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I sighed and stepped back, letting the catharsis of what I’d just done wash over me.
It took me a second to realize my phone was ringing. Elijah.
Smiling, I answered his call. “Hello, Professor. What’s up?”
“I just got into Naughty Lessons.”
That was abrupt. My smile became a full-fledged grin.
So, Naughty Lessons was my idea. About a year ago, both Benjamin and I felt that Elijah needed to let loose.
His life had become a routine clockwork of motions. He’d attend classes, go home, read, prepare for the next day, take care of Sally, and sleep.
We all loved Sally. And we knew Elijah was obsessed with his books—plus he was old-fashioned, and preferred real-world connections over all else.
But he’d also become a shell of his former self since June. And we knew why. There was no turning back when something so devastating happened and took away the one person who was your endgame.
That didn't change the reality. Elijah was still here, living and breathing. And he needed an outlet.
So, when I was surfing through online chatrooms looking for my next muse, I came across the newest thing in town. And it felt different.
Like I could actually focus on the women at the other end, rather than needing to indulge in petty small talk.
It was pretty easy to convince Benji. He was someone who’d go anywhere if it meant there was a chance he’d find his soulmate.
Elijah was the tougher one. He’d had his walls up for so long that breaking them proved to be nothing short of Noah building his arc. What finally convinced him was the idea that, if nothing else, he’d be able to see another side of life.
And maybe that could inspire the way he approached literature. That gave him a new idea. So, Elijah was attending tonight’s session purely out of academic curiosity.
I chuckled. He could fool anyone, but I knew Elijah’s curiosity had more to it, and honestly, I wanted him out there.
This was in no way me disrespecting June’s memory. In fact, when she’d been around, June had been the light of Elijah’s life. She was the best woman, counselor, mother, and friend.
Every bit as unconventional and as fucking fantastic a catch as any man could hope to find.
But he forgot to live after her. It was as if Elijah had forgotten he’d ever had a separate self, an identity apart from the man married to June for years.
All Benji and I wanted to do was make him remember that he was still a person in his own right.
“You’re attending the session tonight, right?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Comeon, Eli.” I could not keep the exasperation from my voice. “Listen, at least try it out. One session. If you don’t like it, you needn’t come back. We’ll understand. But don’t close the book before you even read the first page.”
“I swear, you become more of a poet in that studio than anywhere else, Noah.”
“I’m gonna take that as a yes.”
A reluctant sigh sounded from the other end. “Yeah, fine. I’ll come. Only because I don’t want you up my ass about this chatroom for the rest of the week.”
“Thank you.” I exhaled. “Okay, in the words of our best friend, I’m astronomically late for class. Catch up tonight, brother.”
“Bye, Noah.”
I stepped out of the studio and began walking toward the college. It was a short route from here.
I stopped en route, my eyes caught by an art exhibition.
