Page 52 of Not In The Contract

Alex looked up from her computer with a fleeting smile in greeting and I sat down in what had become my seat. She didn’t say anything and neither did I; our tenuous professional relationship had stuttered to an awkward halt after I basically spied on Alex and her sister.

I opened my laptop and went back to my paper, sorting through the chunks of information I’d noted in my Notes app. Music played softly through my earphones, helping me zero in and focus despite the keen awareness of Alex’s presence just feet away.

The sky outside slowly darkened until the streetlamps far below us lit up one by one. I yawned and shut the lid of my laptop, stretching my arms high above my head until my bones popped.

“We can get going,” Alex said, jolting me out of my daze.

I nodded and quickly packed my things to follow her out.

The ride back to the house was just as silent as the rest of our encounters, and I couldn’t rid myself of the discomfort that sat in the car between us. I was already terrible enough at being social and the added tension did nothing but elevate my anxiety to stratospheric heights.

We went our separate ways and I tried not to let my disappointment show as I trudged upstairs. It was late, well past ten at night, and I was ready to sink into my soft mattress and pretend I was back home. As with most things in my life, I’d have to wait.

My phone vibrated in my back pocket just as I shut my door and I suppressed a whimper of exhaustion as I answered.

“Hello?”

“Woah, are you okay?” Tamera asked, her voice concerned.

I flopped back onto the bed, my feet relieved to be off the ground.

“I guess so.” I yawned, rubbing my free hand over my eyes. “It’s been a really long day.”

“It sounds like it’s been a long week and it’s only Wednesday.”

“We just got back,” I mumbled, fighting to keep my eyes open. “I had six lectures today, and Alex was barely in the office. I think we’re both pretty beat.”

“Jesus, Devon.” She groaned. “And you still have to wake up at the ass crack of dawn tomorrow?”

“Yup.” I sighed. “I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about the weekend. I’m going to sleep for forty-eight hours straight.”

“I’m mad because this is cutting into best friend time,” she grumbled, and it stoked the dying embers of my consciousness.

“That reminds me,” I said and sat up. “I didn’t tell you about Jamie.”

“Who the hell is that?”

“I’ll start from the top,” I said, and plunged into the story of me getting caught by Alex and then hiding in my room after.

Tamera giggled relentlessly at my misfortune. “I can’t believe you did that!” she cackled.

“You would have done the same thing,” I accused. “Plus, it wasyourtext that got me caught!”

“What sane person doesn’t leave their phone behind on spying missions?” she said, her words barely coherent over her laughter. “Or at least put it on silent or something, oh my God.”

“I wasn’t in my right mind,” I defended. “I’d just been told to stay in my room by someone who may as well be a stranger.Of courseI’d want to know what the hell was going on.”

“Well, I can’t fault you,” she said. “So, what happened after that? Did Alex chew you out?”

“I honestly expected her to,” I admitted, picking at a spot on the duvet cover. “I wouldn’t have blamed her either. But I found her in the gym looking like she’d just run a marathon. And we had dinner.”

I stopped, not wanting to say much more about Alex’s personal life.

“But you talked about it?” she asked. “And that’s how you found out about this person, Jamie or whatever?”

“Yeah, she’s Alex’s little sister,” I explained. “They had a rough upbringing. Long story short, Jamie seems to resent Alex for how long it took her to find Jamie. But I can’t say more than that. It’s just an uncomfortable situation.”

“And you’re holed up and avoiding the whole thing?” she guessed.