Distractions

Thirty: Bear Hugs

She sighed as she closed the front door behind her. Now to talk to Gino, who would either hug her to death or just kill her outright for not contacting him sooner. Probably both, knowing him. Everest didn't even think bribing him with food or energy drinks would work.

She sighed again and started towards his apartment. There was no use delaying the inevitable after all.

...

Everest knocked on Gino's apartment door hesitantly. She braced herself for death as the doorknob turned. It didn't come.

Everest opened one eye slowly and saw Raphael in Gino's doorway with a smirk on his face.

"Phae?" she said incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to convince Gino that you're alive," Raphael rolled his eyes but accepted Everest's hug nonetheless. She wasn't quite sure that was the full story, but she'd let it go for now. "I missed you, Escritora."

"I missed you too Phae."

"Come on, let's go give Gino a heart attack so I can prove I'm right."

Everest scoffed as she entered the apartment. It was the same as the last time she had seen it: off white walls, light wood floors, black furniture, and plants everywhere. The same clutter was still there, an unused kettle was still on the stove, and the same unopened mail was sitting on the table.

Gino was pacing the living room dressed in too tight jeans and a varsity hoodie, his hands tugging on his hair with each step he took. Everest winced. She hadn't expected him to be so worked up.

"Who was at the door Raphael?" he demanded, not looking up from the floor.

"Look for yourself," Raphael said impatiently.

Gino huffed as he looked up. Everest waved sheepishly and her friend stopped dead in his tracks. He stared at Everest with wide eyes but an otherwise blank expression. Everest's palms pressed into her leg.

Please let this go well, she thought to herself.

"Everest?" Gino spoke slowly and in a low tone. Shit. That wasn't a good sign.

"Hey Gino."

"The urge to strangle you is so fucking strong right now," Gino snapped, storming up to her. "Do you have any idea how worried I've been? First Roslyn leaves with just a phone call saying her family found her, then you disappear without a trace? I found out what happened because Clary found my emergency contact in her phone and called me because she couldn't reach Roslyn. Do you have any idea how hard it is to explain to Clary that no, Roslyn isn't dead when I don't know that for a fact? I'm not going to be the one to tell her that Roslyn is an assassin and had to leave town so that she didn't get killed by her assassin family, Everest. That's on you. And that was after she told me what the fuck happened at Camille's apartment."

Gino was breathing heavily now, only a few steps away from Everest, and his eyes were full of anger. She was pretty sure that his anger was directed mostly at the situation and not necessarily her in particular, but she wasn't one hundred percent on that.

"I'm sorry?" she offered meekly. She wasn't quite sure how else to respond to that.

"You fucking better be sorry," Gino said harshly, then pulled her into a bone crushing hug that rivaled the Karters' hugs. "I heard about your mom," he whispered, the anger seeping out of his words and shoulders. "How're you doing?"

"Like ass," she grumbled into his shoulder. His arms tightened around her waist. "I killed her, I'm the reason she's dead. And Clary hates me now and the rest all should too. Mom wrote me a letter before she died."