“Give him 500 bucks to grab a meal while you’re at it. At least he wouldn’t have waited all night for nothing,”
I whispered to Josie, “Your brother’s unhinged, but he’s actually kind of nice.”
Josie had nothing to say.
Worried that Logan might come harass me, Josie suggested I stay at her place for a few days.
Simon didn’t object. In fact, he even offered me his room, claiming that it had better light. Then, he moved into the guest room next to Roman’s bedroom.
Josie clicked her tongue in amazement.
“Simon never lets me bring girls home, and he doesn’t let them touch his things. I was starting to think he might be a bit of a misogynist. But look at how accommodating he is with you! Do you know what that means?”
“What does it mean?” I asked.
Simon’s footsteps on the stairs suddenly slowed.
“It means that Logan and Leah, those two scumbags, were so outrageous that even my cold–blooded brother can’t help but sympathize you!” Josie huffed.
“If you have nothing better to say, just shut up,” Simon said through gritted teeth.
After that, he stomped heavily down the stairs.
Simon’s room was spotless, and it carried a faint scent of wood. As I opened the window to let some air in, the breeze knocked some files off the bookshelf.
I bent down to pick them up and realized they were all medical records I wrote for Josie three years ago. At the very bottom was one written by Simon in elegant handwriting.
“Tara Cruz, Greenery Hospital.”
It looked emotionless. Yet, at the same time, the page held something deeply restrained.
I felt like I stumbled upon a secret I wasn’t supposed to know. My hands trembled as I carefully put the papers back in place.
Then, I crawled into bed, stiff as a board, telling myself not to overthink it.
But the room was filled with Simon’s presence. Every time I closed my eyes, his face flickered through my mind like a slideshow.
For the rest of the night, I struggled to fall asleep.
The next morning, all of us
hered at the table for breakfast.
I had dark circles under my eyes. So did Simon. Meanwhile, Roman looked like he aged ten years overnight.
Josie was stunned. “What happened to you guys? Did no one sleep well?”
I stammered, “I–I guess… I’m just not used to a different bed.”
