His mood has softened since we arrived back at his sister’s apartment, but there’s still some tension between us. The sound of traffic below comes through the window, the only noise filling the lingering silence in the room. Everyone’s attention is on Christopher.
“We’re at that stage between fun fling and future therapy session,” he says. His sarcasm is delivered with such coldness that it sends a shiver down my spine.
Does he really think that? What’s the in-between stage? A relationship?
Kelly cuts Christopher a menacing stare.
I must be wearing my emotions all over my face, because Daniel leans forward on the bed and looks directly at me.
“Trust me, you’ll grow used to the Foster humor. They use it to deny their feelings. This one took two years to break down.” He points his thumb at Kelly.
“Three,” Christopher and Kelly say in unison.
A smile appears across both their faces as Daniel shakes his head.
“So, what do you do for a living, Alex?” Daniel takes the opportunity to change the topic, seeming to sense my growing discomfort as I tug on the drawstrings of the hoodie.
I can’t tell if he’s bluffing, or if he hasn’t put two and two together. Does he not realize that the plaque I gave Kelly last night, which is resting against the chest of drawers behind the bed, is me?
“Daniel, you can drop the pretense,” Kelly says, noticing the direction of my gaze.
“What pretense?” Daniel looks back and forth between us, his hands raised.
Christopher looks pissed, but I’m actually enjoying this interaction. I lean back on the couch to soak it all in. It’s been a while since I’ve been solely surrounded by people my own age. Everyone on my team is at least ten years older than me, bar Lucy.
Kelly nods her head backward to the plaque. Daniel cranes his head to look before turning back to face Kelly.
“I thought I was meant to pretend I didn’t know who he was. That he’s not the guy Christopher’s been banging on about.”
“I give up,” Kelly says, lowering her head into her hands.
“Yeah, that’s me,” I say to Daniel, turning to look at Christopher.
Redness is forming in his cheeks.
“Not cool, Daniel, not cool.” His eyes are locked on Daniel’sin a stare so deadly I’m surprised he’s not already buried six feet under.
Maybe Christopher does think about me as much as I think about him. And maybe Daniel’s right. That Christopher’s humor is a deflection from allowing his true feelings to show. I feel the fear that’s been with me since we left the hospital fade away.
The smell of the barbeque, set out on the rooftop, drifts in through the kitchen window and lingers in my nostrils, making my stomach grumble.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I could murder some food,” I say, slapping my legs and immediately regretting it. I try to shake away the pain from my hand. This whole wrist injury is going to take some getting used to.
“Me too,” Daniel says, jumping up from the bed. “I’ll grab the meat from the fridge.”
“Need a hand?” I ask, as Daniel heads out of the room.
“Looks like you’re the one who needs a hand,” he says, his head turning back toward me like an owl.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave you alone with Daniel,” Kelly says, adjusting her dress.
“It’ll give you both a chance to catch up,” I say as I head toward Daniel, who has stopped in the doorway. “And that way, I can get to know my future brother-in-law better.” I pat Daniel’s back with my good hand, the corner of my mouth rising.
I catch the look on Kelly’s face, her eyes widening as they dart from me to Christopher, and I know the seed has been planted. That it will give them something to talk about in my absence.
Christopher’s been pacing up and down the kitchen for the last fifteen minutes, talking on his phone. His half eaten burger is going cold on the plate beside me.
“Do you think everything’s okay?” I ask Kelly.
