Page 50 of The Nowhere Witch

“Don’t worry about it, kid. I needed the time to catch up. I’m way behind with paperwork.” Musso settled back in at his desk.

“And you know I don’t care,” Zab said.

“Neither do I—if you care, that is,” Bibbi said, poking her head out of the back room.

Bibbi was turning out to be impossible to hate. If she could go work somewhere else, though, it would make not hating her so much easier. Every time she sat at my table, I had to force myself not to drag her outside.

“Thanks, Bibbi. I do care,” I said, and mostly meant it because I wasn’t a monster. It wasn’t her fault that Hawk had made her the big usurper.

I sank another couple inches into Belinda’s seat, wishing that there was a hole in the floor that would gobble me up.

“Is there anything I can do to get rid of it?” I asked.

“No,” Musso said.

Zab shook his head. Bibbi looked as clueless as me. Yeah, it was very hard to hate someone who knew less than I did.

Luckily, we’d fallen silent right before Hawk walked in the office. He probably knew everything already, but I couldn’t bear having this discussion in front of him.

Before I’d gotten back to Xest, I’d daydreamed of coming to this office, walking up to Hawk, and not having to say a word. Success would be written all over me. I’d reek of it. I’d be dressed in the best Xest fashions. I’d have a killer place near the square and I’d be all around rocking this existence. I’d have found my way here in spite of him.

The reality wasn’t quite as nice. I was slumped in a chair in his office, staring at my replacement across the way. I’d been recently fired, forced to live here again, and half my wardrobe was still hand-me-down clothes picked out by Belinda.

He’d even boot me now. Would he tell me to get my apartment back? Where would I go? Could I get another place with this cloud hanging over my head? I didn’t want to be here, but getting kicked to the curb twice, first from my job and then from my room? I wasn’t sure I was up to that either. Perhaps I should try to sneak upstairs out of sight for a while.

No. That would be hiding, and I didn’t do that anymore. Good thing I remembered before I snuck away.

Hawk crossed the room, not saying anything about the emptiness of the place. He picked up a pile of slips and flipped through them.

There was no way he’d missed the cloud when he walked in. There was even less chance he hadn’t been told about it. I could sit here and pretend there wasn’t an issue or hit it head-on. Considering “head-on” was my new motto, why change tactics now? Might as well go down in a ball of flames. No job, homeless, black cloud—bring it on.

“Well? Do you want me gone? Should I pack my bags or what? Speak now.”

Zab and Musso, who’d only been half paying attention to their work, were now fully invested in our conversation. Bibbi actually squeaked. The monkeys decided this was the time to kick back into theme music with a littleduh, duh, duuuuhnin case we weren’t all aware of what was at stake. They apparently thought this was a game show.

Hawk’s stone face broke into a smile. Clearly, he hadn’t noticed the theme music graciously provided by the monkeys, because he thought we were in a comedy.

“Why? Because of the black cloud following you everywhere?”

The gleam in his eye and his soft laugh felt like a bucket of salt being poured over road rash. I was glad that my life going to shit brought him such amusement.

“You know what, forget it. I’ll go get my bag. I didn’t want to be here anyway.” Screw him and this place. He’d forced me back, and now he’d laugh as I left? He could go to hell, and now that I knew that place probably existed, I felt a little better about how things might end up.

I moved to the door.

“Tippi,” Zab said, getting half out of his chair.

“Stay out of it, Zab. Hawk will handle it,” Musso told him.

Hawk handled it by getting to the door first. Great, now he wasn’t even going to let me get my things?

I crossed my arms. “I have to get my bag.”

“For what? You’re not moving out.” His words might’ve sounded bossy, but I liked this Hawk better. At least the smile was gone and the gleam had been buffed out of existence.

I gave him a short nod, acknowledging his words. There would be no thank you or gratefulness forthcoming. I would not get suckered in by his false kindness, not again. No way. Not after he’d screwed me over so many times. He’d get back in my good graces, use me up, and then toss me aside in a heartbeat. You might as well writesuckeron my forehead if I fell for it.

“It’s your building. Your choice if you want to lose customers,” I said, daring him to kick me out, because I must’ve been insane.