Read Online Back To Us by Teresa Roman - Free Book Online

noticed something was quite right with Justin. He walked funny, his slight limp more pronounced than usual, and I would’ve sworn that I noticed an expression of pain pass across his face a few times while we were walking.
    “Basketball injury?” I asked.
    “What?”
    “You look like you hurt your leg.”
    He shook his head. “No. I’m fine.”
    It wasn’t just his limp that caught my attention. Justin was quieter, less conversational than he normally was. But it wasn’t until he didn’t show up for work the following week that I realized something was wrong. By Wednesday I finally broke down and called him, but he didn’t pick up his phone. By Friday, when he still hadn’t shown up for work or returned my calls I tried texting.
    Everything all right?
    I was surprised and relieved when he replied. Yes
    Where have you been?
    Vacationing in the Bahamas – don’t tell Mrs. Connor though, she thinks I’m sick
    Next time you’re bringing me
    Deal
    I spent the weekend looking forward to seeing Justin on Monday, but he didn’t show up. Whatever was wrong with him it had to be bad, he’d missed over a week of work, that wasn’t like him. I was going through some serious Justin withdrawal. It was awful how badly I wanted to see and talk to him. I knew eventually he’d be back, but when? In the evening before I left for home I went to look for Mrs. Connor and found her in her office.
    “I was wondering if you’ve heard from Justin.”
    “I have,” she said, without looking up from her desk.
    “He’s been sick for over a week. Is he okay?”
    “It’s not my place to talk about Justin’s medical problems.” I took that as Mrs. Connor’s polite way of telling me to mind my business and didn’t bother her with any more questions. But Justin was on my mind as I rode the train back home.
    I called him later in the evening, but he didn’t answer. He stayed on my mind most of the evening and by the time I went to bed I’d formed a plan. On my way to work I’d stop at his place first with breakfast. I’d tell him it was repayment for all the favors he’d done for me. I had his address written down on a piece of paper somewhere, so I knew where he lived. With my plan to see Justin perfected, I fell asleep with the look I anticipated on Justin’s face on my mind. He’d be surprised, but I felt fairly confident that he’d be happy, too.
    I stopped for bagels and coffee on my way to Justin’s feeling pretty good about my plan until I saw the doorman standing in the lobby of his building. If he announced my visit, it wouldn’t be the surprise I wanted it to be. Luckily, sneaking past the doorman turned out to be no big deal, and I was able to get onto the elevator without him noticing. As the elevator zoomed to the top floor my heart pounded in my chest with the anticipation of seeing Justin, and his smile, and the way it made his eyes sparkle. For weeks I’d been trying to talk myself out of whatever feelings for him I knew I had, but every day that got harder and harder to do. The past week at work had sucked without him there, and made me realize I wanted him in my life.
    I rang Justin’s doorbell and waited for him to answer, but no one came to the door. The piece of paper with his address on it that he’d given me just before the Fourth of July was crumpled in my pocket. I reached for it to make sure I was at the right apartment. I rang again and wiped my sweaty palms on my shorts as I waited for him to open the door. My heart sank as I realized that he probably wasn’t home. Maybe he wasn’t sick at all. Maybe there was another reason he hadn’t been to work.
    I rang the doorbell one last time and finally heard someone.
    “Don’t tell me you forgot your keys again.” It was Justin’s voice, I was sure of it. “You’re always forgetting those damn things, you know how hard it is for me in this stupid thing.”
    The door swung open and on the other side of it sat Justin. In a wheelchair.