Reed

"Alright, just a couple of things left," I said as I tucked the pressure cuff into the bag. I had to admit, I preferred the bags over the kits people used nowadays. There was a charm to using the leather bags with their soft interiors that separated all the tools and medicines.

"Am I allowed to hand over the expense report for this week?" Mona asked dryly from behind me.

I chuckled. "I think he can manage it now."

Mr. Isaiah shook his head, making his thick mustache quiver slightly as he held out his hand. "Now, Mona, you're the first to tell me we should trust and listen to people when they're experts in their fields."

"I wouldn't call myself an expert," I said with a shrug, grabbing the small bag tucked into a pocket. If there was anyone on this ranch who had any idea about my background, it would be these two, and Mona might be quick to point out my past if she was feeling spicy enough. "Especially considering I barely held onto my medical license."

It was either lose it or go straight to prison. The problem with losing my license was it closed off any possibility of ever being able to practice medicine when I got out. I still wasn't sure if that's what I wanted to do, but it was better to keep the door open than to slam it shut forever. Felony charges would undoubtedly make it…well, saying it would be challenging to use that license would be an understatement, but at least the possibility still existed.

Mona snorted harshly. "The fact that you have it means you have the knowledge. And so, expert."

"I barely had time to put it into practice," I said as I set the bag down and drew out the needle and bottle.

"That still leaves you more knowledgeable than us," Mr. Isaiah interrupted, casting his gaze sideways at the needle. "Now, what in the hell is that for?"

I smiled at the edge in his voice. "Mr. Isaiah, you have a policy that everyone on the ranch must receive a rabies booster shot yearly. You are about four, going on five months overdue."

"Ain't I supposed to come down to the clinic for all that?" he asked, still watching the needle instead of the report in his hand.

"Technically, yes. But I was asked to do this, and since you're the ranch owner, exceptions can be made."

"What kind of exceptions?"

"Garrett," Mona began, but I shook my head.

"Not the kind of exception you're thinking," I told him, catching his gaze and holding it. "You need the booster. And since I'm apparently the expert that needs to be listened to?—"

His mustache quivered for a second and then drooped with a muttered, "Damn it all."

Mona chuckled at that. "Nicely played."

"Patients are patients, even when they're blue-blooded millionaires," I said, swabbing his arm. "This won't take a moment."

"At least you aren't telling me it'll only be a pinch," he muttered, returning to the report.

I continued to smile as I gave him the booster. A fear of needles was one of the most common phobias, and despite not having had a career for long, I had run into it several times. I'd seen the toughest-looking, gruffest men quell at the sight of a thin needle coming toward their skin, and the ranch was no different.

Funnily, it made me think of Leon's ‘little' pet project with Elliot and Reno. I had been the one to give Reno his initial shots when he'd first come to the ranch, and the same with Elliot. Reno hadn't shrunk from me, but I had seen the way he glared at the needle, the way his jaw tensed as it drew close. On the other hand, Elliot continued to chat merrily, not missing a beat when I finally jabbed him a few times.

"There," I said after getting rid of the needle and tucking everything away. "You might get some achiness and swelling, but it should pass. If you end up nauseous, get a headache or dizziness, or the ache turns into the whole arm hurting, come to the clinic. Otherwise, you should be fine for another year."

"What fun," he said with a sigh, and I would have bet good money he was resisting the urge to rub his arm. "Anything I should know?"

"Well, I'd advise cutting down on the drinks and cigars," I told him, knowing full well that advice would fall on deaf ears. "And some more veggies wouldn't go amiss either."

"Ha!" Mona surprised me with a bark of laughter. "Good luck on any of those fronts. That man fears anything vegetable-related as if he were a four-year-old."

"Now, Mona, we agreed not to put each other down in front of the folk here," Mr. Isaiah protested, but the quiver of his bushy mustache told me he was trying not to smile.

"Reed is a professional, and he'll keep quiet," she said without even glancing at me with a warning in her eyes. I had to suppose it was probably a point in my favor that she didn't feel the need to confirm I would keep my mouth shut. Even though I was a felon, working off his time, she trusted that my professional ethics were still in place, which, as one of the three people on this ranch to know why I ended up in prison, was an interesting tactic for a normally cautious woman.

