Page 54 of When I'm Gone

Plus, it means I won’t be late for burgers tonight since I was going to be the only one going home first. A win-win, if you will.

Needless to say, I’m in a damn good mood when I walk through my front door. After hanging my keys up and ditching my shoes, I’m on the hunt. Coming home to Easton is the best part of my day. I know he’s still having a hard time, but it’s also not keeping him from running up to me like he wants a kiss then getting shy about it. Cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen, I swear.

He’s not in the living room or kitchen, though, which is a little strange, but I brush it off. He doesn’t have to stick to the same routine every day. A breath I don’t realize I am holding releases from my lungs when I walk into my bedroom and hear the shower running. Of course, he’s getting ready, thinking I’m not due home for a while. My phone buzzes in my palm so I decide to leave Easton to his shower and go out in the living room to see what the hell my brother wants.

“Hey, Park.”

It’s fucking windy in Chicago today, or he’s got the doorsoff his Jeep and I’m subjected to the torture of being on his bluetooth while he drives. “Hey, big bro. How’s things?”

Parker never just calls to see how things are. That’s what Logan does. I’ll bet my life savings he’s calling me with some dumb fact or hair-brained idea. “Things are good…” I start, hoping he’ll jump in with whatever he called about.

“Good, good. Work?”

We’re taking the scenic route to the point today. “Work’s great, no complaints.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” he says truthfully. “I was thinking…”

Yep, there it is. “Don’t sprain something.”

He snorts. “You’re hilarious. Anyway, about my trip…” Oh fuck, I totally didn’t forget about that. “There’s a concert in town I got tickets for, why not, you know? Seems more believable to my girlfriend if I don’t go just to hang around your house all day.”

“Yeah, wouldn’t want you to be bored,” I tease.

The sarcasm flies right over his pretty little head. “Exactly. But I only managed to snag two. I was thinking about asking Easton. He seems like he could use a fun night out.”

My throat constricted at that. After coughing to clear it, I say, “Yeah, that would be really nice of you. You can text him and ask if he’d be interested.”

“I will, I just wanted to see what you’d think first.”

This kid could annoy me every day for the rest of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. “Who’s performing?” I asked lightly. I’d be the first to admit I wasn’t an expert on Easton’s taste in music, but Parker’s was as wide a range as it comes so it could be anything with him.

“Need-to-know basis, Chase. Need-to-know.”

Typical. “Fine. See what he says about it.”

I can picture his delighted grin so clearly in my mind. Hatbackwards, sun shining and his mega-watt, toothpaste commercial worthy smile. “Kayyyy, bye. Love you!”

“Love you too, brat. See you soon.”

Before ending the call, he shouts excitedly, “Can’t wait!”

Looking up, I see Easton hovering in the hallway and my heart trips over itself. “Hey, Chaos. Come here.” My arms open for him and he doesn’t resist taking me up on the offer. What worries me is how much I’m starting to need this connection with him. It started out as me trying to comfort him, but it’s evolving into something much stronger.

After almost a full minute of no words being exchanged, just soaking up the contact and plenty of back rubs for him, he peeks those pretty eyes up at me. “Who was that on the phone? I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.” The apology is clear in his tone, and I don’t like it.

“Easton, you live here. If it was that private, I would have made more of an effort to not be overheard. Please don’t feel like you need to tip-toe around here just because I take a phone call.” I hold his gaze until he finally nods before continuing. “It was Parker. He has something he wants to talk to you about and wanted my opinion on if it was a good idea.”

That certainly piques his curiosity. He leans back just enough to blink at me, confused and definitely interested. “What on earth would he want to talk to me about?”

I’m tempted to tell him, if nothing else so he doesn’t feel ambushed, but I have to trust him to handle himself. Parker is a good person to say no to if he doesn’t want to go. “I’ll let him tell you, but it’s nothing bad. He just wants to do something with you when he comes up in a couple weeks.”

That damn bunny nose is going to be the death of me, I know it. “He wants to hang out… Like with just me? But he doesn’t know me.”

He really doesn’t know how much we all wanted to findhim over the last four years. The urge to tell him is pulling at me like a riptide, but there’s something in his eyes that holds me back. Some… profound sadness maybe? Something’s wrong with him. Either I somehow ended up with a direct line to his emotions or he’s not nearly as good at hiding them as he thinks he is.

“He wants to. And for what it’s worth, I think you should try to let him.” He offers me a dimpled half-smile, so I take that as confirmation enough that he’ll try. “Hey, how was your day? You look kinda sad.”

That adorable smile falls as he steps back like I burned him. “Fine,” he rushes out. “My day was fine. Nothing notable at all.” He tries to reassure me, but the same look that he was just wearing falls short, looking more like a grimace.

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