Page 35 of Playing Hard to Get

“Two.” I didn’t say more. Didn’t really want to talk about it. Cael got it. Moved on without being asked. He stood and looked at Anna before looking at me.

“I’m gonna grab a shower, wash the day off me, if that’s okay with you.”

“Sounds good, kid.” I leaned back against the yellowed wall and pulled my phone out of my pocket as Cael left the room. I scrolled through my old messages. It had been a few days since I last texted Vivian, and there was still no response. Hadn’t heard much from Frankie on it, either. Not like I could go asking her outright. If I wanted to fuck things up with Vivian, that was a surefire way. She was so concerned with what her cousin would think. Never mind that we were all adults. That Frankie had no say in what I did with my dick. I loved Frankie, I did. But I had to draw the line somewhere.

Just wished Viv would let me know she was alive. Felt the need to protect her, like I did her cousin. Like I did my sisters. My cousins. Any of my friends. Except this one was on my mind all the time. That guilt was eating me alive.

Before I could stop myself, I typed out a message to Vivian.

Me: Thinking about you tonight. Hope you're doing okay.

I stared at the screen, debating whether to send it. Debating whether it would make things worse. I wanted to make things better. Wanted to make things right. Wanted another chance, another taste of my sweet girl.

My finger moved to delete the message, but the door to the room swung open and startled me. My finger slipped. Glided across the screen. Landed on the send button. And it was gone. All ones and zeros, riding across the night to the other side of the country.

Just hoped it didn’t make it worse.

Cael came into the room carrying a small black bag and a couple bottles of water. The kid grabbed the remote off the table between the beds and held it up to me. I nodded and he flicked on the television. “Mind if I watch the rest of the game?”

“Nah, go ahead. I'm gonna go take a shower.” I grabbed my bag from the truck and went into the bathroom in the other motel room. I let the hot water rain down on me until it turned cold, then dried off and got dressed.

Back in Anna’s room, I checked on the girl. Made sure she was still breathing before I crossed the room to my chair. Cael had his eyes glued to the television screen. “That Frankie's guy?”

Sure enough, there was Corey on the TV screen, all decked out in gray, rounding third base on his way home. “That's him. Wouldn't believe he’d about died last year if I hadn't seen it for myself.”

“Yeah, it doesn't seem to have affected him much.” Cael leaned back on his elbow. “They seem like good people. Gotta big heart, that Frankie. Real sweetheart.”

“That she is.” I plopped down on my chair and put my hands behind my head.

“I didn't expect it, you know?” Cael turned from the game to look at me. “Getting married to a baseball star, living in a place like she does. I expected something more like Ms. Carrington here. She don't have that rich girl attitude, though.”

“No, Frankie knows her stuff, knows how to treat people right. And Corey's never had that rich kid attitude either. He’s a good guy. Tough, but he’s no Marine.”

Cael grimaced and looked at the television. He didn’t say a word, but pulled his hand to the back of his head to pat down that tuft of hair. That was his tell. Did it when he was embarrassed. Did it when he was shy. Did it all the time. Made it hard to tell what was wrong without studying him hard. Like I'd been doing the past couple days.

Putting up with Anna had been a bitch, and that was putting it mildly. Cael handled it well. Didn’t complain. Did what he was told. He was a good kid. But this wasn't the first time he’d gone quiet when I mentioned the service. I’d been trying to feel him out, but he always clammed up when I said one word about the military. Then there was the whole Daginger situation. Made me think something was wrong, and that worried me.

“So, what’s your story, kid?” I asked. Cael glanced at me and patted at his hair again. “You look military, but you don't.”

He looked at his hands, spun his wedding ring around his finger. “I wish I was.”

“What's that mean?” I prompted when he didn’t continue.

When he looked up, his eyes had a faraway look to them. “Always wanted to serve my country. I've dreamt of it since I was a boy. But I didn't make it through Basic.” He shook his head and met my eyes. “Allergic to bees. Got stung twice within a few weeks and had a bad reaction both times. My eyes swelled shut and my throat closed up so I couldn't breathe. They won't let you in with a history of anaphylaxis.”

“That's tough,” I told him. Let it sit there, because I wasn’t sure what else to say.

Cael reached into the bag at his side. His hand came out wrapped around a small black case, which he held up for me to see. “That’s why Daginger let me go. Saw me fingering this thing when a swarm of bees flew by.”

“What’s that?”

“Epi-pen.” He slid the pen out of the sleeve and held it up. “Gotta wear it whenever I’m out and about. You see my face start to swell, or something looks wrong and I don’t answer? Take this thing and slam it into my leg, ‘kay?”

Cael showed me how it worked. Said he felt obligated to let people know, so they knew what to do if something happened. Security was risky business sometimes, but I’d never stopped to think of other risks. Like dying of suffocation because of a damn insect.

The whole business made me look at Cael in a new light. I saw his dedication. His love of the job. Kid would have made one hell of a Marine.

It had been an hour since my finger hit the send button on my phone. Cael and I were watching the last of the game on TV, finishing our vending machine meals of potato chips and candy bars. I wasn’t expecting the ding of my phone. Wasn’t expecting any kind of response at all, just like the past couple weeks. When my phone chimed at me, I damn near jumped outta my chair before I grabbed it off the table.