"I promise to keep your bickering to myself," I said with a chuckle, tucking everything away. "And as far as your health is concerned, it seems like your blood pressure medicine is doing the trick, but we still need to keep an eye on that. And you're going to have to come down to the clinic or see your GP to get your cholesterol levels checked, among other things. You need blood work done, and avoiding your doctor isn't going to make any potential health problems go away."

"Sure," he said, flipping through the report. "Down?"

"Down," Mona repeated, her eyes flitting to me.

"Are you or someone else in charge of his appointments?" I asked her, knowing I was being dismissed, not as a member of the program from the head of it, but from a man who didn't want to deal with a fussy doctor.

"I take care of them for the most part," she said with a slow upward curve of her lips.

"Good, then I would advise you get him an appointment as soon as possible. There's a lot of things missing in his folder that should be up to date," I said, glancing at Mr. Isaiah. "You aren't getting any younger."

"I feel as good as I ever did," he said crossly, probably the first time I'd seen something like anger or annoyance from the man.

I snorted. "I bet you do. Or should I say, I bet you're saying that. But that doesn't change the fact that you need to keep an eye out for any potential problems. The body wears down as time goes on, even if we don't notice."

"I'll take care of it," Mona said, looking smug. "I've been telling him the same thing for a while now. He's quite good at putting me off."

"So what? You needed someone to back you up?"

"Something like that."

I chuckled, closing the bag. "Not the first time that happened to me."

I was still curious about being called here when Dr. Greenway was on shift. She certainly had more experience in this sort of thing than I did. It wasn't done without a reason, that much I knew. Mona wasn't a woman to do something just for the hell of it. She was capable of the same analysis of others that I was but seemed to have the same intuitive understanding of people that Leon did. Combined with a razor wit and a nose for business, she was not the sort of person you wanted to cross carelessly.

"Are you in need of a check-up as well?" I asked her as I clasped the bag, already knowing the answer.

"No, just had a check-up a couple of weeks ago," she said, looking up from her phone. "Does that mean you're done here?"

"I am," I said, wondering if this was the next step to whatever plan she had in her head.

"Good, then I'll walk you out," she said, tucking her phone back into her pocket.

"Sure," I said because what else would I say?

We walked out of the office and into the hallway, heading toward the large foyer at the end. I hadn't grown up what one would call poor, but the Big House was on an entirely different level. It wasn't ostentatious, but it certainly wasn't lacking.

It seemed almost simple, with its soft-colored rugs over plain wooden floors. There were paintings, but none struck me as terribly expensive. I would bet the wood was the best, and the paintings, tapestries, and animal heads cost more than I could guess. As far as I could see, it was less about making a show and more about sticking to a theme.

I shouldn't have been surprised when, instead of going into the foyer to take the stairs down, she motioned for me to follow her through a random door near the end. The room proved to be another office. This one decorated a little differently than the rest of the house. The bare bones were there, but the thick wooden desk was covered with marble with a faint pink tint. The large leather chair looked comfortable and was a rich purple.

The paintings in the room had been replaced with photographs from all over the world. After a cursory glance, seeing parts of the world I had never seen before, I realized the pictures were well done but none that I'd seen before.

"Where are these from?" I asked, taking what I thought was an informed guess that this was her office.

"That one? Peru," she said as I looked over the lush greenery, overseeing an even bigger swathe of greenery cut through by a river like a scar. "The one next to it? Japan."

"These seem like such random spots."

"Maybe. But each of them struck a chord when I saw them, so that's why I took them."

"Took them? Wait, you took these pictures?"

She rounded the desk and dropped into her chair, smirking. "What? I'm not allowed to have a hobby or a passion beyond this place?"

"That is not what I was saying," I said, standing in the doorway and looking around. There was another fireplace, but from its pristine state, it didn't seem to be used. The rugs I was used to seeing, a deep, unobtrusive crimson with swirls, were replaced by a large round one with a kaleidoscope of colors and patterns. It reminded me of the Escher drawings I had seen, with every line looping back on itself or twisting in odd ways. "Woah, that…hurts the eyes a little."

"I find it soothing," she said, turning her chair around. "If you don't stare openly but just shut your mind while staring at it, it can be almost comforting."

"I'll have to take your word for that," I said, rubbing my eyes.

"Have a seat then, and stop staring at it," she said, opening the curtains behind her, letting the light spill into the room, and dropping a couple of glasses on the table. "Drink?"

"Not supposed to," I reminded her as I took one of the two seats in front of her desk. They were leather like the one she used, but less tall and colorful. However, as I sat down, they were perfectly comfortable.

