Page 27 of Last Chance Love

“I have to ask, what makes you think we once were?”

“Because you two are so awkward around one another most of the time, it’s pretty obvious. Well, our background checks on potential candidates for the program are thorough. You both grew up in Houston.”

“Big city.”

“But it isn’t across the state. My first boyfriend was this little rich shit whose family had a big house a ways out of my dinky little town, where I was a step away from living in a shoe box with the rest of my family. We still found a way to see one another until he returned to wherever he was actually from for the school year. Plus, there are buses.”

“That’s a big leap of logic.”

“Reed.”

I sighed and shrugged. “Fine, we know each other from the past. And before you push, yes, we were pretty damn close, and now we’re not as close. I’m not getting into it.”

“That’s good enough for me,” she said, leaning back in her seat. “And since you two know each other, you’re the best I have to glimpse into his brain.”

“Mona, no offense, but I won’t give you the details about Leon. That’s a serious invasion of his privacy and an even more serious breach of trust.”

“I’m not asking you to give me details. I’m asking you to tell me what you think about his decision. It’s been about a month, and I’ve barely heard anything from him.”

“He’s waiting and watching,” I said with a shrug. “Wanting to see what they do, how they react. Sometimes, you’ll get the version of Leon that interferes in a person’s business; sometimes, you’ll get the one that takes a hands-off approach and watches to see what’s going to happen. Seems we’re looking at the second.”

“Apparently,” she said wryly. “Do you believe that story they told?”

“Story?”

“Reno and Elliot.”

“Ah, that one,” I said with a snort. Despite everything seeming fine, according to them, the two had one day appeared looking like they’d beaten the living tar out of one another. Both insisted up and down that wasn’t the case and that they’d simply been wrestling and got too rough. “I don’t think there’s a person who’s heard that story who believes them.”

“Funny, Leon told me when I asked him if he believed that was the only version of events we had.”

“And I’m sure you pointed out that physical evidence spoke for itself.”

“Something like that, yes.”

I smiled a little, understanding what Leon was doing and Mona’s frustration. “Leon is loyal. And he’s also the kind of person who relies on his emotions and despises that he does.”

“And what does that mean?”

“It means he’s still trying to give them their chance to prove themselves.”

“And what does fighting each other and lying about it afterward prove?”

“That even if they’re having issues, they’re dealing with them privately and protecting each other from anyone on the outside interfering. It’s probably Leon's first and best sign that his idea is working.”

Mona’s mouth twisted, and she swirled her glass, eyes going distant as she mulled over what I had to say. Usually, I wouldn’t have told anyone that much about Leon’s views on things, but I sensed something important happening here. She wouldn’t have summoned me for this if it wasn’t important. If Leon’s future didn’t possibly hinge on what she heard from me.

I’d meant what I’d said to him. I wasn’t overflowing with faith in the two men, but I would certainly back Leon. Even if his decisions sometimes led to ruin when he wasn’t thinking right, he was generally spot-on about people. Something in him had said that Reno and Elliot could manage to work through their differences and find common ground. This conversation told me he had probably staked a great deal on that belief, and I could only hope this was one of those times where he risked himself properly.

After several moments, she stirred from her reverie and smirked at me. “Did you know we keep a record of everyone here?”

“I’d hope so,” I said, arching a brow.

“No, I mean, we keep a record of all their doings, their infractions, monitor their behavior, things like that.”

“You evaluate them psychologically?”

“Something like that. We have a whole system created by outside parties that we consult with to create a grading system.”

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