Page 7 of Playing With Fire
“Hey,” I say.
“Ritchie,” he says walking into the room. I close the door and turn to face him.
“Your behavior was unacceptable,” Thomas begins and I raise an eyebrow.
“What behavior?” I ask.
“You and Ms. Hale. I understand you might have some kind of history but you should really be careful with your words. I think you hurt her feelings,” Thomas says and I fight the urge to chuckle.
I, hurt Alexandra’s feelings? She should have learned a long time ago not to care about what I say or do.
“She’ll get over it,” I say dismissively.
“That’s not the point. She’s our client right now. We’ve promised to take care of her and help her. Which means not critically analyzing her life and voicing your displeasure. It's not any of your business how she chooses to live and I for one think she’s doing something honorable,” Thomas says.
I head over to my bed and plop down on it.
“Stealing isn’t honorable,” I tell him.
His jaw hardens.
“Life isn’t always black and white, Ritchie. Sometimes, there have to be morally grey people, so everyone can live.”
His sage words have no effect on me.
“Thomas, seriously, lay off me.”
“I will, as long as you try to mend your relationship with Alex. Or at the very least, try to be nice to her.”
“I’m not really interested in that,” I say dryly.
“And I don’t really care. Do it, approach her and try to be friendly,” Thomas says and I know an order when I see one. I give him a curt nod. The one time he requests something, I don’t really have much of a choice but to do it.
“Why are you pushing this so much?” I ask the dark-haired man in his 40s.
“Because I don’t want anyone of you to have regrets. I want you all to be happy,” he answers.
I furrow my eyebrows in confusion.
“Meaning what?”
“Just go and talk to Alexandra,” Thomas replies.
“I’ll do so tomorrow,” I tell him and then he leaves.
I lie on my bed a long time after he’s gone, thinking. A part of me knows that I played a huge part in the damaged relationship between Alex and me. Heck, I probably ruined the whole thing on my own but it’s not like I had a choice. It’s how I’m wired, I only know how to push people away. But maybe, just maybe, Alex and I can find a way to be friends. We’re not kids anymore. We can move past our history.
Is that really what I want though?
It’s easier not to care when everything in life can get so ephemeral. Is it going to be worth the pain in the end?
********
“Hey,” I say walking onto the patio behind the house.
Alex turns around to look at me, raises an eyebrow and then she immediately turns back around. All without saying a word to me.
I sigh.
