Tough Love

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I finish work at 7pm and head home. Eli has to work late. He's got to check Yankee Stadium for bombs and security threats before the baseball game starts. They have to do the checks within a certain time frame before allowing the public into the building and the game starting. He's also got to go back and run through some training options with Carlos, so I don't know what time he will finish. I'm sure he's tired and having me wake him up in the middle of the night isn't helping him.

After the day I've had, I doubt that I'm going to get any sleep tonight, so maybe he'll be able to catch up a bit. I run on the treadmill and do some yoga to try to clear my mind a bit. It doesn't work, so I jump in the shower before I make dinner. After I eat, I settle on the couch with a book and I'm almost finished it when my phone rings. I glance at the clock, which reads 10:43pm, as the machine picks up.

“Hey sweetheart, I left the precinct about 25 minutes ago. I've just stopped to pick something up from home. I should be at your's in a few minutes. I hope I didn't wake you. I'll see you soon, baby.”

I sigh after he's hung up. It's not because I don't want to see him; I actually do. Can you believe that? I actually want his company now. I feel safer when Eli is around. Maybe the threat of being found has sparked something inside of me; something that assures me Eli is my safety. I sigh because I have to toss up whether or not I should tell him about Paul.

It's not like Paul has done anything in particular, except creep me out. What can Eli do at the moment? He can't say or do anything because he didn't see it. He can't accuse Paul of anything, because he hasn't done anything yet. As I hear a knock on my door, I decide to just sit on it and see what happens. I resolve to keep myself guarded and safe, particularly around Paul. I take a deep breath and check the peephole before opening the door.

Eli is standing in my doorway with a smile on his face, but his eyes reveal a tiredness and a heavy heart. I instantly feel bad, and I'm firmer in my decision to not mention anything about Paul to him. I whisper, “Hey. There's dinner if you want it.”

“Hey sweetheart. I'd love some dinner. What did you make?”

“Chicken and rice. Take a seat and I'll set it out.”

“Thank you. So, how was your day?”

“Ok. No major news to report. How was your day?”

“Not bad. I've given Carlos a few pointers so we'll see how the team gets on. The Cap did suggest merging our 2 teams, so I don't know if that's going to happen. It'll either demote Carlos or Ash, neither option I like. But, I'd rather have Ash as my 2nd in command. I trust him with commands more. I know he'll do what I say and ask questions later.”

He starts to eat and I use the silence to take in his appearance. He must have showered at home, because his hair is still wet, sending drips slowly down his neck. Although he looks tired, his eyes are still bright and alert.

He interrupts my thoughts by saying, “Speaking of Ash, he told me Paul stopped by today. I bet that was fun.”

“He needed to speak to the Captain. We made him wait though.”

I felt a tiny smile tug on my lips at the thought, but it didn't linger when I remembered the after effects of that scenario.

“You did? For how long?”

“20 minutes, maybe more.”

He laughs, and I notice just how lovely that sound is. He has a deep laugh that seems to come from deep within him.