Daniel looked away as he chewed on his fingernail and bounced his leg.
Come on. Let me in.
“It was hard to leave the ranch the first few years to go to school, but this last year was the hardest.”
Yes!
“Why was this year harder?” Emily tried to keep her tone casual.
Again, he took his time answering, his face registering regret. Did he regret engaging in this conversation with her, or did he regret something else entirely?
“Jake’s sister, Riley, and I dated last summer. I liked her... a lot, but we were both going to different colleges. We decided it wouldn’t be fair to each other to try to maintain a long-distance relationship.”
“I imagine that was hard. Was the break-up mutual?” At his nod, she continued. “Jake said you’re like a brother to him, so I would think Riley was like a sister to you. Was it weird dating someone you were so close to?”
He shrugged. “It was a little at first. But it just felt right. She was my best friend. There was no one I would rather be with.”
“How did Jake react when he found out you were dating?” Emily tried to keep her tone conversational, but she hung on every word he said and studied his body language.
“We kept it hidden from him for a while, but he knew all along.” Daniel smiled. “When we told him, he said it was about time.”
“You still care about her a lot, don’t you?”
He nodded as he scratched at his arm. “As much as I’d love to see her again, I’m glad she didn’t come home this summer.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want her to see me like this.” Daniel’s voice grew quiet.
“Like what?” Emily waited for him to answer. When he didn’t, she asked, “How long ago did you break your leg?”
“Two weeks,” he mumbled, swiping at his brow again.
“Does it still hurt?”
He nodded but didn’t meet her eyes.
“Were you given pain meds?” When he responded with a nod, she asked, “Enough to last you two weeks?”
Daniel gave her a sharp look then looked away when she held his gaze. “They... um... didn’t last that long, but Dr. Young gave me another half of a prescription a few days ago.”
“How many pills do you have left?”
“Three.” His response was so quiet Emily barely heard him.
“Are you in pain now? When did you take your last dose?”
His bouncing leg created a steady drumming on the wooden porch. He scratched his arm again before consulting his phone. “Almost five hours ago.”
“You’re becoming addicted to your pain killers. You realize that, don’t you?”
Daniel glared at her then lowered his eyes. “I’ve tried not to. I’ve only taken more than the prescribed dose a couple times.”
“But you used them to help you deal with other addictions, didn’t you?”
* * *
Jake held his breath,waiting for Daniel’s response. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but Emily and Daniel’s voices carried through the open window. Emily’s did, anyway; Daniel’s mumbles were harder to pick up.
