What You're Missing

Chapter 16

"Stop," she laughed, "yeah, I'm okay. Thanks, doc." He grinned down at her, kissing her forehead, and she felt butterflies erupting in her stomach all over again.

They didn't realize that the elevator doors had opened, and Ray stood in the Man Cave in front of them with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"What are you doing here?" Henry turned towards his old boss' voice. He looked angry but tired, as if he'd been up all night.

"I wanted to talk to you," Henry responded confidently.

"What is she doing here?" Ray gestured towards Charlotte. She stepped forward.

"I wanted to talk to you, too," she spoke, "about giving Henry his job back." It was silent for a moment as Ray looked at them.

"So," he started towards Henry, "she, like, knows everything?" Henry nodded.

"Like," Ray moved his hand in a circle for emphasis, then in a lower voice, "everything everything?" Henry rolled his eyes.

"Yes," Charlotte answered for him. Ray shook his head.

"Do you seriously think I'm going to give him his job back after admitting to breaking our oath?" he asked.

"He didn't." Ray furrowed his eyebrows.

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean he never told me his secret," Charlotte spoke, stepping forward. "I found out myself."

"And how'd you do that?" He stood as if he was challenging her, his eyebrows raised awaiting her explanation.

"I pulled off his mask during the robbery at the Swell Café," she told him. "He didn't break your oath at all. I was the one who kept pushing him to tell me his secret, but he never did. He stood by your oath. That's why he broke up with me." Ray looked at Henry as she said this, and the blond stood listening with his hands in his pockets.

"You can't fire him for something he didn't do," she continued. "Henry deserves this job more than anyone. He puts it before anything and anyone. You need to let him be Kid Danger again." She looked at Henry this time, who gave her a soft smile. She could tell in his eyes that he was hoping Ray would lighten up and listen, because she was right; he never technically broke their oath. The two studied Henry's former boss' gaze and several moments of silence passed before Ray finally spoke again, shaking his head.

"No." He turned around after his simple statement and started walking away from them. Henry and Charlotte shared a look of worry before chasing after him.

"What? Why?" Charlotte questioned in disbelief. "He did nothing wrong!"

"Nothing?" Ray turned towards the shorter girl, causing her to stop abruptly in her tracks. "I told him long ago in the beginning of all this that if he wants to continue working here, he'd have to stop hanging out with you in case you found out our secret. He didn't listen. And guess what? That exactly happened." Now Henry stepped forward.

"But it's my life, Ray! You can't tell me how to live my life outside of this Man Cave when I'm not wearing the Kid Danger uniform."

"I gave you a set of rules when you started working here, kid. And I made it very clear that if you broke any of them, you'd be out."