Enigma (Rogue #2)

21

Eniola sat on her bed doing the most entertaining thing she could do that day.

Stare into imminent space.

The singular room she had was feeling more like a prison than the more she sat in it. Her muscles were sore from the intense training that the PSEUDO had put them through. Eniola found out she had shit stamina because all the fighting she had ever done was virtual. Today, luck was on her side, and Kain gave them a day off after 3 weeks of strenuous training.

The simulations had ranged from elaborate home break-ins to deadly stakeouts to stealing intelligence from government offices. The last hit home, in ways Eniola wasn't ready to face. They lasted for long hours and made Eniola sore in places she didn't realize could get sore. To make it even better, they had combat training with PSEUDO members, and Eniola got paired up with Hyejin, who did her two favourite things. Fight Eniola and taunt Eniola. She always sneaks attacked Eniola, proceeded to body slam her on the ground, and then tells her she had the aforementioned shit stamina and weak fighting style.

Eniola didn't want to be upset, but it was hard not to feel her ego crumble when a schoolchild had kicked her ass 25 different ways. Once the training session ended and Eniola recovered from sore muscles and a bruised ego, they ate in the kitchen, which became packed with hungry fighters. Then the 5 of them would watch hackers explain what they did and try to keep up.

Kain continued to keep up his ominous act. He rarely trained with them and spent time with the hackers, like Zaira, to figure out where the hell Paradox was going.

Eniola didn't want to look weak, even though much evidence pointed to the fact. She just kept her head down and soon it all became a blur. It was much better to pretend like it didn't matter.

So now all Eniola had to do was be bored. Eniola didn't want to overstep and try to ask anyone because she was frankly scared of everyone. Especially Kain. He seemed mysterious but not alluringly. It was more about how he made you want to run as far as you could.

Eniola wondered what Bee would think of this. Why did he think they were dangerous when they wanted to help them? To think of it, Bee seemed out of it. Maybe it was the effects of convening with criminals.

Eniola the whoosh of the door as it slid open, and she got up and immediately met Jay's eyes. A smile crept onto her lips. He had changed his clothes and put back on the bomber jacket he always wore. And in his hand was cooler. Then Eniola raised an eyebrow.

"Hey," Eniola said.

"Hey," Jay replied.

"What's going on?" she asked before she scooted to the edge of the bed.

"I've realized that with all this crazy stuff going on, it's been a long while since we've been on a date together, or had any alone time," Jay said, as he leaned against the doorway and raised his eyebrows.

"Really?" Eniola replied as she leaned forward. Of course, she knew.

Eniola admitted it hadn't crossed her mind. Maybe it was because he was more worried about surviving in every place they transferred them. Jay became an afterthought except for the time she indirectly revealed she loved, not felt intensely for him. There was still a line. Of course, Eniola liked him, but just not like that yet. They had feelings for each other, and they had blossomed even during the time that they weren't dating each other.

But what if he felt more than just liking her? What did that mean?

And she wanted him now.

"So, what do you have in mind?" Eniola asked. "Remind you that fugitives still have limited options."