Evolved by N.R. Walker

Author:N.R. Walker [Walker, N.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-04-20T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

I got to work a little late. Still earlier than most of my colleagues, but late for me. Leaving Shaun was harder than I thought it would be. I reminded him he had books and puzzles and TV and movies, not that he needed reminding—it was more to comfort myself than him.

I was certain he read my anxiety, and he assured me he’d be fine.

But I still worried.

The idea of him sitting at the dining table, straight-backed with his hands on his knees, surrounded by silence and so very much alone made my heart hurt.

I told myself the time apart would be good for him.

Then I told myself the time apart would be good for me.

Yet I still wasn’t convinced.

I missed him, that was true. But I was also concerned.

He knew how to call 000 if he needed. He knew how to leave if there was a fire. He knew how to keep himself entertained.

Just breathe, Lloyd.

“Ah, I wondered if I’d see you today.” Jae’s voice interrupted my mental chastising. I’d taken my usual lunch seat in the staff room, trying to avoid as many other people as possible, though Jae normally sat with me. He seemingly had the same aversion to humans I had and his lunch tray was blessedly as neat as mine. I couldn’t have coped if he was a slob. “How was your week off?”

“Oh.” I took a second to compose myself. “Very good, thank you.”

“Get everything settled?”

I shot him a startled look. What did he know? “Pardon?”

“With your family,” he explained. “You said you had family concerns.”

“Oh, yes, we did, thank you.” I fought a smile at just how settled Shaun and I became. “I trust nothing exciting happened here in my absence?”

He waved his hand dismissively and proceeded to tell me all the goings on with the people we had a mutual dislike for.

Same old, same old. It always was, and I found strange comfort in that.

The other professors and teaching staff milled in and around, though none of them paid any attention to us. To them, we were the quiet, nerd types. Most of them avoided conversation with us because our IQs far exceeded theirs and they didn’t like to be reminded of the fact. Or maybe it was because Jae and I both exuded a stay-away aura.

Either way, I was grateful.

At the end of my lunch hour, I almost called home. I wanted to talk to Shaun. I wanted to ask how he was, if he was okay, if he was bored, but I didn’t want to impose. What if he was upset? Or if he asked me to please come home? I couldn’t very well leave halfway through my day. And then I had a thought. What if he didn’t answer?

My afternoon classes dragged on incredibly slowly. My students were attentive, the subject matter, the character of prose in nineteenth century Britain, was interesting. But for the first time in my career, I wanted to be home.

I had papers to grade.

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