Page 13 of Hard to Judge

Fun and disappointing.

I nod toward the door. “This is my best friend. There’s nothing I haven’t heard or seen out of him, including projectile vomit, an incident with a cantaloupe, and him crying.”

“He does not cry.” Of course, she bypasses the most interesting of the three.

I have to force my eyes not to roll.

“Not in front of you.” I hitch my thumb toward her desk. “Move before I toss you over my shoulder and show you what I do to bad girls.”

Mio scrambles out of the way. “Pig.”

“Oink, oink, Mio.” I give her a wink, which earns me a one-finger salute, which makes little Miss Goody-goody’s eyes scan the office, terrified that someone saw.

“Now, who’s being inappropriate.” I shove into Arlo’s office.

“I don’t care how you go about it. Track them down,” Arlo barks into the receiver.

With all he’s been through, not much gets him riled. His tone has my ears perked.

He grabs his hair as though he’s liable to strangle the person on the other end, but they’re too far away. The move makes my dick jump, but that’s nothing new.

“I need every last?—”

“Mr. Judge,” Mio shouts through the door, disrupting my stealth mission.

Arlo’s chair turns from the wall of windows overlooking the soulless landscape of New York’s financial district. His gaze narrows on me but softens as he looks past me to Mio.

“I’m sorry, sir. He insisted,” Mio explains.

My friend nods, dismissing her without rebuff. He knows all about the history there. He knows everything now.

Arlo has been building his empire for more than a decade. I’ve been by his side since graduation. I could have told him a thousand different times about my father, my college experience, my reason for leaving him behind. He assumed I went for wrestling. At least, that was what he’d told others. Agreeing with a quick nod was easier than admitting the truth.

I had no idea he thought I went to Oklahoma State to follow Nate. I mean, how could he not know everything I do is for him? A niggling voice that sounds an awful lot like Hailey’s whispers the answer in my mind.

He didn’t know because you didn’t tell him.

I didn’t tell him because I didn’t think he was in any position to hear it, and I didn’t want it to destroy our relationship.

Mio pulls the door closed as she leaves, and I take my usual seat across the desk from him. I recline back and toss an ankle over my knee.

“Yes, I know it won’t be easy. I know it won’t be cheap.” Arlo speaks more calmly now, almost somberly. As though I’m an old ghost come to haunt him.

Maybe I am a ghost from his past.

Maybe I do haunt him.

Maybe that’s why he’s been MIA for the past two days.

That thought churns dread in my belly. And it’s not the first time. It’s been happening quite often lately.

“Keep working and update me as soon as you know something.” Arlo ends the call, pulls off his super dorky headset, and places it on his desk. “It’s practical, not dorky.”

“It’s defensive, not explanatory.” Watching him talk into the dorky getup is one of my favorite things about coming to the office.

“You were staring,” he grouses.

“I was.” I steeple my fingers in front of my lips. “Why are you working?”

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