Page 82 of Devilry

“What? Why? I need the company.”

“Call Miles,” she says, letting go of me and climbing off the bed. “I’ve got some stuff I need to take care of.”

Understanding that she probably wants some space, I don’t argue. “Let me walk you home then.”

“You live all of a minute away. You don’t need to do that.”

I throw my arm around her neck. “I don’t care.”

Together, we walk the short distance to her apartment and I reluctantly leave her to her own thoughts.

The whole ordeal has me missing Megs. Dealing with her issues on her own is her typical MO, and Harper doesn’t seem to be much different.

Walking back into my mess of a room, I sit on the edge of the bed and pick up my cell. Flicking through my most recent call list, I call Meghann.

“Hey.” She picks up on the second ring.

“Hey.”

“What are you doing?”

I look around my full room. “Packing without you.”

She mock gasps. “What a travesty.”

A relaxed chuckle leaves my mouth. “You have no idea.”

“Other than that, everything okay?”

“Yeah. I just called to check in on you guys. See how you’re all doing.”

“I’m good. I’m here at Mom’s now, want to talk to her?”

Checking the time, I ask, “Is she okay?”

“Yeah, I’ve just been mixing and matching up my work hours these days, so I can come spend a few decent hours here every day.”

I hear my mother’s voice in the background. I can’t work out what she’s saying, but her annoyed tone is apparent.

“Here,” Meghann huffs. “She wants to talk to you.”

There’s a rustling sound on the other end of the phone as I wait. “Cole, sweetie, how are you?”

“Mom,” I greet, feeling overwhelmingly homesick. “How are you?”

“I’d be better if your sister stopped hovering over me all the time,” she complains.

“She’s just worried about you.”

“Lies. She’s avoiding her problems with Trey.”

My ears perk up. “They’re still having problems?”

“I don’t know, I’m just using that sixth sense mothers have. My hip’s broken, but my brain’s fine, and your sister has not spent this much time away from him in her life.” A voice in the background confirms my mom intended for Megs to hear every word. “And if looks could kill, Cole, the one she’s giving me right now tells me I’m spot on.”

Without giving me a chance to probe any further, she switches her focus to me, and bombards me with the usual twenty questions.

“What’s new with you, my darling boy? Sleeping your way through Washington?”

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