Morozov

Chapter 24

I was sitting in front of my laptop, waiting for Mallory and Ace to call Jack and me via Facetime. We weren't talking after our fight two nights ago.

"Are you gonna ask for a new partner?" I asked with an unintentionally small voice. Jack didn't answer, just stared at the desktop, waiting. So I did that, too.

Finally, it rang and I picked up. The picture was not as blurry as I expected it to be.

"Hi guys," Mal said, smiling a big smile next to Ace, who looked as unbothered as always. "What's up?"

I looked at Jack, not knowing whether to tell the truth or not. If I lied, he'd tell me I'm a liar again. If I told the truth, he'd find something as well.

"We're okay," he answered suddenly. I decided to play along and ignore the way my heart jumped. Putting on a smile, I nodded.

"Great," Mallory said very slowly, smiling skeptically. "Have you had any luck with Vera yet? I hear you got a meeting next week," Ace started right away, snatching every chance for a smalltalk away from us.

"Yes," Jack straightened at this, as if to seem more confident. "We will have to arrive late though, I believe she'll be extra careful and run off if she sees us first."

"That makes sense," my sister said, nodding her head. Her smile was gone now, too.

"Have you heard anything from Archie?" I asked so that they wouldn't get suspicious of me being so quiet.

"No," Mal answered.
"Wait," I realized. "Didn't he whisper something into your ear that day on Eleanor's birthday?"

"Yes. He asked me to help him," Mallory answered again, frowning.

"Hm," I leaned back in my chair, thinking deeply. "We have to find both Archie and Vera."

"Well no shit," Jack exclaimed, throwing his arms up. I couldn't react fast enough to hide my disappointed expression. The one time he does talk to me it's mean as fuck. We're back to normal then, I guess.

I gave him a look that said "What the fuck are you doing? You're ruining the picture."

"I'm ruining the picture? You're the one pouting like a little child!"

"I hate you!"

"Well I hate you the most."

I crossed my arms and decided to ignore him. Who was he talking to me like that anyways?

"Anyways," Mallory interrupted our silent conversation. "Why don't we move on?"

I zoned out after this, only nodding my head a few times and listening enough to know what they're talking about.

Do they think I'm useless now?
Do they think I'm weird?
What if they'll order me home now?
Does that even lie in their hands? Or is it Marvolo's decision?
What would he do if they told him they want me gone?

"Now that that's all settled let's talk peace," Mallory finished after a while, folding her hands.

"Talk peace," Jack repeated skeptically, raising one bushy brow. "You can stop grinning now, if you're referring to Niveen and me."

"How are you? How's it going? Do you still want to kill each other?"

"I never wanted to kill him," I inclined, raising a hand to let them know I was still in the room. "Not on purpose anyway."

Jack looked at me with a raised brow. My heart felt like it will explode simply from the look of him. And also because I was scared he might want me to go home now.
After a while, he turned his gaze toward the laptop again and spoke.