The whole room erupted into laugher. First it was Colton, who blinked a couple times, then started laughing so hard he wasn’t breathing. Then it was Elliot, who bent over, gripping his gut.
Fe only stood there, confused—not for the first time—by their odd behavior.
After a good ten minutes, Colton turned to Elliot, his grin wide as he pointed at Fe. “I like this girl, Elli. She’s a real spit-fire.”
Fe swallowed, because she still wasn’t sure what to make of these two.
Elliot sobered, looked over at Fe, then back to his brother. “What are you doing here, Colton?”
“I got a job.”
“Doing?” Elliot asked.
“Same ol’ thing. Special effects. This time with a different crew.”
“For how long?”
Colton shrugged. “A couple months. Longer if things go well.”
“And you didn’t think to call?”
“Nah.” Colton winked. “Callin’s overrated.” He walked into the kitchen then, took the plate of chicken from the fridge, and carried it over to the table. “You made this?” he asked. “You should be downright proud of yourself, Elli.”
“Don’t change the subject, Colton,” Elliot raked his hand through his hair, all humor gone. “Where are you staying?”
Colton tilted his head to the side, “I don’t know right yet,” he said around a mouth full of chicken. “I was hopin’ to find a soft couch to sleep on.”
Elliot widened his stance and immediately shook his head. “Oh no, don’t even—“
But before he could finish his sentence, Fe stepped in front of him. She wasn’t sure what possessed her, but in that moment, she couldn’t let him leave. “You can stay here, Colton.”
She turned back to Elliot, who was looking at her with wide eyes, and disbelief. “Fe, that’s not a good idea—”
But she cut him off, holding up her arm up as she headed for the hallway. “I’ll go get your bedding, Colton.”
She barely made it to the hall however, when Elliot grabbed her by the arm and spun her around to face him. “What the hell are you doing?” he whispered to her.
She looked him dead in the eye, trying not to take offense at his curt tone. “Getting blankets,” she stated.
“I can see that, Fe, but what I don’t understand, is why?”
“Because it’s the nice thing to do. Because he’s family—”
“Without my permission?” he cut her off.
She swallowed hard, her chest heavy, as she raised her chin a little bit higher. “I didn’t know I needed permission.” She yanked her arm out of his grasp, opened the closet, then proceeded to search the shelves looking for clean linens. “Why the hell do you have such a problem anyway? He’s your brother, Elliot. The least you can do is offer him a couch to lay his head.”
Elliot stepped closer to her, lowering his voice. “My brother and I’s relationship is none of your business, Fe.”
She froze, because even though what he said was completely true, it was the first time he’d ever said that to her before. The first time he’d said any part of his life was none of her business. She tried not to let it bother her, but his words were rolling around in her head, and she suddenly felt sick. Pulling pillows, blankets, and any sort of bedding from the shelves she could find, she closed the closet door, then turned once again to the living room.
“I’m putting my foot down, Fe.”
Her stomach twisted, and she turned slowly on her heels. “What?”
“I’m putting my foot down.”
She squeezed the blankets close to her chest and counted to three. “And what does that mean, exactly?
“It means,” he began. “That this is my house, and he’s not staying here. End of story.”
If her arms hadn’t been full of blankets, she would have slapped him. “Wow.” She scoffed. “And here I thought I was paying half the rent. Silly me.” She shoved past him with all her might, walked across the living room floor, and threw the pile of blankets on the couch.
“It’s all settled, Colton. You can stay as long as you’d like.” She flung the cushions from the back of the sofa, proceeded to dress the couch with sheets, pillows, and blankets. But she could barely think straight because her blood was boiling so hot. Who the hell did he think he was? Elliot had never spoken to her like that in five years. Not once. To hear those words come out of his mouth made her want to howl in pain.
