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And guilty.
Weird.
“Hi, Tommy,” I flash a bright smile. “I just wanted to stop by and see how Eli is doing.”
Tommy nods quickly, averting his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. He’s, uh, inside. Playing some game Max got him.” He shuffles his feet, a dark red flush coloring his face.
“Okay.” I knock on the half-open door and push it open when Eli calls for me to come in. With a quick glance over my shoulder, I see Tommy’s jaw set as he returns the phone to his ear.
I step inside, my ears straining to hear snippets of his very heated conversation. I shouldn’t be listening, but his behavior is so strange. Scary, almost. My skin prickles with some odd sensation as I catch a few grunts.
“…not what I signed up for…contract…don’t care…never be enough…”
I try to ignore the rest and focus on Eli…Eli and anything he’ll divulge about his new buddy.
“Hi,” I say. “How are you doing today?”
Eli shrugs, not looking up from his game. “Okay, I guess.”
“Have you eaten?”
“Yeah. Max had breakfast with me. He’s a cool guy. Sucks at Fortnite, but still cool to hang out with.”
“I hope you didn’t tell him that. He’s a pretty sore loser.” I laugh. “Have you taught him any of your tricks?”
“Nah.” Eli drops his game onto the bed and leans back against his pillow. “I don’t trade secrets. I mean, I helped him out a few times, tried to show him some things. But you know, he kinda does what he wants to do, even though I told him he’s doing it wrong.”
I snicker. “That sounds like Max. He gets an idea in his head and it just sticks.”
“He’s pretty stubborn.”
“Yep.”
We both laugh, for the first time. And it makes me feel so good. He may not be telling me anything earth-shattering, but he’s actually talking to me. He’s not just sitting on his bed with a scowl on his face. He’s smiling, laughing, and engaging.
Because of Max.
Max, who is the most impulsive person I know, who never thinks first, who’s always quick with a sarcastic comment, who tries so hard to do the right thing…
Tries to do the right thing.
What the hell happened to him last night?
“Are you really good friends with him?”
Eli’s question stops me mid-giggle. “With Max? Um, well, technically we’ve known each other for a long time. He’s my best friend’s brother.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just because you know someone for a long time doesn’t mean you’re really good friends.”
“True,” I say, patting the top of my head.
“He talks about you a lot.”
My hand flies to my heart. “He does?”