Page 52 of Devilry

“I would’ve driven you to the airport, or checked on your apartment while you were away,” she continues.

“Cut the guy some slack, Beauty,” Miles interrupts. “He was rushing home to his mom.”

“Firstly,” she raises her finger in the air. “Since when did you start calling me that? I thought only Cole called me that. And secondly, nobody asked you to be the voice of reason, Miles.” She mock glares at him before looking back at me “So, how is your mom, anyway?”

Resting my elbows on the table, I lightly massage my temples. “She’s good. It was a bit of work setting the house up for her recovery, but it’s not permanent and my mom is a fighter, so I’m no longer as worried as I was when I first arrived back in Chicago.”

The last two weeks were a tumultuous rollercoaster, and not at all for the reasons I expected. After Elijah walked out of my office, I swore to myself that it was the end of it. I would organize my leave the next morning and I would spend much needed time focusing on my family, what they needed, and righting my skewed priorities.

What I didn’t anticipate was an email from Elijah checking if I was okay. Just like the time we were in my office, his compassion and concern surprised me more than it should’ve. It’s not like I’ve never been around people who cared about or for me, but it was knowing how much his care could cost him that made the meaning and sentiment behind the email mean so much more.

I tried avoiding it for hours, but as it sat in my inbox, it mentally weighed me down, throwing me off balance until I laid in bed that night and gave in to the absurd need to write back. It was the most straightforward response I could give, without venturing into any form of inappropriateness. I didn’t want to give him closed off answers, but I didn’t want to ask him any open ended questions,either. We were stuck, and all that was required was for me to say thank you for the email and I’d see him when I see him.

I did that. And just like he should’ve, he didn’t respond.

Hour after hour. Day after day. Nothing. And it crushed me. As if he was the first guy I’d ever wanted in high school, desperately seeking his attention, wanting him to notice me. It was childish, and even though I could acknowledge how pathetic I was being, it did nothing to diminish how much his silence crushed me.

What is wrong with me?

“So, what have you guys been doing since the last time we all caught up?” I ask, trying to retrain my focus. “Surely your lives have been much more interesting than mine.”

“Well, Miles is getting his dick wet,” Harper blurts out.

I whip my head around to a shocked Miles. “You are? That’s great, man.”

“What?” he shakes his head, as if he’s trying to make sense of what Harper is saying. “I’m not sleeping with anyone.”

“Yes, you are,” she insists.

“I think I would know.”

“You do know, you’re just lying about it.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Fine.” She slaps both hands down on the table. “Explain why you’ve been less of an asshole lately then.”

“I’m not an asshole,” he counters.

“I’m going to ignore that statement, because everybody at this table knows you’re a dickhead from time to time, and give you one more opportunity to confess the truth.”

Amused by their banter I’m torn at whether or not I want this to end or escalate.

“Maybe he doesn’t want to talk about it,” I offer to his defense.

Unexpectedly, Miles looks at me, his eyes filled with relief and gratitude. It’s all the proof I need to confirm that he is, in fact, hiding something. Thinking of my own secret obsession with Elijah, I wonder what his reasons are for staying quiet.

“All he had to say was he didn’t want to talk about it, instead of lying,” she pouts.

“Anyone told you that you two fight like siblings?” I say, pointing between the two of them.

“I already have a sister,” Miles huffs. “And she’s plenty.”

“And I already have four brothers.”

“Four brothers?” Miles and I repeat incredulously. “Older or younger?” I add.

She juts out her chin. “What do you think?”

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