Unattainable Fruit

Chapter 4: Curiosities & Calls

   "Hey, Zee, what's up?" I ask, dropping into one of her chairs across from her desk.

   She turns towards me with her best unimpressed face and pulls the pen cap from her lips. "Hello, James, what do you want?" She asks me and I gasp, offended as I press a hand to my chest in mock shock.

   "Whatever would make you assume that I want something?" I ask her innocently, not appreciating the assumption, no matter how true it is.

    "Because the only time I don't have to track you down and force you to attend meetings and do your paperwork is when you want something. So what do you want?" She repeats and I scowl at her lightly, betrayed she would decide to call me out the way she has.

   "Fine. I need you to get some files ready for me. Any files you have on Cody's parents and their mental health records I need printed and waiting." I tell her, but she frowns and studies me.

   "And why are you the one getting these files. And what for?" She asks me without moving a music and I sigh, knowing that she isn't going to indulge me unless I tell her the why.

   "They are for a project that Cody has for his Mental Health class. I wanted to help out by having them ready." I explain to her plainly, but I avoid her eyes, knowing that her intense gaze is always anyones undoing.

   "Why?" She asks me again, and I cuss at her favorite question, feeling ridiculous over my answer.

   'You should be. You're already obsessing over this boy and you didn't even know his name a few hours ago. You look a mess.' Sloan scolds me, but of course I ignore him.

   "I just want to learn more about him, Zee. I'm curious. I don't know... I just... when I saw his earlier, it felt like a spark, you know? And I know he's not eighteen yet but I couldn't help but wonder if maybe..." I trail off, my ears on fire, too embarrassed to continue. To my surprise moments later I hear a sigh of defeat before she turns back towards her computer.

   "Names?"

   "Garret and Janet." I tell her, thankful for the information Alex gave me, thinking about how I can repay him for it. But Zee freezes, turning back to look at me, her gaze sharp.

   "James, you're sniffing around Janet's boy? Casey's little brother?" She asks me as if the names should be familiar but a lot of my childhood that isn't training or my father feels fuzzy to me. Unreachable and unclear. All of my memories almost strangers to me.

    "What's the big deal?" I ask her, not wanting to come off like a dick but also not understanding.

   "He's been through so much already, James. He's completely different than the kid I used to play with. Casey was my best friend. I know exactly how much that incident hurt him. The last thing he needs is this extra attention and interest all do you to throw him away and toss him to the side when he's not your Mate." She tells me, and I see unshed tears enter her eyes at the mention of her friend. I vaguely see the face of hazel eyes and crazy curly dark hair and a laugh that could light up a room. But the fog in my brain stops me from seeing it all, so my grief is shallow, and it's all that I have to give. It doesn't feel like enough.

   "I'm not going to toss him around, Zee." I try to defend, but before I can continue she shakes her head.

   "And what about Jessica? The girl you've been dating? I'm surprised she didn't walk with you home." I groan as I let my head fall onto the back of the chair, regret passing through me at the idea of Jess waiting for me just to realize that I left already.

    "She's different." I try to tell her but she shakes her head again as the papers start to print out on the other side of her office.

   "Because she, in contrast, knows that it's coming eventually?" She questions, but before I can answer, she's standing up to go towards the printer and leaf through the documents. After checking them, she placed them in a fresh manila folder before writing Cody's name on the tab. She placed it on the edge of her desk and sit back in her chair, looking to me again.