me wince.

  “Yeah… I…” I start to panic with her reaction. “It’s not what—I mean yeah I robbed the store—but I didn’t mean to hurt the police officer. He was just there and then…”

  My breath catches at the look on Evan’s face. From the moment that I met him, I always thought he was an easy-going kind of guy—the kind who doesn’t judge people. But the way his jaw is clenched right now and the ticking of the muscles tells me that he’s not happy about what I just said.

  “Wait.” She holds her hand up before turning to Mal and Cal. “You’re telling me, that you knew I was coming here—a police officer—and yet you still invited her?”

  “Yeah—” Cal starts but she interrupts him.

  “I mean I get it from you. You’re an attorney to the likes of those people. But to have one in your home?” She shakes her head, her gaze flicking back to mine. If looks could kill, I’d be dead: definitely dead.
>
  “Excuse me?” Mal’s voice rises and I shiver from the sound. I’ve never heard him raising his voice but as he stares at her, his face goes red. “Get out.”

  The whole table is silent for what feels like minutes, but it’s mere seconds before she gasps and stands up, pushing her chair out and grabbing her bag.

  “Let’s go, Evan.”

  Evan looks between all of us, finally his gaze landing on me, his eyes shadowed in something I can’t quite decipher. “I—”

  “Now!” she practically screams.

  “Son, you don’t have to go with her. She doesn't own you,” Cal says sternly.

  “Evan!” she shrieks, her eyes wide in her head.

  Evan closes his eyes, dropping his head before slowly pushing his chair back. “Sorry, Pop,” he says before walking toward where she stands at the kitchen door.

  The sound of her heels clacking on the floor echoes before the front door opens and shuts briefly.

  It’s not until I hear the unmistakable sound of Evan’s car engine that I let go of a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper.

  “What? Don’t be silly, it’s her.” Mal looks like he wants to say something else but with a slight shake of his head, he looks back down at his plate. “Who wants dessert?”

  “Depends,” Livvy says. “Does it contain alcohol?”

  Cal chuckles. “Is that a trick question?”

  Livvy smirks and hands Mal her finished plate. “Bring the bottle of wine back with you, Mal.”

  My muscles are still locked in the same position that they were when I was trying to explain to everyone what I did and why. I can’t ever seem to tell people what happened without my mouth running away with me and not being able to get all the words out in the right order.

  “I… erm…” I clear my throat. “I just need to go back home for a minute.”

  I don’t wait for anyone to answer me before I push my chair back and practically run out of their house and across the road. I nearly fall over the bags that West and Seb left here as I enter the house and run to my bedroom.

  They’ve been coming and going at all hours of the night and day since they got here, sharing West’s old bedroom. Apparently, I took Seb’s, and he’s not too happy about that.

  I flop down onto my bed, grabbing my pillow and hugging it against my body as the tears that I’ve held back since she asked me why I was here, break free.

  The tears turn into sobs and I get lost in the sounds and the wetness on my face, eventually falling to sleep.

  I try to block Geena out as she screams and shouts all the way back to her apartment, slamming the door as soon as I pull up to her building as she jumps out. The vibrations travel through the car and seep into my bones just before she shouts back through the car window.

  “I never want to step inside those fags’ house again!”

  I had sat there while she made Lexi feel like utter crap, not saying a word while I watched all of Lexi’s emotions run across her face and in the depths of her eyes. She was breaking, and all I wanted to do was reach across the table and pull her to me. To hold her against my body and tell her that everything would be okay.

  But this? Attacking my dad and my pop? Not gonna fucking happen. I feel something inside of me snap and I fling my door open, shooting out of the car and running to her building, letting myself in and taking the stairs two at a time, getting to her apartment door just as she opens it.

  “Enough!” I roar, causing her to widen her eyes as we step inside, the door shutting behind us with a bang.

  “What—”

  “I said, enough! I’ve had enough of your fucking moaning.” I take a step toward her. “I’ve had enough of you putting people down and making them feel like shit.”

  “I don’t do that,” she gasps, her hand flying to her chest, her face a mask of innocence.

  I laugh. “Yeah, you do.” I take another step forward. “Every fucking day I wait for your put-downs. ‘Your clothes are stupid.’ ‘Your car is ridiculous.’ ‘Look at the state of you.’”

  She gasps again but I don’t let up, I continue stepping toward her. “I can put up with you putting me down, moaning about the guys—which is really fucking irritating, by the way—but when it comes to my family?” I clench my jaw, my nostrils flaring. “No one attacks my family, and what you just said out there? That sealed the deal.”

  “Sealed the deal?” she asks, her voice a mere whisper.