"I don't need to be told the rules around here," she said with a snort. "Let me see here?—"

I raised my brow as she looked me over appraisingly. "What?"

"I'm thinking. Evaluating."

"Mona, I think I speak for anyone who has been here long enough, that is the most terrifying thing you could say to someone."

She laughed, the sound lighter than it usually was, as she cocked her head. "It will never stop amusing me that I'm surrounded by felons, and they all treat me like I'm some wild animal that might rip their hand off at any moment."

"More like a mob boss," I said, smirking at her.

"Perhaps I should get some more suits," she said, then snapped her fingers. "I know."

I watched as she bent down, reappearing with a dark bottle bearing a red label. She set it down, found a small bucket, and put two ice cubes into each glass before tucking it away and pouring. A dark liquid filled the glasses to the halfway point before the bottle disappeared out of sight.

"What's the point of hiding the booze?" I wondered as she picked one glass up and held it out for me.

I took it and sniffed before drinking it. My brow rose as the flavor washed over my tongue. "Huh, bourbon. A really nice bourbon at that."

"Bet you also like your beers stout."

"Huh," I said, a little surprised, and stared at her momentarily. "I see you're still full of tricks."

"Most men seem to be whiskey or scotch drinkers, so it's not hard to guess."

"Bourbon drinkers almost inevitably prefer their beers full-bodied and heavy. Some outliers but?—"

"Interesting, a little guesswork and a lot of logic."

"So, tell me what you think about Leon's decision with Elliot and Reno," she asked, taking me by surprise. This topic would not have made the top fifty topics I expected her to bring up.

"What? Why ask me?" I wondered.

She gave me a doubtful look. "Is this the part where I'm supposed to pretend like the two of you aren't close?"

"It's funny that everyone thinks we're so close. Most of my time is spent in the clinic, and most of his is spent with his mentees. We don't exactly hang around one another constantly."

"Because people have eyes and ears, they can see and hear that the two of you have some sort of bond."

"And apparently, they have mouths go with those eyes and ears."

"You should know that by now."

I snorted. "Fine, but what does the possibility of Leon and I knowing one another well have to do with why you're asking me about his decisions?"

"Look," she said, leaning forward and giving me a serious stare. "I'm going to level with you. After the past few days, I'm not really in the mood to play mind or word games. Between dealing with…well, quite a few people, I'm not in the mood, so I'll make this simple. Just about everyone knows you and Leon are close, or I suspect, once were."

"I have to ask, what makes you think we once were?"

"Because you two are so awkward around one another most of the time, it's pretty obvious. Well, our background checks on potential candidates for the program are thorough. You both grew up in Houston."

"Big city."

"But it isn't across the state. My first boyfriend was this little rich shit whose family had a big house a ways out of my dinky little town, where I was a step away from living in a shoe box with the rest of my family. We still found a way to see one another until he returned to wherever he was actually from for the school year. Plus, there are buses."

"That's a big leap of logic."

"Reed."

I sighed and shrugged. "Fine, we know each other from the past. And before you push, yes, we were pretty damn close, and now we're not as close. I'm not getting into it."

"That's good enough for me," she said, leaning back in her seat. "And since you two know each other, you're the best I have to glimpse into his brain."

"Mona, no offense, but I won't give you the details about Leon. That's a serious invasion of his privacy and an even more serious breach of trust."

"I'm not asking you to give me details. I'm asking you to tell me what you think about his decision. It's been about a month, and I've barely heard anything from him."

"He's waiting and watching," I said with a shrug. "Wanting to see what they do, how they react. Sometimes, you'll get the version of Leon that interferes in a person's business; sometimes, you'll get the one that takes a hands-off approach and watches to see what's going to happen. Seems we're looking at the second."

"Apparently," she said wryly. "Do you believe that story they told?"

"Story?"

"Reno and Elliot."

"Ah, that one," I said with a snort. Despite everything seeming fine, according to them, the two had one day appeared looking like they'd beaten the living tar out of one another. Both insisted up and down that wasn't the case and that they'd simply been wrestling and got too rough. "I don't think there's a person who's heard that story who believes them."

"Funny, Leon told me when I asked him if he believed that was the only version of events we had."

"And I'm sure you pointed out that physical evidence spoke for itself."

"Something like that, yes."

