Page 136 of Joey

Brooke went out earlier. No explanation. Not that she owes me one, but it would’ve been nice.

Huck and Wald are down in the basement pretty much doing nothing. We’ve barely talked since we got home on Friday night and I’m sick of it. I go down there and find them both playing a video game.

“Didn’t invite me, huh?”

They lift their eyes to me when I enter the main room, but it barely counts as a greeting.

I flop into a chair and watch.

Not the game, just them.

How much they’ve changed over the past sixteen years. How much they haven’t. How much we’ve done together. How much is still to come.

How much is still to come?

Are we in the final phase of our partnership? Did we do it all? See it all? Have we had enough?

“Do you think we’re done?” I ask.

Both of them pause their game and look at me.

“Done how?” Wald says.

“Us, you know.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Huck asks. “We just got a girl we all like to agree to our kinky fuckery and you’re suddenly getting cold feet?”

“I didn’t say that. I’m just picking up a vibe from you two.”

“The vibe of doneness?” Huck asks, shaking his head. “Believe me, if I were done, I’d be gone.”

“You lie so bad,” Wald says, resuming his game. “I’m just about to kick his ass in this battle, Joe. If you don’t have anything important to say, then—”

“This is important,” I say. “Before we came back here to this fucked-up place filled with all my fucked-up family and my fucked-up secrets everything was fine. And now… nothing seems fine.”

Wald pauses the game again and looks at me. “No. Your question is not important. It’s stupid. We’ve been together for sixteen years. No one’s cheated. No one’s lied. No one’s killed anyone, or got addicted to heroin, or gave someone a fucking sex disease. We’re not broke, we’re not in jail, we’re not sick, we’re not lonely, we’re not even fuckin’ bored. So what the hell are you talking about, are we done? No, we’re not fucking done. We’re never gonna be done. And you wanna know why we’re never gonna be done, Joey Boston? Because we’re taking this fuckin’ ride together, that’s why. But if you’re asking why I’m quiet and not all up in your face about plans, it’s because I’m just reflecting on the fact that one of the men I love is involved in some deep world government secret society shit and how he might only love me back for my crazy conspiracy theories because, turns out, they’re probably all true, and I need to kick Huck’s ass in this goddamn game to help me think.”

He locks eyes with me for three seconds, then resumes his game.

Huck and I look at each other and laugh.

“It’s not funny,” Wald says. “I’m going crazy trying to put all these pieces together. Fight back, Huck. I already know I’m gonna kick your ass but I don’t want to do it when you’re not looking because where’s the fun in that?”

Huck gets up and turns the TV off.

“What the hell?” Wald complains.

“What have you come up with?” Huck asks. “Because I’ve been thinking too.”

“Well, you’re the one with a degree in thinking,” Wald says. “So you tell me. What did you come up with? Because I don’t fuckin’ know.”

Huck opens his mouth to say something, but my phone rings in my pocket. I take it out and look at the screen.

“Who is it?” Wald asks.

“Jesse,” I say, tapping the accept button. “What’s up?”

“I’m giving you a friendly heads-up that your girlfriend is on her way over to the Bossy right now because apparently she has business with Johnny.”