Page 67 of All The Ways to Miss You

At the thought of pizza, my stomach grumbles. I find a napkin and utensils and fill my plate. I sit at the table and watch him. “Running twenty miles wasn’t enough?”

He hops to his feet with zero effort. “Actually, I wanted to show off.”

I laugh and find my headache has subsided. “I’m impressed. It worked. I’ve never seen a six-pack before.”

“Eight.” He corrects me with a grin and grabs a slice for himself. “Your leprechaun came by,” he says with a full mouth. He refills my water and gives me that look again. Drink.

“What did you tell her?” I pick up the glass and sip.

“I didn’t. She plowed me over and ran through the apartment until she found you sleeping. I’m surprised you didn’t wake up. She’s loud.”

“I’m surprised you survived. She’s crazy.” I place the glass on the table.

He flips a kitchen chair backward and straddles it. A triangle of pizza hangs from his grip. “Why does she call you the Princess of Darkness?”

I chew and swallow. “She jokes I’m a vampire.”

With his mouth full, he rolls his hand in air for me to elaborate.

“Because I run at night, wear a lot of black, and my favorite T-shirt.” I sit back so he can read my shirt, but leave my depression issues out of the explanation. “Not sure why, but it is.” A fact I was always positive about, even before I put it on for the first time after. I didn’t even recall The Cure’s music, but now that I’ve found it, I’m obsessed.

“Aggie stayed for a few hours, but she said she was bored. She’ll call later.”

I nod.

“And your phone’s been buzzing like crazy.” He pushes it toward me.

I swipe through and read the messages. “It’s Linden. He says he’ll fire me if I return to work tomorrow. Did you tell him?”

Evan shrugs. “You need a break.”

“But I’m about to close a deal.” My voice rises.

“Calm down. He’s already been in contact with what’s-his-face from Lakeman,” he says the name with annoyance. “And they want to meet on Wednesday anyway. Linden will handle it until then, so enjoy a few skip days.”

I cross my arms and slouch back into the chair, giving him a dirty look.

“If it helps, two of Lakeman’s principals are out of town. Nothing will be executed until they return anyway. You know these deals take time.”

“How do you know?” I turn defensive.

“I worked there from the time I was ten. That’s how negotiations work. It could take weeks or even months. You know that. You’re just not thinking clearly.”

I relax a little. He’s right. I shift in my seat and cross my legs, still uncomfortable with the idea.

An unrelated image pops into my head. More memories. I stare into space, watching, until Evan snaps his fingers. I blink at him, my eyes fluttering aware.

“You’re zoning out again. You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. Just out of it.” That seems to cover everything wrong with me at the moment, but I need a distraction. I perk up with an idea. “Can we watch a movie?”

thirty

Evan and I lounge on the couch, watching two movies in a row. My pick is a romantic comedy; his is a raunchy, slapstick comedy.

Aggie says you can tell a lot about a person by the movies they choose. I’m worried about what his choice means. Either way, I’m happy to give my mind a rest. I’m afraid if I push for more memories and can’t find any, it will return me to my state of mind from this morning—overwhelmed and confused. For once, I want to look on the bright side and enjoy the small victory.

“I’m sorry you didn’t finish the race,” I say.