Page 74 of Smoke and Glitter

"I would expect nothing less."

That settles between us for a moment.

Summer reaches for one of the pastries under the towel and breaks it in half.

I finally gather up the courage and ask, "How did he look?"

Summer doesn't need me to say who.

"Tired."

I pick at the edge of the pastry. "Just tired?"

She studies me.

"Don't make me drag it out of you."

"I'm trying not to tell you things you didn't ask for."

"I just asked."

"Fine. He looked like shit."

A small, ugly part of me is glad.

The rest of me immediately wants more.

"Was he eating?"

Summer's eyebrows lift.

"I didn't conduct a wellness check, Autumn. He looked tired. Angry. Distracted."

"At me?"

"I don't know."

"At himself?"

"I don't know that either."

I sit back.

"You're very unhelpful."

"I'm trying not to write his emotional biography because you asked how his face looked."

"Fair."

Summer takes a drink of coffee.

"He asked when you were leaving and I told him. Has he reached out to you?"

I unlock my phone and slide it across the table.

Summer reads the message.

Hope the tour stuff is going okay.