Page 38 of When the Smoke Clears
He stands, buttoning his jacket with practiced efficiency. “You’ll regret your decision someday, you know.”
I stand too, using every inch of my three-inch height advantage. He hates that.
“Then it’ll be my regret to bear,” I say calmly. “And I won’t burden you with it.”
He turns to go, then pauses in the doorway for one last swing. “Your mother worries about you.”
“She knows I’m happy,” I reply. “That’s all she cares about.”
“Since you have it all figured out,” he says, opening the door wide, “I’ll just show myself out.”
His shoes click sharply against the tile as he strides away, leaving the door half open.
I close my eyes as tension knots at my temples and exhale through my teeth. My cell phone rings.
My voice comes out tight, frustration bleeding through the single word. “Wild.”
“Whoa. Who pissed in your Cheerios?” Gabe’s voice is light, a chuckle crackling through the line.
“I’ll give you two guesses,” I mutter.
“I don’t even need one,” he says smoothly. “I’ve got some information on your girl.”
“She’s not my girl,” I snap automatically.
“Ex-girl. Whatever. Come by my place, and we’ll talk.”
I glance out the window at the jagged mountain peaks cutting into the sky. “Why can’t we talk now?”
The rhythmic tapping of his keyboard filters through the line, followed by his answer. “It needs to be in person.”
“Is she okay?” I ask.
“She’s fine now,” he says. “But she was pretty shaken up last night.”
I let out a slow breath.
“You need to talk to her,” he adds.
I don’t even hesitate. “She’s had years to reach out to me, Gabe.”
“I don’t think it’s what it seems.”
The tightness in my chest ratchets up again. “Why are you talking in riddles? Just tell me what’s going on.”
“You two need to have a conversation,” he replies. “It’s time to make peace.”
“Peace,” I echo, tugging at the collar of my shirt. “I have so much damn peace it’s pouring out of me.”
“I stand corrected,” he deadpans. “You’re basically Gandhi…with a gun.”
“Exactly.”
His tone shifts, the humor dropping out. “Seriously, Luke. You two need to talk.”
A beat.
“It could be a matter of life and death.”
