Free The Writer by Rebekah Dodson

winking all at the same time. "I don't know who the lucky guy is, but it's someone. You breezed into this office on Monday, flushed and excited. But by Tuesday, you fizzled out fast. Girl, I wish I knew what was wrong."
    "I had an extra shot of espresso that morning, that's all," I looked down at my folded hands in my lap, "must've been a sugar crash."
    "Well, if espresso does that, I want to know where you're getting your coffee."
    I chuckled, briefly, wanting this conversation to be over. "I think it's time to lock up shop."
    "You're right. I'll walk you out," he said.
    "Okay, give me a minute."
    As he left to get his coat, I grabbed my face down flight reservations from the printer, folded it twice, and tucked it into my pocket.
    It burned there, my own little secret. It was very rare that I had one all to myself.
    Alex offered me his arm as we braved the ice in the parking lot at the back of the office.
    "Elijah's been strange this week," he said, his voice quiet but earnest.
    "Strange? How do you mean?" I figured ignorance was always bliss, right?
    "Rochelle, he's hardly talked to anyone this week." He tiptoed around a large puddle that had frozen over since the sun disappeared.
    "Hmm."
    "Including you."
    "Why do you care, Alex?"
    "Because, honey, you are both miserable, you're both my friends, and I don't know what's going on. What happened?"
    We reached my car, and I took back my arm to unlock it. I turned to him with my hands shoved in my pockets. Our breaths came out like smoking dragon's fire.
    "Alicia may have caught us together the morning after the bachelor party."
    His eyes flew wide at my statement. "Was ya'll wearing clothes, by any chance?"
    "I was, he wasn't."
    "Oh, my." He smirked behind a gloved hands held to his mouth.
    "It's not like that," I protested. "Nothing. Happened."
    "Something happened after I dropped the truck off, because you went back into their house."
    "To take a shower!" I blurted, and my hand flew to my mouth. That was more than I wanted anyone to know.
    "Why? Feeling dirty for sleepin' with a taken man?"
    "No!" I knew my voice was rising, and I could feel the heat in my cheeks. "No," I repeated. "He threw up on me at the club. I had a 5-block walk home and I didn't want to do that with puke in my hair, okay? Alicia got home early..."
    Alex put his hands up defensively. "Okay, so nothing happened – so you say – but you have to admit, it looks bad."
    "I know, I know." I took my hands out of my pockets and studied them for a while.
    "I mean, if I had a nickel for every time I'd been alone with a naked guy in my bedroom..."
    "Alex, stop..."
    "I'd be broke, of course."
    That was more than I ever needed to know.
    "I'm never wearing clothes when there's a sexy man piece in my bedroom."
    "Alex! Oh my god, seriously?" I couldn't help but smile. "I love you man, but sometimes - I just would rather not picture that!"
    He struck a dramatic pose, with a hand behind his head and one knee bent. "You're just jealous because I have all the tools and I know how to use them."
    I really had nothing to say, so I opened my car door. "On that note, I'm really just going home now."
    He gave me a peck on the cheek. "G'night, boss lady." As I slid into the driver's seat and cranked the engine, he added: "Don't be too hard on Elijah, remember we're all just guys, and we often think with our little head before our big one."
    I laughed. "Okay, um, thanks?"
    "All I mean is, when it comes to matters of the heart, logic rarely has much to do with it – so go easy on him."
    A truer statement had never been spoken. I blinked back some tears. "G'night, Alex," I said, and he nodded, shutting my door.
    I went home that night and sent one of the hardest text messages of my life – mostly because my throat hurt too much to say it to him. I held my flight reservations in my hand, and convinced myself that if he responded and we could make amends, I wouldn't go. But if our friendship was over, I'd leave. I could face my