Year 28 - J.L. Mac Page 0,59

in my seat and clear my throat.

“Who was that?” she whispers.

“That’s no one. Listen I’ll just play it by ear and let you know before I head back to DC. There are some things I need to see to while I’m here.”

“I bet,” she mutters, nodding.

I go on, ignoring her comment. “I’ll email Dominic now and let him know that he’s going to be at the helm for a bit longer. Be sure to give his assistant support if she requires it.” Bethany goes on giving me a rundown of things I have missed, her eyes clearly scanning the edges of the video feed for an encore appearance from Sylas. I listen to her updates while I watch Sy with poorly concealed wonder. Though most of my inner circle voted against this little extended stay, I am happy that I vetoed them all and did this for me, for him, for his charity. It’s going to be terrible plucking him from my life yet again but the chemistry, the history, the way we fit together… it’s magic.

Magic is an illusion, stupid, Negativity laughs wickedly.

I try to imagine Negativity with a piece of gray-silver duct tape over her flapping mouth and immediately my mood lightens.

Anyway, Sy was right about the charity thing. I’ve always been a sucker for a good cause. Helping him to help the people that benefit from his nonprofit is a no-brainer, and it makes Cline look like a better politician than he actually is.

Hey, maybe this is like… closure you know? A healthy thing to help you close out the Sylas chapter on a positive note, Optimism proposes and I make a mental note to try to seek Optimism’s input more often, though for the last several years I was beginning to think she was a deaf mute.

“Have any of the news outlets gotten back to us about the live town hall feature for Cline?”

“Not yet but I am keeping an eye out for it. How’s your stomach? Doctor Garcia’s nurse called to remind you they are waiting for you to book that endoscopy thing. Should I schedule it for you?”

“My stomach is fine and please tell Doctor Garcia’s nurse that I am busy and in no hurry to have a video camera attached to a sewer snake crammed down my throat while I’m drugged,” I deadpan then shiver thinking about it.

And you don’t have anyone to stay with you afterward until the anesthesia wears off as they had recommended, Practicality adds with a nod. I mentally cut my eyes at her telling her to have a seat. I’m fully—painfully aware that I have no one there to depend on. No family. No real friends. Hell, even my neighbors are never around. I only have Bethany and that is only because it’s her job though she has made several attempts at befriending me.

“You got it,” Bethany chirps. “He’s hot. Is he like… an old flame?” she whispers.

“What?”

“The guy!” she laughs. “I didn’t imagine the stud in the boxers. So, is he hotter in person? I bet he is.”

“Yes. Too hot for his own good,” I deadpan staring him right in the eyes over the top of my cellphone. Bethany giggles, I hang up. Sy nods his satisfaction, grinning like he did when we were teenagers. It does funny things to me.

Tread carefully, Self-Preservation whispers and she’s right. I will need to keep my head on straight during this short reunion—this opportunity at closure while doing a good deed as Optimism said. I have no plans of falling in love with Sylas Broussard again. I still don’t forgive him for what happened back then.

Negativity has duct tape sealing her mouth shut but her quirked up brows say plenty on her behalf.

Wal-Mart.

Hell has frozen over and pigs now fly because clad in Wal-Mart clothing head to toe, including cute little sandals, Sy and I are now going to dinner at a local place he swears has the absolute best ribs. Yes, I said the sandals are cute. Actually so is the clothing. Soft denim shorts with a frayed hem and a flowing top that I had not expected to like at all. The designer clothes in my apartment back home are weeping but the big box store was the only place nearby with clothing to get me by until Sy takes me back to Palmetto Grove tomorrow for my car and suitcase. I can’t say I care about luxury threads at the moment, not when Sylas is temporarily back