“Hey, you, been a minute.” He darts his eyes back to his task as I cock my hip next to the counter and stare a hole through the side of his head. My thirsty eyes drink in his familiarity, and all it does is make my heart ache. His man beard has grown a little longer in the eight and counting months since I’d last seen him, and he’s sporting his usual attire of dark jeans and suspenders over his T-shirt. Pinstriped suspenders I found at a thrift store and bought while shopping because I thought of him and considered him a friend. Late night conversations between the two of us spring to the forefront, but I bat the emotion away and let my resentment take a front seat. Ignoring the amber eyes combing me, I make my way to the coffee pot and click on the small TV on the counter to catch the last of the morning news.
It’s when I go to add my sugar that I find the box is empty. Tossing a glance over my shoulder, I don’t miss the simper on his lips before Tobias lifts his mug, and I narrow my eyes at him.
Jeremy darts his gaze between us over the laptop he’s just powered up. “I see you two are getting on well.”
We both glare in his direction, and his chuckle is unmistakable. Temper flaring, I turn and open the cabinet above the pot and spot another box of sugar on the second shelf, just out of my reach. Lifting on my toes, I try in vain to grab it when I feel Tobias approach behind me.
“I’ve got it,” I snap, pulling a spatula from the drawer and using it to hook the box before jerking it toward me. It gives easily, smacking me square in the face. Nose burning, I’m on the verge of exploding when an infuriating rumble sounds from Tobias’s throat just before he steps away. Shrugging off my embarrassment, I prepare my coffee and ignore them both, keeping my eyes on the screen. Jeremy speaks up a minute later.
“How you been, Cee?”
Elbows on the counter, I lean in and turn up the volume.
“That mad at me, huh?” I can sense when they exchange a look behind me. I couldn’t care less. But the burning at my back lets me know I may be revealing a little more skin than I should. I glance over my shoulder to see the source of my discomfort. Head cocked, Tobias is peculiarly looking at me before he darts his eyes to Jeremy.
“We good?”
“I mean, he only showed me how to do this once, but…” Jeremy glances my way, and I know who he’s referring to. They’re worried about the security of the laptop.
They share another wordless look as I go back to my coffee and pretend to watch the news. A few keystrokes later, Jeremy speaks up.
“I think we’re good.”
“Think or know?” Tobias replies in an unforgiving tone.
Jeremy sighs with exasperation. “It would help if you let me—”
“I’ll figure it out,” Tobias snaps.
“Too proud to reach out to your own brother, huh?” I say, with my back turned.
More silence.
“How is he these days, Jeremy?”
A pregnant pause. “I wouldn’t know, Cee.”
“Sure, you wouldn’t.”
A second later, I feel Jeremy beside me. I can’t look at him. I can’t let him see that his mere presence is weakening me. “We miss you, you know?”
“Do you?” I sip my coffee and swallow, unable to hide the bitter edge in my voice. “Nice suspenders.”
He thumbs them in my peripheral. “You know they’re my favorite.”
“Good to know you give a shit about something.”
“I do care about you,” his sigh comes out more like a grunt of frustration. I’m sure his boss is staring right at him, a clear threat just feet away. He’s tap dancing between an apology for me and certain punishment. It doesn’t seem like any of them are brave enough to go head to head with this asshole.
“Don’t worry about me. You haven’t in eight months.”
“Come on,” he argues, “you know we couldn’t—”
“Want to know how I’m doing?” I turn my head and glare at him. “Well, you can relay to Sean I now know exactly what happens to caged birds.”
“We’re good,” Tobias snaps at Jeremy, his intent to end our exchange clear. “I’ll get with you later.”
Not long after, the alarm beeps and Russell’s voice sounds out from where he calls from the front door. “Hey, man, we have to open up in twenty. Mrs. Carter wants her shit checked out first thing this morning.”
He’s talking about the garage—a place I used to consider a second home. It’s unreal what time and distance can do. It now seems like a lifetime ago. It takes some effort to keep from turning the corner and laying eyes on Russell. But I don’t because he doesn’t seem the least bit interested in seeing me. Maybe it has everything to do with Tobias and his menacing presence.