Counterpoint

Chapter 44

Jefferson

   I glare daggers at the wall as my phone ceases to amuse me any further, tossing it down onto the comforter beside me. Hamilton had left me home alone for the day, since he couldn't bear for a single day further to be parted from his work. He had said something about me understanding his actions before disappearing. I find it rather difficult to both understand and accept his actions, a concept that Hamilton himself has struggled to understand when it comes to the opinions of other people. The thought has occurred to me that I should be in work, but I would much rather relax at home with my laptop nearby, so in a way I am working without having to get all dressed up. My phone dings and I begrudgingly pick it up, my eyes narrow as I wait to read some salty text from the resident caribbean.

    A.Burr: So...why aren't you here exactly?

   Well...I'm surprised it isn't Hamilton, but i'm not certain what to think when it comes to this guy. To be fair, I can never really tell what he's thinking. I simply guess his intention sand hope for the best. 

   T.Jeff: I have sick leave. I am inclined to use it.

   A.Burr: What is the real reason?

   T.Jeff: Hamilton threw coffee on me and burned me in a specific area.

   There is a couple minutes pause between his next response. My lips twitch slightly in amusement as the thought of his confused and surprised expression appears in my mind. I can trust that he won't go babbling about what is discussed in this text conversation, due to his lack of desire to spread rumors that may come back to harm him. Specifically, when he has to explain how he knows said information.

   A.Burr: I'm not sure what I was expecting...but it wasn't that.

   T.Jeff: lol! Well with Hamilton you never know what to expect.

   A.Burr: You and Alexander seem to have gotten pretty close.

   T.Jeff: Living together will do that.

   A.Burr: You know that isn't what I was talking about Thomas.

   T.Jeff: Do I?

   I roll my eyes as I throw my phone down onto my bed and roll off of the mattress to go and finally brush my teeth. I saunter into the master bathroom without a thought and wet my toothbrush. My phone buzzes rather loudly in the silent room as I squeeze some toothpaste onto the bristles before sliding them into my mouth. I chuckle to myself as I imagine what Hamilton would be thinking if he were the one to receive these text messages. White, minty foam rolls over my lips and I pause just as I am about to spit. I am in the master bathroom.

   My body is completely frozen in place as my eyes dart around the room. I haven't stepped foot in here since Martha was last here. The smell of her perfume and fragrant lotion has faded away and all that remains are the half empty bottles of lotion that still sit on the countertop waiting to be used. The reflection of her shampoo and conditioner shines in the mirror and it all becomes a bit too much for me. I quickly rinse out my mouth, almost making myself gag from my rush to escape from the room. My feet carry me over to the bed, where my phone has become a life preserver as I desperately grab onto it. 

   A.Burr: He looks like he misses you.

   He looks like he misses me? My eyes narrow slightly as I imagine his expression, sitting at his desk with his face leaned into one hand, blindly staring down at a document. My heart flutters slightly at the thought of him missing me, but I try not to allow myself to get too carried away in my personal fantasy.

   T.Jeff: That's new.

   What kind of response is that? I know that Hamilton and I haven't become anything significant to one another, or to be more accurate, have avoided placing a label on whatever it is that we have. Those two little words that are shining back at me make me so sound so distant and cold. Uncaring. 

   A.Burr: You miss too.

   A.Burr: Don't try to deny it.

   T.Jeff: Are you trying to be insightful about my life?

   A.Burr: You do miss him.

   T.Jeff: And how do you figure that?

   A.Burr: You haven't used a single emoji throughout this entire conversation.

   T.Jeff: That has nothing to do with Hamilton.

   A.Burr: Doesn't it?

   T.Jeff: Don't try to play mind games with me Burr. It won't end well for you.

   I exit out of the conversation before scrolling through my phone slowly. My thumb taps on the photo icon and I scroll through the several pictures that I have taken over the years. There are at least ten pictures of Hamilton, all of which I had to take in secret, but they make my chest tighten slightly as his piercing eyes look back at me through the glass barrier of my phone screen. I know that he is going to be coming home to me this evening, but I can't help but miss him. It's a bit aggravating that Burr was right, but I suppose that at the end of the day neither Hamilton or myself can always be right about everything.

   T.Jeff: Why are you so interested with my relationship with Hamilton?

   The thought occurs to me after a brief pause. He and Hamilton have a interesting friendship, but they don't strike me as the type to discuss such personal matters with one another.

   A.Burr: I consider you both to be friends. I simply want the best for both of you.

   T.Jeff: Are you trying to say that Hamilton and I are the best for each other?

   A.Burr: No...that isn't up to me to decide. 

   A.Burr: If you are truly desiring to know the answer to that question, then that is something the two of you need to discover for yourselves.