Page 48 of Eastern Lights

Connor

“Have you seen Aaliyah?”Jason asked, walking over and patting me on the back.

It was clear that since the last time I saw him, he’d had a few more drinks. If there was anything you could count on with Jason, it was taking everything a step too far.

“Did you see her?” he slurred. He was drunk. When Jason was drunk, he repeated himself and frequently brushed his finger against the side of his nose. I hated that I was learning his small habits because whenever he did them, they irked me.

“I haven’t,” I replied, lying on Aaliyah’s behalf. Jason grimaced, and I couldn’t help but notice. “What is it?”

“Nothing. I was talking to Trevor Jacobs and he mentioned how crazy it is that I’m getting married, which got me thinking…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Aaliyah is pretty young.”

“She’s mature, though.” Everyone Jason had dated was younger than him. He had that way about him. I had food older than some of his exes in my pantry. If anything, Aaliyah seemed too old for him, because she was around our age. He wasn’t really robbing the cradle with Aaliyah.

“Do you think she’s too young, though?”

“No, I don’t. Even if she were, it’s a bit late to be asking that, don’t you think?”

He grimaced.

“You’re thinking too much, Jason. You’re drunk. Stop thinking so much.”

“Yeah…it will be fine.” He nodded somberly to himself. “Have you seen Aaliyah lately? She’s so damn unsocial.” He asked me about her location as if he had already forgotten he’d asked me that question twice.

I parted my lips to lie once more, but I was cut off.

“I’m right here.”

Jason and I both turned around to see Aaliyah. She looked refreshed and well-rested. I assumed a few moments of fresh air had been exactly what she needed to clear her head while spending the night with some of the worst humans on the planet.

“Babe, where were you? I thought you said you’d be back in five minutes, and that was like an hour ago. Where were you that whole time?” Jason repeated, his brows knit with concern.

“Oh, I, uh”—she fumbled with her words—“I was talking to, uh…”

“She was talking to Daniel Price,” I told Jason, covering for Aaliyah. Her eyes locked with mine, and she smiled.

“Oh? Is that so?” Jason asked, perking up a bit. “He’s one of the people I wanted you to meet. That’s great.”

“Oh yeah, totally,” Aaliyah said, her cheeks turning red. It was so clear that she was guilty, though Jason was too wasted to pick up on the clues to that. “Daniel was very nice.”

“Nice?” Jason snickered, stunned. “Never in my life have I heard someone describe him as nice.”

He was right. Daniel was a rat.

“Maybe nice wasn’t the right word. Maybe, um, intriguing?” she corrected.

Jason laughed even more. “Intriguing? Are we talking about the same Daniel Price?”

“I meant, well…” She started to stumble over her words as she rubbed her hand up and down her arm. Her nerves were getting the best of her.

“Knowledgeable,” I spat out. “I’m sure Aaliyah meant he was knowledgeable.”

She nodded. “Yes, that’s what I meant. He knew a lot about…a lot. Like all things. Daniel knew so much about—”

I cleared my throat loudly, catching Aaliyah’s eyes. I shook my head slightly.

Don’t push it.

She stopped talking.

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