“As you always are.”
The call ends, and I stare at my phone, wondering what the fuck I did to deserve this.
Chapter 7
Miles
Noah is fast asleep, and I’m nodding off on the couch, the TV on but muted when Audrey walks in later than usual. Whatever is on isn’t what I was watching a minute ago…
“Hey, how was he?” she asks softly, closing the door and hanging up her keys.
“Great, as usual.” I stand and stretch, my back popping in a few spots.
“You can stay if you want.”
“I’m right upstairs, Audrey. It’s fine.” I kiss her cheek and pull open the door. “See you in the morning.”
Upstairs, I take a shower and get into bed. I’m just drifting to sleep when my phone rings and wakes me. I reach for it blindly, assuming it’s Audrey. I slide the bar to answer.
“What’d I forget?” I mutter into the phone. It’s silent on the other end. “Hello?”
“Is this Miles?”
I recognize the voice instantly and shoot upwards.
JJ.
“Hey, sorry.” I clear my throat. “I thought you were my sister.”
“You were sleeping. I’ll—”
“I wasn’t,” I say quickly.
It’s silent for a moment, then he says, “Okay.”
“What’s up?” I ask, trying to sound wide awake. I don’t want him to feel bad. I told him to call at any time if he needed to talk, and maybe he does. But if he thinks he’s bothering me, he won’t.
When I started college, I went back and forth on being a teacher or a therapist. Obviously I went with teaching, but sometimes I wonder how my life would be different had I gone in the other direction. I love helping people, and I’m not bothered when people unload their problems on me. If it makes them feel better, I feel better.
“Can’t sleep,” he mutters.
“Ah, yeah. Same.”
He huffs a laugh. “You could just admit you were sleeping.”
“But if I did that, you’d want to get off the phone.”
“I don’t know that I want to be on the phone, anyway.”
“You called. That has to mean something.”
It falls silent again, and I hear him softly breathing on the other side.
“My house is too quiet,” he says.
“Put the TV on.”
“None of them are set up, and I don’t feel like doing that right now.”
