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“It wasn’t him,” I say, doing my best to put Eli’s suspicion to rest.
“I didn’t think it was,” Eli says, eyes shifting between me and Bodhi.
“So why…?”
“You aren’t a dumb girl. There’s no way in hell you’d let a guy beat on you and then bring him here to meet me.”
There is a hard edge to my brother’s voice that I’ve never heard before. I hate to think that being here has hardened him so much.
“Gee, thanks,” I say, trying to lighten the mood, but Eli’s expression never softens.
“Why are you her, Keaton?”
I sink into myself under his scrutinizing and cold gaze. Eli was always protective of me growing up, and even a little hard on me at times, but never so much that I felt that there was this great distance between us.
“Eli…” I say, whisper soft. I don’t even think he hears me until he’s shaking his head, like he used to do when we were little, and I did something to make him mad or disappointed.
“Keaton, I told you I didn’t want you coming up here, and you just couldn’t listen.” His harsh words are like a knife to my heart.
I thought he was just worried in the beginning. Thought that after some time he’d actually want to see us. Miss us. But sitting here now, I feel like a fool.
“Maybe this was a mistake,” I say.
“It was,” Eli says, placing the palms of his hands on the table, ready to stand and walk away.
Bodhi reaches for my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze before he speaks.
“It wasn’t, actually.”
Eli’s eyes cut to his in a flash. He looks like he could tear Bodhi in half with ease, and it honestly scares me a little.
What has this place done to you, Eli?
“And who are you?” Eli asks, sizing Bodhi up.
“Bodhi Kane. I’m Keaton’s boyfriend,” he says. I offer him a grateful smile, smoothing my thumb over his knuckle.
“Boyfriend?” Eli asks, incredulously.
“Yeah, but that’s not why we’re here,” Bodhi says.
“You shouldn’t be here, period.” Eli quips.
I glance at the clock and see that we’ve already wasted five precious minutes discussing why I shouldn’t even be here right now.
“I asked her to bring me,” Bodhi says, and I can hear the strain in his voice. He’s doing his best to remain levelheaded, because this is not the kind of place you want to lose your cool.
“Why? You need my blessing or some shit?” Eli quips, and I look at him in disbelief.
“What the hell, Eli? Seriously right now?” I hiss under my breath and my brother just shakes his head like we’re wasting his time.
“Yeah, seriously, Keaton. I tell you not to come here and you decided to drag your little boyfriend up here? To what? Meet me? Because this is the place for something like that,” he reprimands me, and I feel like a scolded child.
I have half a mind to take my anger out on Bodhi right now. To turn to him and tell him that this is why I said it wasn’t a good idea. But I don’t. Bodhi doesn’t deserve that, just like I don’t deserve this.
“That’s not why we came?” I say.
“Then why are you here?” he asks, enunciating each word slowly.
