Page 394 of Double or Nothing

“Maybe I should take up cold calling? Enterprise level. I’d hit the top of the leaderboard.”

Alice laughs through her tears.

Bryce moves closer. I extend one arm without releasing her, and he joins us.

The three of us stand tangled together behind my desk. In The Argent. The hub of the life I’ve returned to like a reformed man. A better man. Because of these two.

Red.

Purple.

Yellow.

The triptych restored.

The door opens again.

Eli stops on the threshold. He regards us with his usual unreadable expression.

Nobody moves away or tries to hide the contact. I’ve spent enough of my life pretending that what matters to me doesn’t, and these two make up my whole damn world.

He holds out a hand to Alice.

“Eli Carlton,” he says.

She wipes beneath her eyes.

“Alice Rose.”

Not Parker.

Eli notices.

His head inclines.

“A pleasure to meet you. Under quite extreme circumstances, but a pleasure all the same.”

“Nice to meet you, too.”

“Clearly, you’re the other someone. I’m sure I’ll be seeing a lot of you.”

Alice glances towards Bryce.

“We’re someones,” he tells her. “Jack’s someones. The someones that seemed to make a difference to him.”

“Ah, I see,” she says. “Well, I’m happy to be a someone, not just a Parker.”

Eli’s eyes are brighter when he looks at me. Back to his usual self. Tension buried back in his closet of secrets.

“Go home, Jack,” he says.

“What if they come back?”

“Then I’ll handle it.”

“You shouldn’t have to.”

“I’d want to.” He slaps my shoulder. “Go. Enjoy your time with your someones and make sure Bryce gets ice for his hand. It’s swelling.”