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I nod. “Yeah.”
He puts his hand over mine, squeezing gently. “Thank you for telling me. You know there’s nothing wrong with you, right? Your brain just works differently.”
“Yeah, I know that now.” I smile. “I’m glad I told you. I wanted you to know in case you saw some weird behaviors.”
“How can I support you?”
I swear my heart just sped up so fast it could thump right out of my chest. I smile, twisting my hand around to hold his palm to palm. “Mostly just by being a friend, but if you see something that seems problematic, you can call me out on it. I won’t get mad or anything. Sometimes I’m just not aware it’s happening.”
“I can do that.”
“Thanks.”
He holds my gaze a second longer than he probably should, because I want to lean across the seat and kiss him. Not like a throes of passion kiss. Just a ‘gee, no one else has ever understood me’ kiss.
“I’m glad you’re back, Eli. I think we’re both going to do great things here in Neubrook. Together again.”
“Yeah, definitely. Together again.”
ChapterSix
MICHEL
Eli’s confession explains why I sense so much chaos in his head when I try to focus on his thoughts. It’s a skill I haven’t completely refined, so I thought that was the reason. Maybe it’s a combination. My mentor told me the harder I focus, the easier it will be.
Pushing the button to start the car, I drag my gaze away from him to focus on driving. “Sometimes I can’t believe you’re really here.”
Eli chuckles. “Yeah, same. Saw my folks earlier. It wasn’t bad. They had a lot of nice things to say about you.”
“That’s nice to hear. Their opinion of me always mattered.”
“Why?”
“Because you mattered.”
I pull out of the garage, sensing Eli’s gaze on me. The drive is so short we could’ve walked, but I couldn’t resist showing off just a bit more to Eli. The valet walks over to my side while another opens the passenger door for Eli. We enter the restaurant where the hostess smiles brightly at me.
“Welcome, Mr. Toussaint. Your table is ready.”
“Thank you, Claire.”
We’re led to the best part of the restaurant, a table facing the front with a large picture window. Above us is a small chandelier which gives the whole space a romantic ambience. I resist the urge to hold a chair out for Eli, reminding myself this is not a date. We are simply friends.
Claire obviously announced my presence to her peers, who make a fuss out of ensuring I’m comfortable. We’re presented with the best wine and the chef comes out to say hello. Eli smiles politely, but seems, overall, rather unimpressed.
“Is this restaurant not to your liking?”
Eli sips his water, setting it down. “It’s very nice.”
“But?”
He shrugs, avoiding my gaze. “No offense, man. I’m impressed with how nicely you’ve cleaned up Neubrook. I am. But I guess I’m just kind of done with fancy restaurants and big-city amenities. In my jobs, I was always wining and dining potential clients. I had a huge expense account and I used it. Call it lingering trauma.”
Fuck. Leave it to me to totally screw it up. “I’m sorry. We can leave and go to the diner.”
“No. I don’t want to leave. I want to taste good French food. It just took me a minute to acclimate.”
“Are you sure?”
