Masterminds - h.s

CH16

Nicolas Sturniolo - Stone

"Alright, we need to search deep. Read in between the lines, ignore your own files. Dive into hers."

"Blaze." I speak over her fast over-worded sentences.

She throws the files on the ground, "Anything is a hint, a lead, you just need to read in between the lines-" Matt and Chris take a seat and begin searching while she drags the boards from under the bed. "Read it once, twice-"

"Blaze! Will you shut the fuck up and listen?" I raise my voice.

"You don't want to help? Then leave." She snaps.

I exit the room and head to the living room instead, on my way there I take the van's keys that Marshall left on the kitchen counter. Once I've got them in hand and Harry is near enough I throw them on his lap. He looks up at me, blinking once.

"Need someone to talk to, can we go for a drive?"

No response.

Blaze crossed the line with him, with all of us. She complains about Olympia but acts exactly like her—Not sure who she thinks she is but she is certainly not all that.

"I just need company. Come on." I urge him, "We'll bring Hatch too."

Harry nods so subtly you would miss the act if you weren't looking for it. He gets up, whistling to catch Hatch's attention—The dog gets up from his bed and follows us out of the building.

We enter the van in silence—That's all he's given us since Blaze shouted at him.

Not a word from his loud mouth.

"We can just park somewhere, I just wanna talk no need to waste gas or anything." I say.

Once again, a nod.

We remain silent for another block until Harry parks across a gas station, unbuckles his seatbelt and sits there in silence.

I breathe in, and out.

Part of me feels terrible for the words I'm about to say. At the same time, I feel terrible for knowing that I don't feel bad at all.

Truly.

"Blaze is a bitch." I pause, "I mean I love the woman but..."

Harry remains monotone, Hatch sniffs around and makes his way to Harry's lap.

"There was no need for her to react that way towards you, and you may be a little stupid but not enough for her to snap like that! Then she has the nerve to snap at me?" I turn my body to face Harry, "Like— We got home and I'm trying to catch her attention, you know to call her out on how rude that was, and she goes 'You don't wanna help? Then leave.' Like go fuck yourself, I hope you search in every fucking file and find nothing but dust in there—I hope she gets a thousand fucking paper cuts with every flip of a page. Trynna be the boss when she can't even tell her left and rights." I pause, catching my breath, "It's always the bossy attitude too, asking us to run around for her! And I hate running!"

Harry nods, his mouth firmly in a line.

"And her saying that shit to you as if she's not the nosiest fucking bitch around. Asking where we are at every fucking given moment— She's also living under your roof not even paying a lick of rent!"

"A lick?"

I let out a breathy laugh, "You know what pisses me the fuck off?"

His body leans a little closer to me, he's listening — Really listening.