Trusted Bond

show up, asshole.‖
    ―Fuck.‖
    He sounded so miserable, I had to laugh.
    ―Jesus, I‘m so sorry, Jin.‖ His voice came out as a rasp.
    ―I know you are, but if you could stop beating yourself up at this
    point and go back to being my friend, that would help. I need you not to
    whine like a little girl.‖
    ―I––‖
    ―If you could man up, that‘d be good.‖
    ―Oh, fuck you.‖
    16

    Mary Calmes

    I snorted out another laugh. ―Better.‖
    We shared that comfortable silence that you only have with your best
    friend, where you never have to worry about talking.
    ―So, what?‖ he sighed after several minutes. ―Are you on your
    way?‖
    ―What?‖
    ―Don‘t do the ‗what‘,‖ he groused at me. ―Just––are you almost here,
    yes or no?‖
    ―No, not exactly.‖
    ―Why?‖
    ―I have my reasons.‖
    There was a longer silence the second time.
    ―What‘s with you?‖ he asked perceptively. Having grown up with
    me, he knew me better than anyone, discerning all the different nuances of
    my voice as well as what my silences meant. ―What‘s wrong?‖
    ―Logan‘s home.‖
    He sighed heavily. ―Yeah, I know that already.‖
    ―He‘s three days early.‖
    ―And he‘s pissed off. I just got here; Delphine and Markel were right
    behind me, and the second I set foot in the house, he was all over me.
    Mikhail‘s in there grilling Markel right now.‖
    ―Is Russ back yet?‖
    ―Back from where?‖ He was confused.
    ―Never mind.‖
    ―Where did Russ go?‖
    ―LA,‖ I answered him.
    ―For what?‖
    ―Job interview.‖
    ―When was––‖
    ―Is Domin there?‖ I asked, cutting him off.
    ―Yeah, he‘s home from wherever the hell he was.‖
    I sighed deeply. This was my second concern—whatever was going
    on between the maahes of the tribe and Logan Church‘s younger brother
    Koren.
    Trusted Bond

    17

    Domin had returned from New York three months ago, while Koren
    had decided to stay there with Simone and be her chaperone until the
    mating ceremony. Knowing that Koren had never been particularly fond
    of her, I was surprised when he had offered. I grilled Domin when he
    arrived home, and before he left again to meet friends in Vegas, he had
    confessed that he and Koren needed time apart. He would not tell me any
    more, did not give me the reasoning for the imposed separation, but I
    could guess. Domin was not a patient man; I was certain that an ultimatum
    had been issued, and when there had been no instantaneous answer,
    Domin had gone ahead and jumped to a hasty, angry conclusion. I was
    certain that he had not even given Koren the benefit of the doubt, instead
    simply deciding the rest of his life based on Koren‘s introspection, on him
    just needing time to think. Silence had been interpreted as rejection instead
    of the reflection that it probably was. I had tried to get Domin to stay, to
    just be there and talk to me, but he was having none of it.
    ―Jin.‖
    ―Sorry, I was just thinking about Domin. How is he?‖
    ―He‘s fine, he‘s Domin, just––where are you?‖
    ―Logan‘s gonna be mad about the window,‖ I said, changing the
    subject again.
    ―He‘s way more than mad, he wants Markel and me to pay for a
    carpenter to come out here and fix it.‖
    ―Which only makes sense,‖ I agreed.
    ―It‘s a custom-made window, Jin.‖
    ―Yeah, I know.‖
    ―Whatever,‖ he said, exhaling. ―Where are you?‖
    ―I‘m on my way to Eddie‘s.‖
    ―Eddie,‖ he repeated. ―Eddie…. You mean concierge-at-The-
    Lakehouse-Inn Eddie?‖
    ―Yeah.‖
    ―Why?‖
    ―‘Cause if Logan sees me like––‖
    ―Like what?‖
    18

    Mary Calmes

    I stopped talking, having forgotten for a minute that he hadn‘t seen
    me because I hadn‘t let him. Seven days ago, we had spoken briefly
    through a closed bathroom door that I had refused to open.
    ―Jin?‖
    I sighed deeply. ―I‘m a little torn up.‖
    ―Whaddya mean?‖ He yawned.
    I tilted my head back and forth, thinking of how I was going to
    phrase it. ―I might have been a little more hurt than I told you on
    Monday.‖
    ―Whaddya mean?‖
    ―Just forget it.‖
    ―Jin.‖ His voice was suddenly edged with worry. ―How much more
    hurt?‖
    I made a small noise in the back of my throat.
    ―Jin.‖ His voice dropped low.
    ―I‘m fine.‖
    ―Shit. I knew I should‘ve made you come out of the bathroom and
    show me.‖
    ―You‘re not my mother.‖
    ―No, I‘m better than her,‖ he snapped at