She knew it wasn’t her place to invite Colton to stay, but after Elliot’s words in the hall, there was no way she was going to let him walk out that door. No way.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Colton was the first piece of Elliot’s past she’s ever met. Asshole or not, she couldn’t let him leave without getting some answers. Like why Elliot never talked about his father, or why he ignored his mom’s phone calls but always seemed to feel guilty about it the next day. He was the piece of the puzzle she needed, and she couldn’t let him go. Not yet.
Satisfied with her makeshift bed, she smoothed her shirt over her body, then turned once again to the hall. Elliot was leaning against the doorjamb watching her, and she could tell by his stance that he was still angry.
“There are towels in the cabinet above the toilet, Colton,” she said without looking over at him. “Please help yourself to the shower if you’d like.”
Colton tipped his head in her direction, covering the plate of chicken before standing to his feet. “Thank you, sweetheart. I appreciate your hospitality, I really do.”
She gave him a hesitant smile, then glanced over at Elliot. “Thank your brother. It’s his house after all.”
Without waiting for either one of them to respond, she walked across the living room, passed Elliot in the hall, who gently reached out to grab her arm. “What are you doing?” he asked softly. This time his voice was pleading, and she almost felt sympathetic.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m going to bed.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
She yanked her arm from his grasp, not wanting him to touch her, and walked into her room.
“Fe, can we talk about this,” he asked.
But she closed the door behind her, not giving him a second thought. She walked across the room, pulled down her covers, and proceeded to crawl into bed.
Never in the five years she’d lived with him, had she gone to bed angry, had she ignored him so bluntly, or shied away from his touch. It was funny how things changed so quickly.
Eventually, she heard him move away from the door, and his own door slam a moment later. She rolled to her side, staring at the wall, waiting for her heart to slow down.
“What are you doing, Fe?” she asked herself. “What in God’s name are you doing?”
Chapter 11
Her argument with Elliot was all she could think about that Monday at school. Every time she adjusted a microscope, or answered a child’s question about epithelial tissue, she was distracted by memories of their fight. First, with how great the night had started out, then later, by how tragically it all had ended. But who could blame her for wanting another person in the house at the moment? If it hadn’t been for Colton’s interruption, she wasn’t sure what would have happened. Because every time she was left alone with him lately, she craved his touch. Every time he looked at her, her heart started to race.
Scrubbing over her tired eyes with the heels of her hands, she took a cleansing breath. Honestly, she wasn’t sure if she’d slept more than a minute the entire weekend. Her mind kept playing his words, then hers, then his again, over and over again in her head. It was enough to drive a girl crazy. And fill her with a belly full of wings, that hadn’t stopped flapping for the past seventy-two hours.
Right now, she glanced over the pristine tables she’d spent the last two hours cleaning, then picked up the last of her dust rags, and threw it in the hamper. The science lab had never been this pristine.
It was normall
y her sanctuary, her safe place, but even in this condition, it hardly brought her any comfort. Because all she could think about was how insensitive she’d been to Elliot.
Clenching her jaw, she told herself she wasn’t going to cry. Yes, she was curious about his family, and yes, she had an overwhelming feeling that without Colton around, things between her and Elliot would become even more complicated, but she should have never invited him to stay. Not without talking to Elliot first. She buried her face in her hands, realizing she was turning into a raving lunatic!
The door to the science lab opened then, causing Fe’s whole body to stiffen as she turned around. She’d been expecting Elliot, because it was odd he hadn’t tried calling by now. When her eyes locked on the door however, her body instantly relaxed when she saw Mrs. G’s, pushing a rolling cart of test tubes into the building.
Mrs. G paused when she noticed her, clearly shocked to find Fe still there. “Mija?” She pushed the cart toward the closet. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Fe straightened her back. “I just…the lab was so dirty…”
“Mija.” Mrs. G interrupted. “I’ve known you over a year. The only time you clean is when something is bothering you.” Her hands planted firmly on her hips, and she frowned. “Is this about a boy?”
