I hadn’t stayed in touch with him the way I had with Natalie. He was too close to Sully. It never would have worked.
Sighing, I replied.
Define okay?
THEO: You’re back in Minnesota.
The one thing I’d always appreciated about Theo was how straightforward he was. He had this calm, nonsensical demeanor that was easy to trust. And I could really use someone to trust right now.
If only he weren’t Sully’s brother.
I am.
I didn’t bother asking how he’d found out. I’d given Anne permission to talk to Sully, so by now, she’d probably also talked to Theo. Maybe even the whole family, though I hadn’t heard anything from Natalie. I’d planned to get settled and then give her a call. She’d been busy with wrapping up the trial and celebrating this past week; I hadn’t wanted to get in the way of any of that.
THEO: Yeah, so are you okay?
I’m not gravely ill or anything if that’s what you’re asking.
THEO: I mean, that’s a good start. If you talk to Sully, maybe you could lead with that.
My heart skittered at the mention of Sully, and I was so tempted to ask Theo more about him, but I refrained.
I’ll be able to tell you more soon, I promise.
THEO: If you need anything, let me know?
I will. Thanks, Theo.
Pocketing my phone, I drove around Minneapolis until I found a coffee shop to hunker down in. Work had piled up during the days I’d taken off between visiting Boston for Natalie’s trial and then packing up to move out here. But it was nothing that I couldn’t get done if I just focused.
That was, of course, the problem.
Focusing on anything that wasn’t my life’s current status was as easy as graduating from MIT. And it didn’t help that the coffee shop—Cream & Craft—was busier than I’d expected for a weekday afternoon. Other remote workers had similar ideas as me; I certainly wasn’t the only one setting up shop with my laptop. Luckily, as the afternoon passed, the hustle and bustle died down, and I was able to lock in to my work for a while.
By the time I’d my finished my to-do list for the day, the sun hung low in the sky, and my feet dragged on the walk to my car. Honestly, I couldn’t be more excited to get back to Anne’s, cuddle with Honey, and go to sleep.
But I quickly learned there was a problem. A really big problem, actually.
My car wouldn’t start.
Shit.
It was old, Iknewit was old, but I’d been hoping my Corolla had a few more years left in it, even if it had been sitting unused since I left.
Hopefully, it just needed a jump. Maybe a tune-up later this week.
I sighed and pulled out my phone, opening it to find Theo’s name still there, at the top of my messages. I stared at his last reply.
If you need anything, let me know?
I hated to keep bugging the Londons for things, but the truth of the matter was that they were the only ones I knew here and could really count on. My friends and acquaintances from undergrad had all moved on and were now practically strangers. My mom was likely at work, and even if she weren’t, I knew how much she hated driving into the city.
Do you still live near campus?
If he did, I wasn’t far away. But if he said no, I wouldn’t bother him. I’d call for a tow or something.
I scrolled aimlessly while I waited for Theo’s response. But when a few minutes had gone by and the sky grew darker while I lingered on the street corner, I got anxious.
