Twenty-six

N/A: Sorry for the long wait. Hope you enjoy the chapter. ❤️

P-S: what do you think of the new cover? :)

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It's already late when I find Britt in front of her computer. There are no other agents in the room, and I take a few steps towards her, feeling awkward for some reasons.

"Hey," I declare softly to not scare her, although it would take a lot more to do so.

She was focused on whatever she's doing on her computer, but her head whirls towards me and her eyes widen when she notices me.

"Hi," she replies, turning in her chair just as I stop in front of her. Her eyes watch me carefully. "How are you?"

I shrug. "Fine, I guess."

Britt shakes her head. "I should have known. Being kidnapped? No big deal, right?"

I attempt a smirk. Progress, I guess. It feels like a long time ago when I would be the one to talk to Britt first. My best friend. No matter how many times I tried to push her away, she somehow stayed in my life.

I don't deserve it. Not when the only reason I'm talking to her right now is because there's something big going on and she's the only person right now who probably has information and can help.

But there is also another reason why I'm here, and I can't forget it. So I take a deep breath and do what I came here for.

"I wanted to thank you," I start, taking a seat on the chair next to her. "I know you've been working with the others to find me."

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Britt crosses her arms and bites her bottom lip nervously. "I know you don't feel the same, but you're still my best friend and you were gone. I didn't like that."

Okay. Now I don't know what to say anymore.

I nod slowly. We stare at each other for a few more seconds before she breaks the silence.

"So... the Bird, huh?"

"Really?" I deadpan.

"What? Okay, it sucks to remind it to you, but I didn't get the chance to talk to you about it since that night when you went to that bar..." She pauses, tilting her head. "Why did you go there in the first place, by the way? You had your doubts about it?"

No. I was just looking for my father.

I don't know if I should tell her. Since Brandon and Mr. Neil know, maybe it's time I tell her as well.

But this isn't important for now. There are more important things than my family drama.

I scoff. Family drama. As if.

Britt raises her eyebrow. I clear my throat and focus.

"No, that night was a surprise. Men from The Circle recognized me, and the next day I was kidnapped." I grit my teeth. "I was stupid, fell into a trap..."

I sigh. I'm definitely not telling her everything and she knows it, but talking about my father is not my cup of tea, and I already decided that right now is not the time to tell her about that.

"Well, while you were gone, a lot happened here as well." Britt whistles lowly, and I raise my eyebrows. "You should have seen this."

I keep staring at her. She finally understands and continues.

"Brandon was freaking out, especially when Lizzy happened to see you right before you leave the agency."

"That wasn't her fault," I interject, shaking my head. "I wanted to tell Mr. Neil that I was going out, but I... forgot."

So damn stupid.

Britt nods. "Well, Brandon was so... worried. Man, nobody could talk to him if it wasn't about you and where you could be." She leans towards me and lowers her voice although there's nobody in the room. "He nearly killed an agent here."

I freeze. "What?"

He can be expelled for something like that. Mr. Neil must not have appreciated it.

Britt nods, watching me carefully. "Yep. The other agent said something about you and Brandon... didn't react very well."

"Anyway, it was tense. Especially between Brandon and Nova. That chick was so fucking jealous, I couldn't stand her," she mumbles under her breath, her fists clenched. "Thank God she left."

I hold my breath. "Wait, did she leave permanently?"

She shrugs a shoulder. "I don't know but she didn't come back and it's been a few days already."

I frown. I guess it must have been bad between her and Brandon. But why do I care? I never liked her, anyway. Not only because she was Brandon's girlfriend, but because she wasn't here for the good reasons. She didn't help this agency, and she should have stayed with her old one.

"Speaking of that," Britt says, bringing me back to the present, and I notice the smile on her lips. "How are things with Brandon?"

I blink. "Good?"

She gasps, standing up from her chair. "Yes! I knew it!"

