Page 432 of A Matter of Time

“Sam—”

“What? It’s a legitimate question. I haven’t seen you since Sunday morning. It’s Thursday night.”

“No, I know, but could we talk about this later, ’cause⁠—”

“If you wanted to know, if you cared at all, I’m at Hooligans with Pat and Chaz.”

“Okay,” I said, trying to get him off the phone.

“Where are you?”

“I’m on my way to Glendale Heights.”

“For what?”

“To see Susan Reid.”

He scoffed.

“What’s funny?”

“That you think that you have clearance at eight o’clock at night to see someone under criminal psychiatric evaluation. You’re a goddamn riot.”

“Oh.” I was deflating. As usual, I hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“I’m curious, though—why would you need to see her, anyway?”

“It’s a long story, but I think maybe⁠—”

“Look, I know we fought, but this ain’t the way to fix it. Ignoring me is not going to make anything go away, it’s just prolonging the big blowout.”

“Are we gonna have a big blowout?”

“Oh fuck yeah.”

“And then what?”

“Then what—what?”

“What happens after the blowout?”

“I dunno… God willing we’ll have hours of makeup sex and then go on.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Why?”

“No, I just thought… I don’t know what I thought.”

“You thought what? This was the end?”

“I dunno.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Jory, we’re not breaking up ever again. We’re together, and that’s it. Wrap your brain around that, all right? I mean, we’re gonna fight, we’re gonna disagree, that comes with being a couple. But it doesn’t mean shit. I’m gonna hafta deal with your friends, and you’re stuck with mine. It’s the way it’s gotta be. I was just telling Pat and Chaz, “that they don’t have to kiss your ass⁠—”

“Sam.”

“Because that’s my job, after all,” he said, his voice deep and sexy.