I smiled a little, understanding what Leon was doing and Mona's frustration. "Leon is loyal. And he's also the kind of person who relies on his emotions and despises that he does."

"And what does that mean?"

"It means he's still trying to give them their chance to prove themselves."

"And what does fighting each other and lying about it afterward prove?"

"That even if they're having issues, they're dealing with them privately and protecting each other from anyone on the outside interfering. It's probably Leon"s first and best sign that his idea is working."

Mona's mouth twisted, and she swirled her glass, eyes going distant as she mulled over what I had to say. Usually, I wouldn't have told anyone that much about Leon's views on things, but I sensed something important happening here. She wouldn't have summoned me for this if it wasn't important. If Leon's future didn't possibly hinge on what she heard from me.

I'd meant what I'd said to him. I wasn't overflowing with faith in the two men, but I would certainly back Leon. Even if his decisions sometimes led to ruin when he wasn't thinking right, he was generally spot-on about people. Something in him had said that Reno and Elliot could manage to work through their differences and find common ground. This conversation told me he had probably staked a great deal on that belief, and I could only hope this was one of those times where he risked himself properly.

After several moments, she stirred from her reverie and smirked at me. "Did you know we keep a record of everyone here?"

"I'd hope so," I said, arching a brow.

"No, I mean, we keep a record of all their doings, their infractions, monitor their behavior, things like that."

"You evaluate them psychologically?"

"Something like that. We have a whole system created by outside parties that we consult with to create a grading system."

"Interesting. Is it effective or worthwhile?"

"Could be," she said with a shrug. "It was an idea of mine that I put into effect a handful of years ago, and have been refining it as best we can. The snag is that it can be difficult to get proper measurements from the evaluations; some things are just hard to put into question form when you don't have the knowledge, which these experts do, or the experience, which they do not have."

"Sounds like you need to get someone who has both."

Her eyes flicked to me, a smile reappearing on her face. "As a matter of fact, we might have just that sort of thing in the works."

"Really?"

"Really."

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"No, that's got a lid that's staying firmly on top."

"Okay, so what are you telling me?"

"That even by the constantly refined measures, both those done before they enter the program and those after they're here, we're able to have at least an idea of the progress they've made. We can even put it on a graph and trace it."

"O…kay."

"Which we need. It's good for those suits who want to stare at numbers and graphs so they can have their assistants read it off to them without needing to read all that text. Those reports are necessary and come from everywhere, including our mentors."

"Ah, well, that would explain why a mentor is such a trusted position. You need to know they can accurately assess their mentees."

"Indeed. We emphasize that these evaluations are meant to allow us to understand their mentees" strong and weak points, to bulk up the former and shore up the latter. It's meant to give everyone the information necessary to pick the tools to help them."

It was a lot of babble, but I understood what she was getting at. Simply relying on people wasn't Mona's style, and having a system in place meant she could keep an eye on things without interfering. There were probably also systems in place that alerted her if any of the mentors started fudging their numbers too much, though there wasn't much incentive to do so…or was there?

"Oh," I said with a laugh, setting my glass down and snorting hard. "Those aren't just measures of the mentees. They're measures of the mentors too, aren't they?"

"Right you are," she said with a wink. "Not that you'd be the first to figure that out. A few of our mentors over the years have done the same, and the others? The others either can't figure it out, or something keeps them from doing it."

"Not that you'd know. Some people are good at hiding things, even from your keen eye."

"Mmm, and which do you think Leon is?"

"Really?"

"You can choose not to answer."

I rolled my eyes. "He might figure it out by accident, but he would never try to figure it out."

"Why?"

"You know why. You just want it confirmed by me."

"So confirm."

For someone who didn't want to play games, she was certainly doing a damn good job at the moment. "Because Leon is sometimes too damn serious for his own good, and other people too. He would take the responsibility you gave him to heart because he believes in the program. So, he's just going to be the mentor he thinks he needs to be, and while he knows he's being watched and evaluated, he wouldn't think to look beyond that because he believes in the job. In his case, he'd think of it as a duty."

"Well," she said with a chuckle. "When you confirm something, you put your whole heart and soul into it."

"Right, and now you're going to tell me what? Because this seems like a lot of information I don't necessarily need. So, why?"

"Because, as far as evaluations go, mentors and mentees are all over the place, with most in the middle."

