Page 38 of A Different Form of Oxygen
Twenty-three
Gavin
My brother wasn’t at the shop like I hoped he was. I wanted to talk to him, and he wasn’t answering his phone, so I thought I’d swing by after working at the bar to see if he was here. Instead I ran into Drake on the way in.
“Hey Gav, perfect timing. I need someone to fill the front while Stephanie’s on break; do you mind?”
I shake my head. “Nah, I don’t mind. Have you seen Mav? Did he not work today?”
He smiles. “Awesome, I owe you one. Yeah, but he left early. I think he’s meeting Casey somewhere or something.”
I nod. “Ahh right, Casey. He has Maverick wrapped around his little finger these days. I’m just glad he’s happy again.” I meant it too, and I was happy to be on the way to my own happiness with Ben. It felt good to no longer be envious of what Maverick and Casey had, because what I had was just what I needed: my beautiful boy.
“Yeah, hopefully you will get there soon too.”
I laugh. “I’m pretty sure I’m already there.”
Drake arches a brow. “Oh yeah? Anyone I know?”
Ben and I hadn’t really discussed if we were telling people about our relationship yet, but he never did say he wanted to keep it a secret either. “Yeah, someone who’s been around the group for a while, actually.”
His eyes go wide. “I fucking knew it. It’s Ben, isn’t it? I wondered when you were going to stop being stubborn and see what’s been right in front of you all this time.”
“I wasn’t being stubborn; I was blinded by heartbreak. I didn’t want to make the same mistake twice.”
“If you say so, man. Well, gotta get back to my customer. Thanks again, and I’m glad you finally pulled your head out of your ass and sealed the deal with Ben. Speaking of which, he’s in the back if you want to say hi.”
My eyes widen toward the door standing between Ben and me. “What do you mean he’s here?”
Drake’s stops moving. “He came to get some work done. Maybe it was supposed to be a surprise. Sorry if I ruined it.”
Shaking my head, I reach for my phone and check for messages from Ben, frowning when I ’didn’t see any new ones. “It’s okay, probably something he decided to do last minute. I’ll say hi to him when he comes out. Don’t tell him I’m here. Let him be surprised.”
He laughs, heading to the back. “You got it, man.”
My eyes focus on the computer screen and I don’t see an appointment scheduled for now; it must have been something Ben decided to do randomly. The door dings as Stephanie rushes through it. “I forgot my purse; I can’t get very far without that.” She pauses when her eyes land on mine, realizing I’m not Drake.
“Oh, hey Gavin, what are you doing here?”
I point to the desk. “Filling in for you, apparently. Who takes lunch at seven pm?”
She huffs. “A person who has been here since opening and who hasn’t had a chance to eat since breakfast. Maverick left before lunch time and we got slammed. I didn’t want to bother him on his date with Casey.”
My eyes go wide. “You waited until now? You could have had someone bring you lunch or something, and I’m only a phone call away.” I meant that as a friend. I know I used to shamefully flirt with Stephanie before, but none of that would mean anything now.
She shrugs before grabbing her purse. “It’s fine. I’m off to grab something really quick but I’ll be back soon.”
“Take your time,” I shout as she walks through the door.
My eyes go back to the computer and the back-door swings open and I pay no attention to the person walking out of it, assuming it’s Drake. The person clears their throat and my gaze is met with Ben’s haunted green eyes instead. They seem darker than usual. He seems different. Not his lively self. Not one single sign of a smile coming. Our encounter is awkward, and I can’t help feeling like something’s wrong. Things were great between us last night when he texted me goodnight. What changed?
I’m burdened by the sadness coming off his body and the way it stills as I call out his name. This wasn’t the Ben I held in my arms yesterday morning; this version feels miles away from me. My instincts tell me to follow him and make sure he’s okay. I want to tell him to stop and turn around but if he did, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from rushing to him to take him in my arms. What would be so wrong with that?
Yelling to Drake that I need to step out for a bit, I push my way through the door, stopping in the middle of the parking lot when I spot Ben sitting in his car, tears falling from his face. Thick grey clouds move above me, and the sky grows darker the closer I get.
His leaking eyes land on me through the window. I slip into the passenger seat, my arm rubbing against his. “Is this seat taken?”
I brush away the straggler of hair falling over his ear. “I texted you this morning. Did you not get it?”
