He paused the game suddenly. “What?”
“Yeah. It’s just not my thing.” I took another bite of the pizza, hoping to end the conversation. Taking the hint, he pressed play again, resuming the game as he laughed dryly, almost like a hacking cough.
"We'll change that, Wes. If you live with me long enough, you'll be just as good at this game as I am, and I'm a level eighty-seven warlord slayer. That's almost as high as it gets."
I stared at the screen, his words haunting me as I listened to him clicking away on his controller.
I won't be here that long, Elias. I promise you I won't.
I thought it to myself, rather than saying it aloud, because it was more of a cry than a statement. I couldn't stay there long enough to learn that. I wasn't sure I'd survive it.
Chapter Eight
The next day, when I left the house, Elias’ bedroom door was closed, a sure sign that he’d already begun his workday. All the better for me, honestly. I made my coffee in peace, no need to carry on futile conversation, and cooked some bacon. Then, for good measure, I left him a plate in the fridge, the strips wrapped in a paper towel in case he smelled it cooking and wanted some.
I was glad for the peace and quiet, truth be told. Elias had found a way to fill every moment of my silence at home with endless questions and conversation.
It was just another thing I missed about Addy. She knew when I needed my space. When I'd mentally checked out and just needed to sit in silence. Elias didn't seem to have that ability or care.
After breakfast, I washed the pan and placed it back into the cabinet—I was practicing being a better husband, even if it was just for Elias—grabbed my to-go mug, keys, and phone, and headed out the door.
When I walked into work, my skin grew cold.
What the…
I stared at the sight, though none of it made sense. Why was he there?
No.
No.
What the hell was he doing there?
I stormed through the buzzing lobby, bursting into my boss's office without knocking, something I'd never do ordinarily.
"Wes!" Stewart said gleefully, mid-laugh at a joke I hadn't heard. "Come in, come in." He waved me over to his desk, but I was too busy staring at Elias to pay him any attention.
"Hey, buddy," Elias said. "I'll have to tell you what your boss just said. You didn't tell me he was so funny. Has he heard it?"
Stewart chuckled loudly. “I don’t think so.”
Elias pointed a finger-gun at me. “Have you heard the one about the two sailors who take an RV trip?”
I shook my head. "I-I'm sorry. What am I missing? What are you doing here?"
"You were holding out on me," Stewart said, still chuckling to himself. "You didn't tell me you had an in with someone in IT."
"I didn't know that would matter…" I trailed off, still trying to make sense of it all. Was I in a dream? Had I not actually woken up that morning?
"And not just in IT, but a leader in the field. Elias here is one of the leading cybersecurity specialists in the South. Did you know that?" he asked, patting Elias' shoulder.
"I…" I shook my head, still not comprehending what was happening.
"When you told me what was going on, I just couldn't not get involved. Not when my friend's company needed me so badly. Cybersecurity is my passion, bud. How could I not step in and come to the rescue when you so obviously needed me?" He put a hand on my shoulder, a twinkle in his eye as he glared at me.
“Elias here was just telling me he was going to offer our company a free IT checkup. He thinks he can figure out where the hackers gained access and set us up with a VNB—"
"VPN," Elias corrected.
"Right, right. VPN."
"We didn't already have one of those?"
"Well…" Stewart rambled off, shaking his head. "I'm really not sure. He's checking now. You know how I am with these things. Give me an opportunity, and I'll make a sale. Give me a computer, and I'll make a mistake." He chuckled under his breath, but Elias joined him in an uproarious fit of laughter.
“That was a good one, sir. You’re killing me.” He looked at me, his arms folded over his stomach as he laughed. “How do you work with this guy?”
I stared at them both in utter horror, feeling like I’d woken up in another universe. Bizarre didn’t begin to cover it. How had my awkward roommate suddenly become the life of the party? And why was he here? I’d told him to stay out of it. Why wasn’t Stewart mad?
When the laughter faded out, obviously drained quicker by my lacking sense of humor, Stewart cleared his throat, pulling himself up in his chair. "Well, anyway, Elias here is going to fix us right up. And we have you to thank for it."
"Yes, but I didn't ask him to come—"
"Oh, buddy!” Elias’ hand was back on my shoulder, his grip too tight. “You know you didn't have to ask. That's what I was telling Stewart before you got here. I know you were feeling shy about asking for a favor, but it's really no trouble at all. I'm happy to help. After all, what are friends for?"
He smiled at me, his pebble-teeth poking out from behind his lips, and I felt a sickly feeling wash over me. Why was he here? What did he want? Why couldn't he just take no for an answer?
"Stewart, look… All due respect here, I just don't think that it's really the best idea in the world for us to be mixing our personal lives with work. Isn't that what we've always said? It's why we don't have Christmas parties or company picnics. It's why you don't like our families to visit the office. You've always said it winds up causing more trouble than it's worth."
He
