“This has nothing to do with Addison,” she said, relieving some of the new tension he’d begun to feel. “Only reason I don’t want her to hear is because she was there last night when I told Isaiah I’d keep something to myself, and I don’t want her to think I’m ratting anyone out. I’m just worried.”
“Jesus, Em, can you just tell me already? You’re worrying me now.”
“Okay, okay,” she said quickly.
She told him about seeing Isaiah and Kelli chatting last night on her way to the ladies’ room. How Kelli had given her some lame excuse for why she’d taken so long to get to the cocktail party and how Isaiah had asked both her and Addison to keep what they saw to themselves. That alone annoyed AJ. Why the hell was he asking Addison to keep shit from him? Even if it were nothing since Em explained Isaiah’s reasoning.
“I hadn’t said anything to anyone because I felt bad even thinking it, but way back the first time we all met her, you were out of town, and we were all over at Uncle Manny’s for his birthday. Nathan said they had other plans nearby that evening but wanted to stop by and see Manny for a little bit. She was sweet enough, and there was nothing strange or off-putting about her behavior until Isaiah arrived. I happened to be talking to her when he walked out into the backyard, and the girl looked like she’d seen a ghost. I almost asked her if she knew him, but Nathan beat me to it and introduced them, and they both acted like they’d never met. After that, it was weird city. She seemed really uncomfortable; then she started saying they should get going, so they leave on their supposed date, and Nathan comes back to the party not a half hour later and said he took her home because she was feeling sick. Nothing major, right?”
AJ nodded as if his sister could see him taking in what she was saying. “Yeah, so what are you getting at?”
“I didn’t think it too big a deal until the next time I saw Nathan and he mentioned he wasn’t seeing her anymore. It’d only been like a week since Manny’s thing, and while I thought it odd because I didn’t think he’d ever bring anyone around us unless it were more serious, I didn’t make much of it. I hadn’t put any of it together until last night when I started watching her a little closer. I wanted so bad to get a moment alone with her so I could interrogate her a little, only they didn’t stick around, but I did watch her as they said good-bye. There was something so poignant in her eyes when she said good-bye to Isaiah and something so strangely uncomfortable in Isaiah’s. I started wracking my brain.”
For a moment, AJ had started losing interest in his little sister’s hair-brained suspicions. But then he remembered and told her about the strange exchange he’d witnessed between Isaiah and Kelli last night too.
“You see!” Em practically squealed. “Oh thank God it’s not all in my head. I felt so guilty even thinking Isaiah might be keeping something bigger from Nathan than just the fact that she’d asked him for advice. It wasn’t even until I told Sydney today about what I thought I might’ve imagined yesterday or maybe it was just a harmless touch.”
“Touch?” AJ asked, feeling even more annoyed with Isaiah now, but he waited because she did say she still wasn’t sure if she’d imagined it.
“Yeah, when they said good-bye and she gave everyone that obligatory friendly hug, maybe it was coincidental, but she hugged him last. I was busy watching the way they looked at each other, when I happened to glance down, and she slid her hand over his discreetly and he flinched. It happened so fast I couldn’t decide if I’d actually seen something incriminating or if at that point I was just making myself crazy trying to see something that wasn’t really there.”
“So you think maybe they knew each other before Nathan met her?” AJ asked, as confused by this as Emi sounded. “Isaiah never mentioned a Kelli in the past.”
“I know it’s weird, but it got me thinking about everything else. Nathan had asked me if Sydney or I wanted to come out with him to your Los Angeles game last month, the one Isaiah ended up going to. He said you’d already gotten him suite tickets, and Kelli, who’d previously agreed to go with him, couldn’t make the game after all. Neither could we, and then Isaiah got the day off at the last minute, and lo and behold, at the last minute she shows up too. I don’t know.” She exhaled loudly. “Am I looking too deep into this?”
“Oh shit!” AJ felt his eyes go wide. “Did either of them tell you what happened out there?”
“No, what happened?”
“She left.” He stopped mid-thought when it came to him. “That little conniving bitch!”
AJ explained about Isaiah and Kelli disappearing for a good ten to fifteen minutes and how Isaiah came back alone.
“He said she got a call about her mom being in an accident. Her mom’s dead by the way,” he said, pressing his lips together, not sure what the hell to make of all this. “Isaiah said she’d been upset and she left. She didn’t even bother to come back and say good-bye to Nathan. Then get this.” AJ opened the freezer and grabbed an ice cube then rubbed it on his neck. He could feel himself getting hot again. “She calls him a few minutes later and breaks things off.”
“Get out!”
“No. She fucking breaks up with him just like that over the phone then calls him again about a half hour later to say she was upset and not thinking straight. That’s when I knew I couldn’t stand her.”
“You’re kidding me,” Emi said, sounding as annoyed as he felt. “Why is Nathan still seeing her?”
“That’s what I want to know. He said just two weeks ago at the hospital he was done with her. It was why I was so pissed last night when I saw him show up with her.”
“Oh my God.” Emi gasped. “You think maybe it was why she went with Nathan? So she could try and get a moment alone with Isaiah? That sneaky little bitch!”
“I’m gonna ask Isaiah,” he said as he started back to his room.
“Don’t tell him I told you. There’s still a possibility I could be totally wrong about this.”
“I won’t,” he said, walking into his bedroom.
Just seeing Addison struggling but so determined to eat her noodles with the chopsticks made AJ smile, despite the exasperating evening he was having. He told Emi not to worry; he’d keep her name out of it. He’d talk to Isaiah the next time he got the chance alright, but at that moment, he needed to deal with something far more pressing first.
Chapter 21
Addison
“At the risk of sounding like a dick,” AJ said the moment he was off the phone, “can I ask you to please not keep anything from me, even if it is one of my siblings asking you to?” Addison stared at AJ as he moved his neck from side to side like he had a stiff neck. “I have this thing about us keeping shit from one another. I’m already making a huge exception when it comes to your ex.”
“The donor,” she said, pushing her box of noodles away. “I don’t think of him as my ex or her father. We weren’t even together that long—”
“You called the relationship beautiful, Addison. You said he was the reason why you took the job in Chicago—”
“I said he was partly the reason for my taking the position.”
Already she was regretting having admitted that Fred had anything to do with her decision to take the position in Chicago. She should’ve known way back when he first reminded her that she’d called the relationship a beautiful one that he wouldn’t be forgetting stuff like that. He’d likely never forget about this either.
“I had several offers, and it was by far the best one at the time. He wasn’t the only reason I took it. What I said about always being partial to Chicago was true too.”
“Okay, well you and I have only been together a few months now, and this relationship is without a doubt the most important one I’ve ever had. Regardless if it ended tomorrow, I’d still consider this the most profound experience of my life. So it doesn’t matter to me how long you two were together. Even after seven years, the guy still can’t get over you. I can’t say I blame him, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna stand by and let him even try to get you back.”