"Wait, what?" I frown in confusion, massaging my temples. "Sorry, I mean—we're friends. Partners. I don't know."

Britt sits again, leaning towards me. "He's no longer with that bitc—Nova. He was never really in love with her, anyway. Why can't you guys just try it again?"

"Because it would never work!" I exclaim, throwing my hands in the air. "It never worked, anyway. Love is just a poisoned gift from life. Because as soon as you love somebody, there's a chance you lose them."

She stays quiet, her eyes softening. I close mine and lean my head back, sighing. I'm tired of trying to explain myself. I'm tired of trying to convince myself that this is the truth. And it is, right?

Destroying love is the only way for me to survive. It's the only way for me to stay alive and to keep my focus in every mission. I should have never accepted to have a partner in the first place—not that I had the choice, but I should have fight more for this.

My mother loved my father.

He used her love, didn't give her back, and killed her.

I grew up with Mr. Neil treating me like his own daughter. I grew up with other kids who were just like me. Kids that lost their family. I accepted the love they all gave me, but as soon as I understood who I was and what was the situation, I rejected it.

I rejected them. Mr. Neil is my boss and I respect him. I guess we have a strong relation, but for the rest of them? I somehow work with them, and they work with me, and we show some respect for each other, but that's it.

I wanted to be alone. I was a lonely kid, and then Brandon appeared.

We grew up and grew up, and I was stupid enough to experience that thing we call love. I didn't want it, but I couldn't resist it.

Now I can. I can fight it—destroy it.

With Nova standing between Brandon and me, I thought this would be easy. Now, she's gone. Who's gonna stand between the two of us?

All I want to do is to push you against the damn wall and kiss you all the time.

This is damn wrong.

I don't feel anything.

"Hey, you still there?" Britt snaps her fingers and I blink, shaking my head.

"Yeah," I say, swallowing. I hate the expression on her face. She wants to say more, but I continue before she can. "I wanted to talk to you about something important."

She gives me a strange look at the word 'important' but nods anyway, crossing her arms.

"Last time we saw each other, you found a way to get that list of names again."

"About that," she declares, turning in her chair to face the computer again, and my heart skips a beat. "While you were gone, I found more about the Master. We think we might have found out his name."

She clicks on something and familiar words appear on the screen.

"Matthew King," she says, glancing at me.

"Right. I remember that name." I lean towards the screen, frowning.

"Although we now have his name, we can't find any pictures or information about him, so it's strange." Brit purses her lips and turns her head towards me. "Back there, you didn't meet him?"

I grumble, shaking my head. "No, but I was so close. We were in the same room, and then Brandon and Andrew showed up and he left before I could see him."

Sighing, I stand up and walk back and forth while Britt reminds silent.

"I need to find out what he wants from me." I pause and turn to face Britt. "Why am I the Bird?"

Britt meets my gaze. "I'll search for any signification."

Nodding, I watch as she starts typing on her computer, her fingers moving so fast it's hard to keep up with whatever she's doing.

There are so many thoughts in my head right now, I'm having a headache. I grimace and sit back down, silently watching Britt.

"I can't help but think about how easy it was to leave that place, after all," I say after a while, staring at the wall in front of us. Britt stops what she's doing to listen to me. "If I am that important to them or if they want me to die so badly... then why did they let me go?"

Britt furrows her eyebrows and looks at me, really thinking about it.

"Brandon and Andrew showed up and they were just gone. The Master was just gone."

I grimace in pain and rub my eyes tiredly. "I shouldn't overthink everything."

"One of the reasons why you're a good agent is because you do overthink everything. And at the end, it's always worth it," Britt declares, her expression serious.

I hold her gaze.

"What's your instinct telling you, Soph?" she asks, and I open my mouth to answer right away.

"That I need to see the Master. This time, I need to find him before he finds me. And once I do, I'm not sure things will ever be the same."

She cracks her fingers, raising an eyebrow. "Then let's do this."

*

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