“Maeve, what’s going on?” I opened the conversation.
“You have a sister, Donovan. Have you ever wanted to kill her? Kick her ass minimum, murder her maximum.”
“Um … no. I can’t say that I have.” Though I wasn’t happy about her ambush today, that’s for sure.
“My brother is leaving.”
“What?” I said in disbelief. “What do you mean he’s leaving?”
I sat in the chair in front of her desk to give her my undivided attention. What was she talking about? He seemed great on Friday and certainly looked like he was getting along with Cora—quite well, in fact.
“He took a fucking job in California, and he fucking broke up with Cora even though they’re not dating. I just found her fucking underwear outside his car on Saturday and outed them out on it. Both just agreed that it was happening, and now, he’s leaving. He’s breaking her fucking heart, Donovan.” She looked at me like she was broken, too. I’d never seen her so emotional over something. “I just told her that they were great together; that I’d never seen my brother this happy before. Literally twenty-four hours after that, he tells her he’s getting out of dodge.”
“Why is he running?” Though there was a lot of information she spewed at me, I didn’t have to think twice about that question as it came out. Takes one to know one, and he was clearly trying to escape something.
“We had a very hard childhood. I don’t talk about it often, but after our father died, things went to hell. We lost everything, including our mother, a little over a year later. We were the kind of poor that never fully leaves you.” She put her closed fist on her heart and took a breath. “I got therapy to work through my issues, while he never did. And things may have been different for him if his trauma ended there, but then, he was engaged to a girl who told him he didn’t make enough money to be a good husband or father. That led him down a path of unworthiness that I know he still feels, especially when it comes to money, but he is just fucking running from the best thing that’s ever happened to him.” Her bottom lip wobbled, but I wasn’t sure if the tears she was trying to contain were angry ones or sad ones. Probably both.
“Do you want to take the day?” I asked in earnest.
“No, but I am going to maybe suggest I stay off Zoom today because,” she gestured all around her face.
“Done. Let me know if you need anything.” I knew she wasn’t going to leave, but I had to ask anyway.
We sat silently in our work worlds, and I ordered in her favorite food for lunch. Right as we finished up, Audra walked in with her scrubs on. Now that I had seen what she was rocking under them, I couldn’t help the naughty nurse fantasy that flashed through my mind.
“How are you holding up?” she asked Maeve as she hugged her. Then, she brought me into the conversation. “I presume you’ve heard.” My head just nodded because I had little to say.
“I’m just seething,” Maeve responded.
“I know, Maevers. I know,” Audra’s voice slipped into the one she’d had with both the bone break guy and the seizure guy. Calm, controlled, and comforting.
“What are you doing here, anyway?” Maeve asked. “I can’t imagine you came just to ask how I was.”
“Oh no, I was dropping Donovan’s sweatshirt off,” she walked over with the paper bag. “He let me use it Friday because I blanked on bringing a jacket, and I was chilly after the bar.” Then she turned to me, “Thank you. By the way, it’s the coziest sweatshirt I’ve ever worn,” she smiled warmly at me. The sweatshirt was one of my oldest and most favorite ones, so it stunned me that I didn’t hesitate to give it to her that night or make her take it off before she got out. Women were professional sweatshirt thieves, after all, and I was pretty possessive of this one.
I could feel Maeve’s eyes on me, and I ignored the look. “No problem. Thanks for bringing it back. I do smell something missing, though.” She tucked her lip in her teeth again.
“It was kind of a busy night; I threw in a thank-you cookie.”
“Oh my God, of course. That didn’t come off right. I’m not expecting it, just giving you a hard time. I don’t need a cookie.” I cleared my throat as I realized my face must have been as red as a tomato. Their best friend’s life was unraveling, and I was there, hassling her about homemade food. Jesus, what a dick thing to say, even if it was a joke. Up to that point, I thought my flirting had been on point, but that was enough to shoot it all to hell. “Really, really, God, that sounded bad. Let’s just gloss over that and I’ll try again,” I uncomfortably chuckled, because I was so mortified. “Are you coming or going to work?” It was rare for me to embarrass myself like that because it was very rare for me to speak so freely.
“I’m heading there. Even though I just spent all weekend there,” she rolled her eyes. “But alas, I work hard for the money … so hard for the money,” she broke out into song and a little dance. It was so unexpected that it made both Maeve and me chuckle.
“Dork,” Maeve finally said.
“Mission accomplished. We’re all smiling in here now. Have a good day, you guys. Maeve, call me if you hear from Cora or if you find she needs anything. See you later, Donovan.”
“Will do,” Maeve shouted after her. After the door closed, she turned her attention to me. “Sweatshirt? Cookie? Your face turning bright red because you were embarrassed? I’ve never seen that shade on your sun-kissed tan skin, buddy.”
I tried to keep my face schooled in indifference. “Your friend had goosebumps on her freaking lips she was so cold. I had it in my trunk.” Why was I defending myself to Maeve? I don’t know.
“I see,” she slowly nodded her head.
“It’s a sweatshirt, Maeve. Get whatever crazy thoughts you’re having out of your head. I can see your gears turning.”
“Yep.”
“Get back to work.” I rolled my eyes at her.
