Page 57 of Forever Flirting

“Who?” she laughed tearfully, looking away from Everly.

“You should let yourself befriend someone or go out on…”

“Don’t say it,” Mallory interrupted hotly, holding up her finger. “Please don’t, because dating someone doesn’t make things better – it creates all sorts of other problems. I don’t need some clingy guy that is looking for someone to mother him, okay?”

“I’m sure that all guys aren’t like that.”

“Having a guy isn’t the end-all, be-all of my life. Let me tell you – friend to friend? Your brother is about as close to perfect as someone has come, but it’s just weird and I recognize it. Now, if I could find someone who is independent, that doesn’t mind a ready-made family? Perhaps I’d give him a shot, but I’m not in any hurry… nor do I want another disaster on my hands.”

“I don’t want to fight Mallory,” Everly said gently, looking at Mallory carefully and seeing the pain, loneliness, and fatigue in her face. “I just want you to be happy, and I feel like I’m losing my best friend.”

“I’m struggling,” Mallory whispered, not meeting her eyes. “I’m exhausted, feel like I can’t get a break, and heaven help me… I’m jealous.”

“Of what?”

“That you have a chance at happiness with someone and I can see how it’s already making you soften. You are falling for Alex, and he doesn’t deserve someone as good as you.”

“We all deserve someone,” Everly said gently, moving to hug her friend who looked like she was about to cry. “Everyone needs someone to turn to or have on their side – and while a best friend isn’t a partner or soulmate? I’m here for you, girl…”

Mallory seemed to collapse into Everly’s hug as she broke down – and then quickly composed herself.

“I’m fine,” she sniffed, wiping her eyes and looking away.

“You’re not fine…”

“I’m FINE…”

Mallory’s voice was firm and controlled as she looked at Everly. This surprised her, because she rarely saw that steel rod of strength within her friend – and realized that Mallory was right.

She couldn’t be in a relationship with someone weak or easy-going, because she would walk all over them. No, she needed someone independent, strong, supportive, that would give her space and not crowd her.

“I’m just trying to help,” Everly said quietly, her mind racing.

“I know – and I appreciate it. I’ve got my own mess to clean up and really don’t need anyone else mucking it up further than what Alex is already doing. I know he’s trying to be a father and trying to be nice, but I spend weeks undoing some of the issues… only to have him reappear and undermine everything again.”

“I think if you told him, he would understand.”

“I should probably put away the groceries,” Mallory said, immediately changing the subject, and Everly recognized that it wasn’t up for debate anymore. No, their conversation was over forcibly – but it wasn’t done for her.

Nodding, she stepped back and saw Caleb was still playing with the airplane, talking to the little figurines, and having a good time. She left Mallory in the kitchen and went to her room, shutting the door.

Getting out her laptop, she hesitated… and then wrote an email to her brother.

CHAPTER15

MAESTRO

One month later…

Alex feltlike his fingers were not working right as he dug out his bankcard from his wallet to pay for the calling cards. He was going to call Everly this evening and wanted to have plenty of time, purchasing three of them.

It had been a month since he left, and he missed the sound of her voice. Her emails to him were a balm to his soul… and he got his time off approved this morning, spurring him forward.

He was going to be coming back in two months. While it seemed like forever, lots of the guys were taking time off and putting in for vacation lately. It seemed that everyone had someplace they wanted to go – and if they didn’t have a spot – then they were flying out to Texas to check out the place.

Something was definitely going on here, too…

Reaper, and several of the other pilots, had been pulled out of their daily briefings the last couple of days to speak with some unknown person in another building. Nobody would say a thing, everything was exceedingly closed-mouth, and Alex had yet to be talked to… but whatever it was?

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