Fe laughed. “No.” She shook her head. “Not at all.”
“A Man? Mr. Peeking?”
“No.” Fe choked, realizing Mrs. G knew more than she let on. “Not him. Thank God, not him.”
“Well what is it then? Your period?”
Fe shook her head. “No…”
Mrs. G covered her mouth. “Are you pregnant?”
“God no.” Fe gripped the bridge of her nose and scoffed. “I’m not pregnant. Jesus. It’s nothing like that.”
Mrs. G stood in front of her. “You don’t look like it’s nothing. Dis right here”–she waved her finger over Fe’s face—“Is not nothing.”
Fe blew out a breath, knowing Mrs. G wouldn’t leave unto she confessed. “Okay.” She let out a heavy breath. “If you must know, I had a fight with my roommate the other day.”
“Go on.”
“And we went to bed angry for the first time ever, and I’ve felt terrible ever since.”
“So it is about a boy.”
“Well yeah… but not that kind of boy. Not like what you’re saying.”
“Well what kind of boy is he?”
Fe hopped up on a table, wringing her fingers in her hands. “Well, he’s a normal boy. My best friend if I’m being honest. But we’re not romantic, if that’s what you’re meaning.”
“Uh huh… and what was this fight about?”
“Well…” She cleared her throat, because suddenly having to say things out loud, made them time times worse. “You see…his brother, who he hadn’t seen in four years, came to visit. It was out of the blue, and Elliot obviously didn’t want him there.” She paused to take a breath.“But well, and I’m not really sure what possessed me, but I somehow invited Colton to sleep on our couch.”
“No!” Mrs. G covered her mouth.
“Yes!” Fe hopped down from the table, her heart pounding again.
“Who’s Colton?” Mrs. G asked with wide eyes.
A bubble of laughter sprung to Fe’s throat, not because it was funny, but because it was so crazy, so un like her, that she couldn’t quite believe it was true. “Elliot’s brother.” She almost cried.
Somehow, saying the whole thing out loud had the opposite effect than what she was hoping. Somehow, she felt even more panicked about returning home than ever before. “Do you want to go to dinner, Mrs. G? There’s that new Italian place around the corner. My treat?”
Mrs. Gomez tsked her tongue, then came to rest her hand of Fe’s shoulder. “Mija, I know you. You’re avoiding your problems.”
Fe peered down to her hands, took a breath, then tilted her chin upward and met Mrs. G’s eyes. But her emotions were getting the better of her, because her voice wobbled when she spoke again. “I really messed up. I—I don’t know how to fix it.”
Mrs. G placed her hand on Fe’s cheek and met her eyes. “How about ‘I’m sorry’, Mija? That’s always a good place to start.”
Fe took a deep breath, mildly comforted by Mrs. G’s presence. “You’re probably right.”
The old woman smiled at her, then patted her hand. “I’m always right, Mija.”
Fe tried to laugh, but she couldn’t. Because how could she truly laugh, when Elliot was miles away, obviously still mad at her.
“You’re too stubborn, Fe.”
“I know.”
“It will get you in trouble one day.”
She Mrs. G’s eyes and nodded. “It already has.”
Mrs. Gomez laughed, then hitched her bag off the hook by the closet, and headed for the door. “You’re a good girl, Mija. You’ll do the right thing. You just have to trust yourself.”
Fe nodded, her heart hammering with the realization of what she had to do. She waited for Mrs. G to close the door, then fished the cellphone out of her pocket and pulled up Elliot’s number. She hesitated for a minute, but then opened up a text and typed out a message.
Fe: I’m sorry.
Elliot: …
She waited a couple minutes of his reply, but it promptly disappeared.
Fe: I saw the dots. You may as well tell me what’s on your mind.
Elliot: What do you want me to say?
Fe: How about, “Fe, you dumb-ass cunt, why did you invite my sleaze-ass brother to stay with us?”
