though she wasn't sure what drove her to be this rash. Normally, Sophie was better at controlling her fiery attitude.
As soon as she'd excited the kitchen, Sophie immediately realized her mistake. Robert been hoping she'd follow him, and as she noticed him waiting on the steps she felt herself turn red in embarrassment. She'd played right into his hands. She paused in the middle of the hallway, and tried to ignore him as he began to laugh at her.
"You're just as predictable as I thought you were." Robert, who was leaning against the wall of the staircase, slowly stepped down from his perch. Though his eyes were blank, his body language seemed mocking. "How boring." He whispered, crossing his arms.
Sophie felt like he'd just slapped her. It wasn't so much the insult, as the way he said it. The way he spoke made her seem insignificant, and weak. The word "boring" took so many different forms in her mind, and each of them seemed worse to Sophie than the original meaning itself. It was like he was calling her a disappointment, and not worth his time.
Beyond her wounded pride, his comment made her temper ignite. Exactly what did this man know about her? Who was he to look down at her decision?
"Predictable." Sophie replied, laughing back at him. "We'll see about that." She took two steps forward, closing the distance between them. "You're right, Robert. I don't know the first thing about stealing, and I'm not aware of how this kind of world works. However, you're wrong about one thing. I do have what it takes, and I don't have to prove that to you, do I? As long as Cleo's happy, that's all that matters. You think throwing a few harsh rules is going to break me? Okay, let's see how far we can go with this." She glared up at him with everything she had. "Just watch how far I can go. I have nothing to lose, so I'll do anything to get what I want."
While Robert had initially been surprised at Sophie's confidence, he wasn't the type to back down.
"What exactly is it that you want?" He took another step closer to her, but Sophie refused to budge. They were inches apart now, though neither seemed to realize it. "A life where you can live as you want, wasting away the time as a painter?" He smirked, rolling his eyes. "What a childish dream. I'll tell you what you really want. All you desire is money."
"Money is a means to an end." Sophie answered, not registering his disgust.
"No, money is much more than that. Don't delude yourself into thinking you're working for Cleo for some romantic vision of the future. You just want to get rich as quickly as you can." He pulled away, his eyes glazing over with an emotion Sophie couldn't understand. "In my eyes, a mentality like that is pathetic."
He turned around, and began heading up the staircase.
"I'll call your challenge. Let's see how far you can get before you realize what kind of mess you've gotten yourself into." He paused for a moment, glancing back at her one last time. "Even though we work together, don't trust me. Don't trust anyone for that matter. If it comes down to it, I'll save myself a thousand times over before I extend a hand to help you." He grinned, brushing off his former anger as if it had never existed. "That's the world of thieves. Get used to it."
As she watched him disappear upstairs, Sophie found that she was shaking. She had so much more she wanted to shout at him, but not enough effort to say it. He'd silenced her with just one statement, and she hated how he'd just ended the fight.
More than ever she was determined to see this task through, to prove to Robert, and maybe even herself, that it wasn't as a pathetic a dream as he'd said.
* * *
Sophie knew the moment that she entered the kitchen the next morning that she'd started a battle that could last forever. The way Robert smiled up at her from his seat at the kitchen table made her shiver. It was the cunning smile of someone who already
As soon as she'd excited the kitchen, Sophie immediately realized her mistake. Robert been hoping she'd follow him, and as she noticed him waiting on the steps she felt herself turn red in embarrassment. She'd played right into his hands. She paused in the middle of the hallway, and tried to ignore him as he began to laugh at her.
"You're just as predictable as I thought you were." Robert, who was leaning against the wall of the staircase, slowly stepped down from his perch. Though his eyes were blank, his body language seemed mocking. "How boring." He whispered, crossing his arms.
Sophie felt like he'd just slapped her. It wasn't so much the insult, as the way he said it. The way he spoke made her seem insignificant, and weak. The word "boring" took so many different forms in her mind, and each of them seemed worse to Sophie than the original meaning itself. It was like he was calling her a disappointment, and not worth his time.
Beyond her wounded pride, his comment made her temper ignite. Exactly what did this man know about her? Who was he to look down at her decision?
"Predictable." Sophie replied, laughing back at him. "We'll see about that." She took two steps forward, closing the distance between them. "You're right, Robert. I don't know the first thing about stealing, and I'm not aware of how this kind of world works. However, you're wrong about one thing. I do have what it takes, and I don't have to prove that to you, do I? As long as Cleo's happy, that's all that matters. You think throwing a few harsh rules is going to break me? Okay, let's see how far we can go with this." She glared up at him with everything she had. "Just watch how far I can go. I have nothing to lose, so I'll do anything to get what I want."
While Robert had initially been surprised at Sophie's confidence, he wasn't the type to back down.
"What exactly is it that you want?" He took another step closer to her, but Sophie refused to budge. They were inches apart now, though neither seemed to realize it. "A life where you can live as you want, wasting away the time as a painter?" He smirked, rolling his eyes. "What a childish dream. I'll tell you what you really want. All you desire is money."
"Money is a means to an end." Sophie answered, not registering his disgust.
"No, money is much more than that. Don't delude yourself into thinking you're working for Cleo for some romantic vision of the future. You just want to get rich as quickly as you can." He pulled away, his eyes glazing over with an emotion Sophie couldn't understand. "In my eyes, a mentality like that is pathetic."
He turned around, and began heading up the staircase.
"I'll call your challenge. Let's see how far you can get before you realize what kind of mess you've gotten yourself into." He paused for a moment, glancing back at her one last time. "Even though we work together, don't trust me. Don't trust anyone for that matter. If it comes down to it, I'll save myself a thousand times over before I extend a hand to help you." He grinned, brushing off his former anger as if it had never existed. "That's the world of thieves. Get used to it."
As she watched him disappear upstairs, Sophie found that she was shaking. She had so much more she wanted to shout at him, but not enough effort to say it. He'd silenced her with just one statement, and she hated how he'd just ended the fight.
More than ever she was determined to see this task through, to prove to Robert, and maybe even herself, that it wasn't as a pathetic a dream as he'd said.
* * *
Sophie knew the moment that she entered the kitchen the next morning that she'd started a battle that could last forever. The way Robert smiled up at her from his seat at the kitchen table made her shiver. It was the cunning smile of someone who already
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