  “Calling my dad and pop fags was not okay! That ain’t happening.” I move closer, my face centimeters from hers now. “We. Are. Done.”

  She stares at me for several seconds, my chest heaving as the rage continues to bubble over.

  “Don’t be silly.” She shakes her head, stepping back and pulling her heels off. “Let’s order some takeout and snuggle on the sofa.”

  My nostrils flare as I watch her walk into her kitchen like it’s a normal day. It’s not a normal day: today is the day I finally see her for what she really is. My head drops and I look down at the slogan on my shirt as Lexi’s soft voice batters around in my head.

  “Nice shirt.” She smirks, bringing her gaze back up to mine.

  My eyes widen as my body deflates. I’m so used to hearing Geena saying she hates them. “Really? You like it?”

  She frowns, tilting her head to the side. “Yeah, it’s funny.”

  It’s never been my shirts, it’s never been about my car that she hates. It’s all about Geena getting her own way, me bending to do as she pleases.

  “Did you not hear what I said?” I thunder, whipping my head back up. “We’re done.”

  “Don’t be stupid.” She rolls her eyes when she turns back to face me.

  “Don’t call me stupid!” I shout. “Do you even realize how you sound arguing with me when I’m breaking up with you?”

  Her face morphs into something of pain before she straightens her shoulders and raises a brow. “You think anyone else will have you, huh? Look at you!”

  I rear back as if it was a physical blow, second-guessing myself at the words flying out of her mouth and her tone.

  “No one… and I mean no one will want you. All you’re interested in is yourself, your computers, your fucking team!” She shrugs. “Sure, you may fuck like a champ, but that’s your only saving grace.”

  My stomach sinks further and further the more she talks.

  “You’re useless, you’ll never be any good and I’m gonna make sure that you’re done in this town. Why don’t you run on home to Daddy and Pop?”

  I spin around and walk toward her door, my shoulders drooping and my entire body deflated. That is until I see Lexi’s eyes.

  The eyes that look at me like no other ones ever have. The eyes that make me feel more like me than anything else ever has.

  “You know what,” I spit as I spin back around. “You’re the one who will be done in this town. You need to check who you’re talking to.” I raise my brows. “You never took an interest in who I actually am, if you had any fucking idea what I could do.” I shake my head. “Fuck you, Geena. You’re nothing but a spoiled bitch.” With that, I slam the door closed and jog down the stairs and back to my car. Starting the engine and speeding off. Not knowing where I’m going but needing the open road in front of me and my foot to the pedal.

  I drive for hours, speeding up and down the winding roads. I eventually calm down enough to drive back to Dad and Pop’s place, but when I get there all of the lights are off and I look at the dash, seeing 3:20 staring back at me. That’s the thing when I go for a drive, I lose all sense of time and only concentrate on the purring of the engine and the slide of my tires.

  I sit in the car for a while, staring at Livvy’s house.

  I used to go there every day to play with Seb and West. The three of us used to get into all kinds of trouble: thinking about the past now brings a smile to my face.

  When we were eight, we decided to climb on top of the shed in
their back yard and jump off the roof. After all, we were all superheroes and would be able to fly.

  Seb said that we had to go in age order, which meant he had to go first because he was born three minutes before West, and I was only a week younger than them.

  So, West and I stood back as Seb went to the edge of the roof and dived off, the scream that followed echoed across the whole street and Livvy came running out of the kitchen just as Seb jumped up, telling us that it was our turn. But the blood running down his face where he had hit his head and cut it open had us backing out.

  “What the!” My hand flies to my chest as someone knocks on my window. My head snapping to the passenger side just as it pops open and I reach into my secret compartment, ready to draw my gun.

  “Sorry,” the soft voice whispers and I know who it is before she slides into the car.

  “Lexi.”

  “I’m sorry,” she says again. “I’m sorry I caused that earlier. I never meant to make you leave; they’re your dads and it’s my fault that you—”

  I lean over the center console, putting my pointer finger over her lips, effectively cutting her off. “Lexi, stop.” She nods, her shoulders drawn up to her ears and her whole body tense. “It’s not your fault.”

  “It is—”

  “Didn’t I say stop?” I ask, a grin pulling up at the corners of my lips. “It’s not, trust me, it was bound to happen at some stage.”

  I let my finger drop from her lips and I turn back to face the front of the car, the gravity of the whole situation once again pushing down onto my shoulders.

  “I didn’t mean to word vomit… I just.” She huffs out a breath and I see her turn to face the front out of the corner of my eye. “I can never get the right words out.”

  I smirk. “Yeah, I noticed.”

  She chuckles and shakes her head. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I saw you sitting out here and I was awake so… yeah.” She holds something up, laying it over the center console. “I brought your jacket back too.”