Unhidden

Chapter Four-Jamal

I was exhausted.

Not the kind of exhausted that a good night’s sleep could fix.

The kind that sat behind my eyes.

The kind that made coffee taste useless.

The kind that made me stare at the same document for ten minutes before realizing I hadn’t read a single word.

Fourteen days.

Fourteen days of meetings.

Fourteen days of negotiations.

Fourteen days of calls that started at seven in the morning and somehow continued until midnight.

The Carter Group had just closed one of the biggest deals of the quarter, and instead of celebrating, I had been thrown directly into the next project.

Apparently, success meant being rewarded with more work.

I was sitting behind my desk when someone knocked.

I didn’t look up.

“Come in.”

The door opened.

“How are you doing?”

I looked up.

My brother.

Malik.

“Fine.”

He walked inside, closing the door behind him.

Malik was dressed in a perfectly tailored navy suit, his tie slightly loosened.

He looked like the man our father had designed him to become.

The future of Carter Group.

The Vice President.

My older brother.

My headache.

My favorite person in the family.

“Fine?” he repeated.

“Fine.”

He sat across from me.

“You look terrible.”

I stared at him.

“Thank you.”

He laughed.

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

“You’ve been working nonstop.”

“That’s what happens when you’re responsible for closing multimillion-dollar deals.”

“That’s what happens when you refuse to delegate.”

“I delegate.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I do.”

“Jamal.”

I sighed.

“Okay. Maybe not enough.”

He smiled.

“That’s what I thought.”

We spent the next thirty minutes discussing the deal we’d just closed.

Numbers.

Expansion.

New markets.

The company’s projections.

The board.

Our father.

The usual Carter family conversation.

Everything was business.

Everything was numbers.

Everything was about the future.

Until Malik suddenly leaned back.

“So.”

I looked at him.

“So?”

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

I nearly laughed.

“No.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

“You’re twenty-six.”

“I know how old I am.”

“You’ve never dated anyone seriously.”

I stared at him.

“I’ve dated.”

“Who?”

“Women.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Recently?”

“No.”

“Exactly.”

I leaned back.

“I’m not dating anyone right now. You know that.”

Malik studied me for a moment.

Then he nodded.

“Okay.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Why are you asking?”

“Because my wife thinks you’re hiding someone.”

My stomach dropped.

“What?”

He laughed.

“Relax.”

I stared at him.

“She said you’re acting different.”

“Your wife analyzes everyone.”

“She loves you.”

“I know.”

Malik smiled.

“She said to tell you hello.”

I smiled.

“Tell her hello too.”

“And the kids.”

That softened me immediately.

“How are they?”

“Good.”

“How’s Amara?”

“Ten going on thirty.”

I laughed.

“And little Caleb?”

“Four. Still convinced he’s the CEO of the house.”

I smiled.

My niece and nephew.

Amara and Caleb.

Two of my favorite people on earth.

Amara was ten, brilliant, observant, and already far too intelligent for her age.

Caleb was four and completely convinced that everyone existed solely to entertain him.

I adored them.

“When are you coming over?” Malik asked.

“Soon.”

“You always say that.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“I know.”

He stood.

“I’ll leave you to it.”

He walked toward the door.

“Malik.”

He turned.

“Yeah?”

“Tell your wife I said I love her.”

He smiled.

“I will.”

“And tell Amara and Caleb I miss them.”

“Will do.”

Then he left.

I sat back down.

The office was quiet again.

I looked at the clock.

12:47 p.m.

My eyes were already burning.

I reached for my phone.

There was one person I wanted to talk to.

I called him.

He answered quickly.

“Hey, baby.”

I smiled.

“Hey, Dre. Good afternoon.”

“Good afternoon.”

His voice immediately made the exhaustion feel lighter.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m at the office.”

“Still?”

“Still.”

I heard him laugh.

“You’re always working.”

“I know.”

“I like when you’re in the office.”

I smiled.

“You do?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because I like when you’re talking to me.”

I laughed softly.

“That’s all?”

“No.”

His voice lowered.

“I like hearing you in your work mode.”

I shook my head.

“Dre.”

“What?”

“You are ridiculous.”

“I miss you.”

My smile faded slightly.

“I miss you too.”

“How much?”

I looked around my office.

“A lot.”

“That’s not a measurement.”

“You’re annoying.”

“Answer the question.”

I smiled.

“I miss you more than I should.”

There was a quiet pause.

Then he said softly,

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”

I closed my eyes.

I knew exactly what he meant.

He missed me.

Not just physically.

Not just the intimacy between us.

He missed me.

My presence.

My voice.

My ridiculous habits.

The way I stole his pillows.

The way I complained about his cooking.

The way I fell asleep with my head against his chest.

He missed having me there.

And I missed him too.

God, I missed him.

“I’ll see you this weekend,” I promised.

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“You’re not going to cancel?”

“I won’t.”

“Promise?”

I smiled.

“Promise.”

He went quiet for a moment.

Then—

“Okay.”

I could hear the smile in his voice.

“Now get back to work.”

“You’re telling me to work?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve officially lost your mind.”

“Baby.”

“What?”

“I love you.”

My chest tightened.

“I love you too.”

“Good.”

“Good.”

Neither of us hung up.

We simply stayed there.

Two men separated by miles and circumstances neither of us knew how to fix.

Eventually, I whispered,

“I really do miss you, Dre.”

“I know.”

I smiled.

Then finally ended the call.

I stared at my phone for a long moment.

This weekend.

I would see him this weekend.

I had to.

Because fourteen days was already too long.

And I didn’t want to make it fifteen.