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“The tote has everything in it you asked for.” I look down at the floor as I scratch the nail of my thumb deep into my hand. “Can he… Are they allowing visitors?”
“Just family and one at a time,” Lily responds.
“Oh. I see.” I don’t know what else to say. My heart is pounding in my chest. The beast inside me is screaming at the top of her lungs. I want to see him. I need to see him. I don’t care that they don’t know about us. I don’t care how bad it is, I want to be there at his side. I want to tell him I’m sorry. I want to beg him not to leave me.
“Mom. Dad,” Hayley interjects as she holds my head to hers. “This is Viper.”
“What?” Lily responds.
“Hayley. It’s okay. Don’t.” I pull my hoodie tight around me.
“Don’t what? Mom, Daddy… this is the woman Eli’s been seeing. This is who’s made him so happy. It’s Dylan.”
Jack slides his hand onto Lily’s shoulder. “So you attending all the work functions as his escort wasn’t about networking for you post-graduation?”
I stand up a little straighter but don’t let go of the sides of my sweatshirt. “No, sir, it wasn’t. I’m sorry we didn’t tell you the whole truth. Eli and I talked about it and thought it was better to keep our personal lives out of the office. People had already been making comments about our working partnership, our obvious age difference, and playing favorites. We didn’t want, or need, the added conversation for you, our clients, or for us.”
Andy rings in from behind them. “You did a good job of keeping it that way, young lady.”
“We weren’t trying to be disrespectful. We met before I knew who he really was. He was just Goose to me.”
Lily smiles at the reference. “He’s only allowed Wesley to call him that.”
“Yeah well, I let her in the club as a favor to Eli.” He winks.
“I didn’t know he was Elijah Sawyer until he filled in for Professor Stone. Things just went from there. I got the internship, and we started working on the account for the foundation for his friend together.”
“You don’t have to justify it to us, dear. Dylan may be a stranger to us, but Viper is not.” Evie reaches her hand out to me. I step closer and take it. She squeezes my hand tightly. “You’re shivering and your hands are like ice. Come sit next to me.”
I settle in next to her and tuck the bit of hair that’s fallen out of my hair tie behind my ear. This is not how I wanted them to find out Eli and I are together. Now that they do, the sky isn’t falling. They aren’t angry. They don’t look at me any differently. The woman I’ve heard called Gran a thousand times is here with her arm around me. Her tenderness reminds me of Eli.
“Daddy? Don’t you think we can talk to the doctors and get Wes and Dylan on some list, so they can be with Eli? You know that’s what he’d want.”
Jack nods in agreement. “When we get our next update, I’ll make sure of it.”
“Thank you.” I lower my head and focus on my hands. “Thank you very much.”
“I don’t know about everyone else, but I could do with some coffee. Anyone want to walk as well? Evie, be my date?” Wes asks.
“Mom, why don’t you, Lil, and Hayley go with Wes and get some exercise? We’ll take the next run.”
Andy kisses Evie’s hand in encouragement. “You can borrow my best girl, Wes. Sweetheart, make mine cowboy style.”
She pats his hand. “I’ll bring some sugar in case you change your mind. Do you want anything, Dylan?”
“No, but thank you, Mrs. Sawyer.”
“You can call me Evie or Gran, dear.”
I smile as she tilts my chin up with her fingers. Before they go for the elevator, Lily takes her sweater off and puts it around my shoulders. Hayley gives me one last wave as the doors close. It’s only then I slide my arms in the sleeves of the sweater and wrap up. That’s when I notice it. It’s the unmistakable scent of Yves Saint Laurent. This is Eli’s sweater. I pull the top of the threads to my nose and inhale deeply, until the scent reaches the bottom of my lungs. I’d give anything to smell this on him.
“Why Viper?” Andy asks.
I shrug. “I’m a fan of the movie too. Seemed right at the time. It just stuck, I guess. It gave me a way to just be me and for him to just be him. Made it easier.”
“I know your father. I can see that.”
“I figured you might. You both might.”
