Page 125 of Faithful

When I get home, Leigh’s already waiting for me with a newly opened carton of chocolate chip ice cream.

“Get in here, Watson.” She waves a spoon at me and pats the space on the couch next to her. “Let’s watchThe Notebooktogether.”

“Ah, no.” I shake off my boots and hang up my jacket by the door. “Not that kind of gay roommate.”

“Darn it.” She gives me a dramatic eye roll. “Someone’s gotta help me with all this ice cream.”

“Only if I get the remote privileges, Farley.”

“Fine,” she says through gritted teeth.

Five minutes later, we’re both engrossed in the anime series Kai once told me he was planning on checking out next.

15 PLOTTING

The day Danny is supposed to text starts out just like any other day.

I chug some coffee Leigh made before taking off for campus, get in my car, drive to work, and try not to think about Kai while ignoring Iodine updates popping up on my phone each time I open a social media app or browser.

I disabled Google alerts a while ago since they literally didn’t let me sleep anymore with Kai being the main topic of all the pro-LGBTQ+ media outlets. Every chime sent me into a state of anxiety and then I tossed in bed until sunrise.

At work, Winona and Val are preoccupied with phone calls to all the donors registered for the gala and Gin is in her office talking to Steven. He’s been showing up quite often lately, but things are pretty stale between him and the girls.

Rumor has it Val went on a very successful date this past weekend, and the guy already asked her out again.

Good.

Maybe she’ll stop being curious about my love life. Correction: my nonexistent love life.

By lunch, I’m on pins and needles. When Steven is finally gone and I’m called to my boss's office and she asks me straight up if I’m okay, I don’t have the heart to lie. I’m tired of pretending.

“I’m not,” I tell Gin honestly. “Kai and I are having some problems.” He was blackmailed into leaving me, but I’m not ready to give up yet. It’s not a full stop. It’s just a pause.

“No wonder.” Gin clicks her tongue and looks me up and down from behind her desk. “You’ve been sulking since the holidays. You gonna be alright? You still want to work the gala?”

“Yes.” Even though Gavin will be a guest of honor, I still want to be there because I’ve poured my heart and soul into this project. I don’t care who’s involved as long as the mission doesn’t change–to help the less fortunate. If that means emptying the pockets of those who don’t know what to do with their money anymore, so be it.

It almost makes me feel like some kind of modern Robin Hood who operates within the law.

I find the notion funny.

Some do-gooder you are. You can’t even stop your own father from ruining the only relationship you ever had.

By five, when my workday is about to end, there are still no messages from Danny.

I start freaking out.

Delay my departure from work.

Go over the event’s guest list one more time.

Double-check the email invites.

At half past six, when everyone but Gin is out for the day, my phone finally pings. The text is from the number I programmed into my phone as D.

I don’t know why I have this strange habit of using single letters instead of full names for the contacts for all the Iodine members I end up talking to. Perhaps subconsciously I’m preparing myself for some kind of data leak where my text exchanges with Kai are exposed and at least he won’t be listed in my address book as something too soft and sentimental. He’s a fucking child of Satan after all. His fans won’t take it well if he’s exposed as anything less than terrifying or shiver-inducing.

Certain words–likesweetheartandslaughter–just don’t go together.

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