"Mode and average appear in any data points. I assume you probably also measure a mentor"s final grade based on their mentees" progress or lack of, as well as other factors. C'mon Mona, mathematics and statistics is standard fare for a burgeoning medical student."

"True," she said. "But those scores are also important for showing not only the importance of the mentor system, which requires additional funding, but also for the program overall, which requires both private and government funding."

"Right," I said, letting that spin through my head before realizing where she was going with this. "Wait, you're worried about Leon's score?"

"With Reno assigned to him and Elliot possibly getting dragged down in the process? Yes, absolutely."

I arched a brow. "Just how important is Leon's score?"

"I'm sure you've already managed to figure out from this conversation, but I'm going to say this outright. This conversation is between the two of us. It's not to be told to anyone, and that includes Leon."

"You're right. I did manage to figure it out. And yes, I also know there will be serious consequences if I should happen to tell someone. Understood."

"Good, then you should know that as far as this system is concerned, Leon is hands down the most effective mentor we've ever had. So good he's managed to affect the damn bell curve. He's literally made our good ones look average, and our average ones look bad."

"Uh, okay," I said, surprised by the information and yet not. On the one hand, Leon had always been a good judge of people, but it was strange to think that he was that good. Maybe all he'd ever needed was a chance to apply his skills. "So if he's throwing off the bell curve, then shouldn't you want him taken down a notch? If only to make?—"

"I don't give a shit if others look bad in comparison if what he does can be taught. Using him as a premier example of what a mentor could be could send the quality of our mentorship program into the stratosphere."

"I'm still not seeing where I come into this."

"Put simply, I need him on board. So far, he's been resistant to any attempt on my part to push him to do bigger and better things. There's a lot of potential locked away inside him, and I need it to come forward. Standing up for Reno like he did was a good start, and if the results are positive, that's even better."

"You want me to convince him?"

"In a manner of speaking," she said slowly. "I need you to get beyond whatever strangeness is between you two. So far, I've realized he comes into his own when he's comfortable and pushed outside his comfort zone."

For someone who wanted me to evaluate Leon for her, she was eerily good at doing it independently. Those were precisely the two things that, when pushed together onto Leon, were the best way to make him flourish. "Especially if it's something he believes in."

"Like, say…his mentees' success?"

"That would certainly do it."

"Consistent comfort is not something I can offer him in the direct sense," she said, looking me over. "But perhaps the presence of an old friend around more often might do it."

"You're asking me to spend time with him?" I blinked.

"If the two of you can get past whatever is sitting between you, making things awkward, then we're already halfway to victory. I'm sure I can provide the challenge he needs, and his position already offers him the incentive."

It was one hell of a plan, and I didn't know how to tell her it was absolutely absurd and, well, the kind of plan Leon would cook up on a whim. It didn't really require much work out of me, but it left me to wonder what she would be doing in the background to provide the push.

"So, just spend time with him?"

"Look, he's friendly with all the other mentors but doesn't get close. And because of his moral code or something, he doesn't even get close to his mentees beyond what helps them. As far as I can tell, the closest he's got to a friend is Max, which is an interesting idea, but Max has his hands full."

"I love how you make it sound like Riley is a handful," I said with a laugh and then thought about it. "Well, maybe for Max, he is."

"Exactly," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Leon needs a peer, which means Tier One. But that's clearly not enough. You, however, might be enough."

Admittedly, the opportunity to get closer to Leon again wasn't uncomfortable. We'd spent the past couple of years bouncing off one another, going through near misses and evasions at every turn. And now I was being given a chance to work past that barrier.

I winced. "You realize you're essentially asking me to lie to him, right?"

"Do you not want to connect with him?"

"Yes," I admitted. "But…the reasons aren't exactly genuine."

"You have a genuine desire to reconnect with him, that should be enough. The only thing is you're being pushed to work toward that goal from an outside source. One he shouldn't be told about."

"And that there is the deception part."

"Look," she said sharply, draining her glass and standing up quickly. "If he can be pushed to gain more confidence and get out of this narrow little box he has himself locked up in, there are possibilities. Not just for the ranch and its programs, but also for him."

I raised a brow. "Like what?"

"What options does he have when he leaves this place?"

"I…" I didn't know, considering we hadn't spoken for a long time before being reintroduced to each other in the clinic, "don't know."

"Honestly, we're looking at factory work. We might be able to get him into trade work, but those can be hit or miss, especially with his work and skills background being so thin," she said, staring at the pictures on the wall. "And I would hate to have someone with his talents wasted on a damn factory job."

