AMORE MIO. j. peña

【eight】

❝Whiskey confessions❞

When Murphy approached her a week later with an invitation to dinner at their place, Elodie was over the moon. She agreed, promising to arrive early to help Connie prepare the meal.

Over the last few days, nothing had been able to get her out of this state. She came to work late, sometimes forgetting to eat something. Her clothes were wrinkled and she seemed distant. But that wasn't the worst of it all. It was definitely sadness and deep depression that showed on her face whenever she showed up at the agency.

Murphy was growing increasingly concerned about Elodie's wellbeing. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss, despite her insistence that everything was fine. To her, it was nothing more than sleep-deprivation, but he knew there was more to it than that. He started asking her every day, almost to a fault, how she was feeling, and each time, her response was the same - she wasn't sleeping well. He would gently remind her that she should take some time off and get a proper amount of sleep, as it was important for her overall health. But no matter how many times he brought it up, she brushed it off, claiming that she was fine. However, as time went on, his worries grew even greater as Elodie's behavior changed. He could see it in her eyes, the way she carried herself. He knew there was something deeper, something she wasn't ready to talk about yet.

This forced him to seek Connie's advice. Of course, he presented the situation to her from his point of view, including all the details in his story. He and Hamilton had known each other for seven months and the two had become closer since then. Murphy was worried sick about her state, having a feeling it was because of her boyfriend.

He didn't like him from the moment he first saw him in the photo Hamilton showed him. Even though he looked like a pretty normal and average American, there was something about him that spelled trouble.

Even now when he thought about it, sitting in his own kitchen, he didn't change his mind.

To him Cody was an asshole. And he certainly didn't deserve such a lovely girl as Elodie.

"You have that face again."

He looked over to see Connie, with her arms crossed over her chest. She was leaning against the door frame, sending him a concerned look.

"What face?" he gave her a frown.

"You're thinking of her, aren't you?"

Murphy felt caught. He lowered his gaze and let the guilt spread out through him.

"Steve..."

"I'm sorry honey, but she is my friend. I can't just-"

"I know, baby. I'm worried about her too and I hope she will get better." she walked uo to him, and put her arms around his waist. "Worrying won't accomplish anything. We just need to talk to her. You need to talk to her."

"But she doesn't want to. She doesn't want to share it with me, as if what she was about to say would suddenly change everything. The truth can't be that difficult, right?"

"Maybe that's how it is for her." she shrugged her arms, nuzzling her cheek into his chest. "If she doesn't want to talk to you, we'll find another way to help her."

"But how, Connie? Who would she trust enough to tell him the truth if not me?"

Connie raised her head, meeting his gaze.

Steve opened his mouth to say something when suddenly they both got the answer to his question.

***