AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Anytime, Little Mik.”
She grins with her eyes still closed and for one split second I consider leaning in and closing the small distance between us.
“Dick.” Her voice is just a murmur as I toy with her hair and her smile is playful for the first time since she stumbled home last night.
Mikaela
Jamie lays across my bed, his hands tucked behind his head, as I yank at his shoes and scowl.
“Get your filthy boots off of my sheets, you child.”
As if to prove my point, he sticks his tongue out at me before rolling to the side and slipping from my grip.
“Mik.” Despite the boyish grin, his voice is deep and serious. “Why was Ben there today?”
I stop moving and Jamie turns his face to me.
“I’m not complaining,” he explains. “I’m grateful actually. You know how much he loved Mom and it’s been hard not sharing that with him. But you - Mik you made your position on all of this pretty clear five years ago. And I stuck with it - even when you were gone - I didn’t let him see her, so I’m just confused.”
I huff as I turn away from him, unsure of what to say now that Ben is gone. A small perk of him being there was that Jamie couldn’t askwhyhe was there. Now I miss the buffer.
“I asked him to come.” I try to shrug but the sting of my shoulders leaves me stiff and uncomfortable. “I just felt like it was time.”
“What aren’t you telling me, Mik?”
I groan inwardly, cursing the fact Jamie chose today of all days to pay so much attention.
“I’m just - I’m ready to put it behind me, Jamie. All of it. I want to put Matthew, and what happened with Mom, and just all of it behind me. Forgiving Ben? Well, it seemed like the easiest place to start, okay?”
“You sure that’s all it is? Because I hate to bethatbrother, but please don’t start sleeping with my best friend.”
This time I groan out loud.“You know you’re a pig, right?”
Jamie laughs, pushing himself up and off of my bed. “Just laying the law, MikMak. Making sure you don’t get hurt. Ben’s a good guy, you know that, but he’s never been serious with anyone and you deserve something real.”
“Well.” I watch as he moves through my tiny apartment and digs through cupboards as I speak. “I’m not sleeping with anyone, thanks.”
“Good.” He huffs as his search comes up empty. “Keep it that way.”
“Sure.” I roll my eyes. “What are you looking for?”
His head is halfway into the darkness of the corner he’s searching in. “Mom’s crystal glasses. I thought we could toast to her, you know. Say happy birthday.”
The breath fades from my lungs and I feel the splinter of shattered shards all over again.
“Jamie.” My throat closes around his name; around my confession.
“Yeah?” He opens another cupboard.
“Jamie, look at me.”
His back straightens and he turns with the mist of questions swirling in his eyes. “Mik?”
“The glasses - I - God, I should have told you. They - he -” My chest is caving in on itself and Jamie is holding my hands and shaking his head and I can’t see past his eyes.
“Hey. Hey, Mik. Eyes on me. Come on.”
I can’t breathe.
