AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Excellent,” he says. “Keep us in the loop.”
“Will do.” I don’t know how to say the rest. The words sit in my throat, choking me. With Summer it was… easier. But there’s no way to start this conversation.
I find it, though. It’s not surprising which path my mind takes. “There is something, actually.”
“About Opate Match?”
“In a way, I suppose,” I say. “I’m dating Summer Davis. The owner’s niece.”
Tristan’s look is one of bafflement. Then he laughs, smile widening. “Anthony!” he says. “I did not expect that at all.”
“Honestly, neither did I.”
“How did this happen?”
I rub a hand over the back of my neck. “It’s unprofessional.”
“I dated an intern at the company I was CEO of,” Tristan replies. “I’m not about to judge.”
“Turned out great for you, though.”
“Best mistake I ever made,” he agrees. “So? Is this serious?”
“It could be, yes. I think it will be.”
“But you’re not sure,” he guesses.
I look at the pond in the distance, the tall, summer-green trees that line it. It’s been a long time since I’ve simply walked in the park for the joy of it. It’s been a long time since I’ve done anything simply for the joy of it. Long before Summer.
“There’s something I haven’t told you,” I say. “Two years ago, I had to go the doctor’s. For my eyes.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. As it turned out, I’m losing my eyesight. It’s been deteriorating ever since.”
He’s quiet for a long moment, but so am I, both of us staring at the park teeming with life. A group of children run shrieking down a hill, one being chased, the others following suit.
When Tristan finally speaks, it’s with such startling sincerity that it makes me laugh. “Well, fuck.”
“Yes,” I agree. “That was my immediate reaction too.”
“There’s nothing to be done to stop it?”
I shake my head. “Just monitoring it regularly. They don’t know how long it’ll take, but in all likelihood, I’ll be completely blind sooner or later.”
“I’m sorry. I wish there was something else I could say, but that’s just… I’m sorry.”
“Yeah,” I say. “Thanks. Anyway, it’ll have some consequences for the company.”
“The company,” he repeats.
“Acture Capital. I won’t be able to continue, when… well. When it gets to that stage.”
He’s quiet for a beat. Then Tristan does something we haven’t done in forever. He pulls me in for a one-armed hug.
I return it, thumping against his back and swallowing thickly.
“You’re part of the company,” he tells me. “Hell, you and I were the ones who started it. Of course you’ll still be a part of it, if you want to. Perhaps your role will have to change, but there’s technology for that, right? I don’t know shit about what it’s like to live blind.”
