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“You love me like a brother,” he adds and is laughing as the call ends.
My office door opens, and Derek is in the doorway, looking concerned.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“I heard you scream, so I rushed up and then you were laughing.”
“Oh, it was Jeff. It was a happy scream. He and Coraline are a thing. She kind of knows a little but he swears she’ll keep quiet. I swear it, too. Coraline is solid. She’s my second-best friend; I’ve known her over a decade and she won’t do a thing to put me in jeopardy.”
Derek doesn’t say anything.
I clear my throat and ask, “How’s your dad doing?”
His lip curls. “He’s conscious. He’ll likely be released next week. Then we’ll have a… service for my mother.”
“You said it was a hit and run. Any details about that?”
His lip curls.
“If you don’t want to tell me, it’s okay.” I look back at my laptop to show I don’t need him to elaborate if he doesn’t want to.
“Don’t have details yet on who or why. He’s conscious, but he’s too doped up. Not makin’ sense. Broken arm. Broken ribs. Busted ankle. Punctured lung. Head injury. Lost his spleen. Suffered some other internal damage. He’s a mess. We’re trying to get to the bottom of it.”
“Oh,” I say softly. “He’s going to make a full recovery, though?”
“Looks like it,” Derek mutters, but his eyes are on me and they’re active.
I feel like I’m being assessed; it feels awkward.
I open my email and scan the inbox, which has no new messages.
His eyes are still on me.
I meet his gaze and wait. “Is there something else?” I ask.
He says nothing but continues to stare and it might be ten seconds or something, I don’t know, but it feels like thirty or longer and each one of them feels uncomfortable.
“I love you,” he finally says.
I say nothing.
He waits.
My phone rings and it’s a relief.
Alannah calling.
I answer, hoping he’ll walk away.
“Hey. How are you?” I greet.
“Craig’s cousin, Adam’s ex Jeannie?
“Uh huh…”
“She’s dead.”
My eyes bulge.