Elliot: Did you just use the C word?
Fe smiled.
Fe: I did. I deserve it.
Elliot: No. You don’t.
Fe: …
Elliot: I shouldn’t have put my foot down. You’re right. It’s your house too.
Fe: …
Elliot: We were both stupid.
Fe: Especially me.
Elliot: I’ll let you have that one.
Fe laughed, lifting herself up to sit on one of the tables again.
Even though she couldn’t see his face, she could tell he was teasing her, and that was a step in the right direction.
Elliot: Do you want to grab dinner somewhere? Forget the whole thing happened?
Fe nodded, then began kicking her feet.
Fe: I would love nothing more.
Elliot: I know a place close to your work. I’ll pick you up?
Fe: What about my car?
Elliot: I’ll drive you back. You can pick it up after?
Fe: You’re making me nervous.
Elliot: Come on. Have I ever steered you wrong before?
Fe: …
Elliot: Don’t answer that.
Fe: Hurry up and get here. I’m hungry.
Fifteen minutes later, in the cab of his bright blue pickup truck, Elliot pulled into Hillman’s faculty parking lot. He got out of the vehicle, his new aviator glasses shielding his face as he leaned against the cab. “You ready?” he shouted to her.
The vision of him standing there, leaning against is blue pickup, reminded her of the scene from Sixteen Candles. He’d obviously gone home after work, because his hair was done, his clothes relaxed and comfortable instead of slacks and button up he normally wore.
She grabbed her backpack off the low wall and hopped down to the sidewalk. “Where are you taking me?” she asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
He wore his new jeans, and a faded salmon t-shirt that made his skin look bronzed and golden, but it was his smile which captivated her. Broad, and genuine. The best smile she’d ever seen in her life.
“Patience has never been one of your virtues, Fe Porto.”
She rolled her eyes, then opened the door to his truck. She threw her backpack to the back seat, and proceeded to fasten her seatbelt.
“How was work?” he asked when he was once again in the driver’s seat beside her.
“Good. How was the office?”
He shrugged. “Things are g
etting crazy with the acquisition. Everyone’s stressed and barking orders…but I guess that’s to be expected.”
She nodded, forcing herself to look out the windshield. “Have you heard from Mary at all?” It was a simple question, one that was appropriate given the line of conversation, but it still made her stomach hurt.
He stopped for a moment. “Aside from a few emails, no. Not really.”
She looked back at him.
“Think that’s a bad thing?”
Pulling the sun-visor down in front of her face, she shook her head. “Nah. I’m sure she’s just busy.”
He grinned. “I’ll take your word for it.”
For the next fifteen minutes, silence filled the cab of the pickup. Which was both good and bad. Good, because she really didn’t want to talk about Mary anymore, but bad, because instead of talking about her, she was left with way too much time to think about her. About how soon she’d be back. About what she would think about Elliot’s new look. She also found herself wondering what Mary looked like. Because it didn’t happen often, but Elliot was actually interested in someone, and that was a big deal. This had happened only two—maybe three other times in the entire time they’d lived together. It always made her a little uncomfortable when he had a girl, mostly because she always felt awkward around new people…but this was different. Maybe because she could see how serious he was. Maybe because they were getting older, because she knew financially he didn’t need her as a roommate any longer, and if he had a girlfriend—
The truck stopped suddenly, making Fe glance up at their surroundings. They were in the parking lot of The Barn, the new line dancing spot her co-workers were joking about.
Elliot shifted to park, but it was still a good minute before she glanced over at him, forcing herself to swallow. “You’re taking me to The Barn?”
He threw his glasses to the dashboard and nodded. “I thought we’d try something different for a change? Break up the monotony?”
Fe blinked. Break up the monotony? They loved monotony. She cleared her throat again. “They ride bulls here.”
It was a statement more than a question, but he turned to face her, his shoulders visibly deflating. “We can leave if you want, I just thought—”
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