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“I’ve learned a lot from seeing people do this over and over,” Graham said.
Oz’s cough was exaggerated. “In other words, you’ve made a habit of letting your students do the work, and you reaping the benefits.”
I wouldn’t say a felony conviction was a benefit of helping me.
“You never learned from the people you worked with? Who work for you? What a sad life that must be.” Graham’s derision was almost tangible. “Every student in that course has lifetime access to every project. The data, the theories, the execution. I don’t hoard information. Would you like a list of references of what my students have gone on to do, using the things I taught them? I guarantee, you’ll know their names. I also guarantee none of them leaves the kind of impression Luna does.”
He was exaggerating, or everyone who’d ever met me would feel that way. My flush deepened anyway, running from my toes to the roots of my hair.
“This isn’t my decision,” Oz said.
Graham’s idea was solid, and he was right. This wasn’t going away. Someone would always know—always want to talk about—what I did ten years ago. I didn’t like to think of myself as infamous, but I’d have to be blind to not see my own legacy. Every job interview where someone said Aren’t you the girl…. Cases like last night, where someone like Scott McAllister recognized my name.
I needed to get ahead of things now, and Graham had the skills to help me do that.
“Luna.” Oz’s voice softened. “This is your future. Decide what to do next for you. Not for me or Graham or anyone else.”
I didn’t make decisions without considering the people around me.
“Imagine the challenge,” Graham said.
“That was what got me in trouble in the first place.” And a huge part of the reason I had to consider how it would impact my friends. But, sigh, the challenge of making this work—of doing it perfectly—really spoke to me.
Graham reached for me, then dropped his hand. “There are no dark or light powers, no matter what books and movies say. There’s only what you choose to use your gifts for, and this is a good cause—you’re a good cause.”
I wouldn’t describe myself that way, but what he was proposing was a good idea. And damn it, I did want to be challenged. Laying cable was a nice distraction, but digital penetration… “Let’s do it. Where and when do we start?”
“The sooner the better.” Graham looked at Oz. “My plan was to buy you breakfast.”
I prayed Oz meant everything he said, about being fine with whatever I decided. I didn’t want to lose or have to resent him because of this. I wasn’t going to test those limits too much today. “I have plans this morning.”
“Luna. A moment?”
I didn’t know what to make of Oz’s flat tone, and I didn’t like the crevice of doubt it sent slicing through me.
