Code Breaker

18

Bethany's pov ***

    I knew that something was wrong with Thermo. He has completely changed from his happy-go-lucky self when I first met him. He was responsible, but fun-loving. Now he is withdrawn and moody.

  After dropping my family off at the airport, I head back to base. I walk in and immediately lock eyes with Tanner. He understands that I have a plan.

Thermo follows me into the inner office. He sits before I do. He is trying to throw me off by being rude. But I'm on to him. "I know that something is weighing heavy on your mind. I know that it has to be huge. Do you want to tell me what it is? It will go no farther than here."

  "Is this about that fuckin bet? I ain't driving no pussy car!" He is instantly on the defensive.

  "This is not about a bet. Or a pussy car. This is about you being my friend then something happens and now you are barely talking to me or anyone else in the team. This is about me losing a friend and not knowing what the fuck I did to lose you!"

  "I'm still around."

  "But not mentally. You are here in body, but not mind. We all miss you, Thermo! How can we help you through this if you don't reach out for us?"

  He said nothing for a while. "What happened at the lake house that affected you so much?"

   We sat and stared at each other for about twenty minutes. I refuse to break first.

   "During the game and then afterwards, I was having feelings. Feelings that I shouldn't have. Are you sure that this won't get out of this room? Not even to Demo."

  "I promise that I won't say a word."

  "I have always been attracted to women. That weekend. I started having thoughts about a man! All I wanted to do is touch him. How the fuck can I keep my mind on my job if I just want to grab his ass? I've never even thought about another man like that! Now I have to work with his brother and act like I never had these thoughts? I mean, Chris is married to a beautiful woman with kids!"

  "So you are attracted to Chris and it is taking over your entire life? There has got to be more. I'm in a relationship and I love him beyond any thing else in life. But it isn't changing my thinking to where I forget my responsibilities."

   "I'm just so ashamed of myself for my thoughts. Then I lashed out at you and it just snowballed. One thing leads to another. It just piles up and I got overwhelmed. I'm so sorry, nerd!"

  He had tears in his eyes. "So this is why you are so short tempered with Demo? Because you are attracted to his brother?"

  "Yes. Now I'm grounded from any trips."

  "Well you did show that your mind is not on the job. You have nobody to blame for that, but yourself. You need to figure out how to get back on track."

  "I'm trying, nerd. I really am."

  "Is there anything else bothering you?"

   "I'm sorry for not taking care of you and missing your promotion. Congratulations for that."

  "Thank you." We stayed quiet for a while longer.

  "They took a drug test from me. Have I gotten that bad?" Thermo asked me.

  "Yes you have. Will they find anything?"

  "Just penicillin. I got a case from my go-to. I was trying to prove my manliness to myself. The bitch never told me that she was dirty."