Page 93 of Reconciling With the Rival

“Seeing them, I think. Over the phone isn't the same, and with my dad’s condition, I worry about him. All I do all day is worry I’ll pick up the phone and he won’t be on the other end of it.”

“I strangely relate to that,” I say before I can stop it.

“Yeah?” he questions, leaning back on my bed on one arm, the other across his leg.

I nod. “My sister. All I do is worry about her.”

“She’s younger than you, right?”

“Yeah. She’s graduating high school this year, and I feel old.” This is flowing too easily, and for the first time ever, we’re having an actual conversation. No bickering, no emotional walls up, nothing of the sort.

For the first time, Leo Zimmerman and I are talking like normal fucking people.

“It must be hard being away from her.”

I’m about to tell him he has no idea, but he does. “It is.” I grab my blankets and pull them up my body, suddenly feeling way too self-conscious, way too normal with Leo sitting on the edge of my bed.

Maybe Leo and I are more alike than I thought. Maybe that’s why we always butt heads. He might be the male version of me, just without the mommy issues and great tits.

The two of us stare quietly at one another, and I don’t know what it is with us and darkness, but somehow, our relationship feels more authentic when the lights are off.

“Do you feel better?” he asks me, his hand finding mine as he leans forward.

I nod, not wanting to admit out loud that he helped me tonight.

“Good,” is all he says as he gets off my bed. Before he leaves, he turns around. “Let’s do this again sometime.”

I roll my eyes at him before he closes my door and leaves.

29

You'll Be Rewarded

I’m sitting at mydesk, attempting to get work done, but I can’t focus.

Why the fuck was Ella crying last night? And why the fuck did she try hiding it from me?

I don't know why it pisses me off so much. I shouldn't care. I shouldn't see her face full of sadness every time I close my eyes, but I do.

It’s all I fucking see.

And I haven't been able to get anything done all fucking day because of how distracted I’ve been.

I lift my head up from my computer—I’ve been staring at it for half an hour, and nothing has changed—and see her sitting at her desk. She looks different today. Her shoulders are lower than they normally are, and she’s wearing dull colors when she normally wears brighter ones. Her outfits are always officeappropriate—usually a pantsuit or some variation of one—but today, the muted tones don’t pop like they usually do.

When the fuck did I start paying attention to all these little things? God, she’s driving me fucking crazy, and she hasn't even done anything.

I see Brody look between our offices, and before I think he’s going to come into mine, he turns the other way into Ella’s.

Oh, this ought to be good.

She looks up when he walks into her office, seemingly inviting himself in like he always does. I can hear muted whispers of their conversation, but I can tell by the face he made at me before he went in, he’s probably going to tell her to do something.

And that usually ends with Ella telling Brody off or making some sort of comment about him. Those two have an interesting relationship; from what I’ve heard, they were both up for the same promotion, and Brody got it instead.

Even someone with no experience in this field could tell Ella deserved it over him, but he got it because he’s friends with half the board—which he brags about. Either way, he got the promotion over her, and he’s barely in the office. Nobody’s in the office more than Ella; even if she works from home some days, she still bills more hours than everyone else.

When I don’t see Ella giving him hell through the window in my office, I know for sure whatever she was crying about last night is still affecting her. Brody leaves her office and pokes his head into mine, looking as smug as ever.

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