Well, that was interesting. This seemed to be about more than just her ambitions for the ranch, which was understandable. This place was clearly her baby, and I didn't think there was anyone who believed her attitude towards running the place was just about efficiency and feeling like she was doing a good job. There had to be a driving force, and considering how much she kept things running so it helped people more than generated an income, it was easy to see she passionately believed in the place.

Some of that passion seemed to bleed out to the people she oversaw. Not that I was surprised; I had always suspected she pushed Riley onto Max to help the latter break out of his shell. Now, she was showing some of that same vested interest in Leon, which I knew would confuse the hell out of him if he knew.

"But this?" she asked, gesturing to the air as if her idea was right between us. "On this ranch alone, we could include more than just a few mentor workshops and training exercises. We could have a mentor who trains mentors and does a lot more work with them to help them out personally with a job that is, quite frankly, the hardest one on this ranch."

"No argument there," I said, now seeing where she was going with this. "But that supposes Leon would even take that offer."

"Maybe he will, maybe he won't, but I'm sure we could make a compelling offer so he'd stick around for a few years. Not just monetarily, as you said, he genuinely believes in this job, so why not help others and help create a template that others could use even when he's gone? And with that under his belt, well, many other possibilities open up for him."

Damn it all, her enthusiasm was catching. If she was right, and Leon really did have the potential to do more and better, he could have his life set up for him once he was out of the program. Felony or not, working on the ranch as a full-time employee in that kind of position was bound to set him up for life. Of course, she wasn't saying the situation was a mutual back-scratching thing for the ranch and Leon. If he stepped up, they could open up a position for him here, and if he took that position, even for a little while, they would have the incentive to open more doors for him outside the ranch.

I couldn't help but get swept up in the idea that it was a perfect opportunity for him. Leon had always struggled to see beyond his circumstances and find ways to improve his life. Improving the future had always been one of those things he struggled with, at least when it came to himself. In the end, just like all of us, he was the product of his upbringing, and his childhood had taught him that he was stuck with what he was given.

But I didn't see things that way, especially when it came to him. Here was the potential for him to do more than scrape the bottom of the barrel to get by. A chance to do more than what he had to do, and instead do what he wanted. Even if it wasn't what he wanted to do for life, it was still more possibility than he'd ever had before.

Fuck, but it meant lying to him, not outright, but omission was a lie all the same. Mona was asking me to conceal something important from him in the hopes it would help him grow beyond the stasis he was locked in, either by choice or circumstance.

"Do you think that if he knew the truth, it would be better than if he didn't?" she asked me as if able to read my thoughts.

I grimaced because I knew the answer. Leon would freeze, growing stubborn and defiant, if he knew what she was trying to do. "No."

"Then, if we want to help him, this is how we must do it," she said softly.

We, it was we now. She was already expecting me to follow her plan and keep everything under my hat. Maybe she was banking on the fact that she knew we had once been close, and that would be enough to compel me. Or perhaps she just knew that underneath everything, I was still a sucker when it came to Leon.

"You don't think it won't be a little strange if I suddenly show an interest in getting past that barrier between us?" I asked, one of the last-ditch efforts I had to save myself.

"Not if you find yourselves around one another through happenstance."

"Happenstance."

She grinned at my dry tone. "It's about time you got out of that clinic a little more. And I've already told him I need him to take some shifts as an assistant elsewhere."

"Let me guess at the clinic?" I asked with the same tone.

"You're good," she said with a wink, clearly in a better mood than when the conversation started. She was the type of person to get in a very good mood when she finally won or found a solution to her problem, so clearly, she thought the result of this conversation was inevitable. "He seemed amenable."

"You've already spoken to him about the change to his scheduling," I said with a roll of my eyes. "Which means you think you know what I'm going to say."

"Whether you agree doesn't change the decision."

"Great."

There was nothing I could do. I could walk away, but it would feel like a betrayal of my friend. And sure, Leon had once disappeared from my life without so much as an explanation and probably would have stayed there if it hadn't been for happenstance and maybe a little fate, but I still cared about him. I still loved him. Keeping something from him to push him toward something better felt like manipulation and a little ugly, but even uglier was the thought that I could walk away from the chance to improve his future and not look back.

Oh, the chains we willingly bind to ourselves.

"Alright," I said as she smiled in final triumph. "When does this start?"