Page 66 of Injustice and Absolution

“Don’t make threats you don’t intend to follow through on,” I tempt him brazenly.

His face grows serious, a promising gleam in his stare. And if Ginger, another waitress, hadn’t come out from the kitchen at that exact moment, severing our connection, I have no doubt he would have me bent over his desk in his office right now.

“Aw, get a damn room already, lovebirds,” she scoffs playfully as she passes.

Drew’s face relaxes as she walks by, bringing us both back from the edge.

“Who are you texting anyway?”

My shoulders sag, and I know he knows it’s Maggie without me having to say her name.

“You know, one of these days you’re going to have to tell me why you two stopped speaking. I may be able to help.”

“You can’t.” I duck my head and roll my eyes so he can’t see me.

“Try me,” he presses, and my frustration over my ongoing lies to Maggie comes out, directed at the last person who deserves it.

“Because you are the reason.” I regret my words the moment they leave my mouth.

“Me? What did I do?”

“Nothing... You didn’t do anything wrong. And you didn’t deserve me yelling at you like that. I’m sorry.”

“I'll forgive you if you tell me what’s going on.” He winks, knowing he’s cornered me. I can’t stand anyone being upset with me, and he knows it.

“She doesn’t trust you and doesn’t think I should either. She blames my moving out on you. I told her my decision didn’t have anything to do with you, but she doesn’t believe me.”

“Why does she care that you moved out? She’s your friend. She should be supportive.” If Drew gets it, why can’t Maggie?

“That’s exactly what I told her when I left. And now that we’re living togetherandI left my job... I just can’t tell her. She won’t understand, and it will only turn into a bigger argument. I can’t stand her being mad at me.”

“Hey, you didn’t do anything wrong, so if she’s looking for someone to be mad at, she should be mad at herself.”

I know he’s right, but twenty years of crushing insecurity and worrying you’ve upset someone doesn’t go away overnight.

Pulling me farther down the back hallway and out of view of the patrons, Drew tucks my flyaways behind my ears then taps his finger under my chin.

“Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me, Delilah?”

“No,” I respond almost breathlessly at his closeness.

“Exactly, and I never will.”

He steals a kiss quickly, before any of the staff finds us.

“If you ask me, I think she’s jealous,” he states, backing away from me.

“Jealous? Yeah right...” Maggie hasn’t been jealous of me a day in her life. It’s always been the opposite, actually.

“Think about it... Her fiancé is gone all the time. She only gets to talk to him on the phone or over text. She’s jealous of what you have with me. Maybe she’s not as good of a friend as you think. If she was, she’d be happy for you no matter what. That’s all. Try not to let it get to you, pretty girl.” He winks.

“I’ll try,” I promise.

“Good girl,” he touts. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” I smile proudly.

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