Page 43 of Devilry

“Cole.” My sister’s panicked voice tears me in two.

“Megs, what is it?”

For some reason she doesn’t answer straight away, the sound of muffled voices reaching my ears instead.

“Megs,” I repeat.

Debating whether or not to hang up and call her back, I watch Elijah grab a pen and scribble on the yellow legal pad sitting in the middle of my desk. Ripping the bottom of the paper off, he looks back at me, and presses it into my chest.

I have to let go of his hand to catch it and he uses the opportunity to catch me unaware and kiss me goodbye. It’s quick. Chaste. And not enough.

“Cole. Sorry. Are you there?”

“Yeah,” I say, staring at Elijah. While my eyes plead with him not to go, he steps out of my reach and walks around my desk. “Megs, can you hold on a second?”

I slide the phone to the middle of my chest, ensuring my sister can’t hear me. “Please wait.”

Offering a sad smile, he glances down at the paper, his green eyes urging me to read it. I flip it over in my hand, and read his bittersweet words.

“I don’t want to have to make a big production out of our goodbye. It’ll ruin it, and I don’t want that. Thank you, Cole. For more than you’ll ever know.”

A tinge of sadness is woven through every curve of his legible scrawl, hitting me harder than any of this should.

Whatever this is hasn’t even started, and I’m already gutted it has to end.

With one hand on the door knob and the other pressed against his mouth, he’s ready to go. Wistfully he rubs his fingertips across his lips before raising his hand to wave goodbye.

I don’t get the chance to say anything back, because my cell vibrates against my chest. Giving Elijah the getaway he so desperately seeks, he backs out without a second glance.

I curse into the empty room and bring the phone back to my ear, all my attention finally back where it belongs.

“Yeah,” I grunt.

“Shit, I’m so sorry, Cole,” she rushes out, the alarm in her voice from earlier pushing Elijah to the back of my mind. “The service here is a fucking nightmare.”

“The service where? Aren’t you at work?”

“No.” Her voice cracks on the single word. “Mom’s at the hospital.”

“What the fuck?” I roar, frustration and guilt filling my veins. “What happened? Is she okay? Fuck, are you okay?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know,” she cries. “She was in a car accident. They said she’s fine, but until I see her, I can’t stop imagining the worst.”

“How long till you know more?” I sink into my chair and scrub my hand down my face. “Actually, you know what? Don’t answer that. I’m booking the next flight over, I’ll call you when I have details.”

“Cole,” she shouts, stopping me from hanging up. “Just hold on a sec, okay. Calm down.”

“I’m not cal—”

“Cole,” she says sternly. “You just started your new job. It’s still early in the school year, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to pack up and come back here so soon.”

“I don’t give a fuck,” I respond too harshly. “She’s my mom.”

“She’s going to be okay,” she soothes. “They said she was fine. Just some breaks and bruises.”

“I don’t like being so far away,” I confess.

“I know. It’s the reason I didn’t want to tell you. If I could’ve gotten away with keeping this from you, I would’ve. I knew you’d stress out.”

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