I Was Already Gone novel · Chapter 6 of 24

Chapter 6: The Offer

Brecken knocked on our door at six o'clock that evening, and he brought an envelope.

Gus looked through the peephole and whispered, "It's him."

"I know."

"Do you want me to say you're not home?"

"I'm standing right here, Gus."

"Right. Yeah." He disappeared into the kitchen, and a drawer rattled.

I opened the door.

Brecken stood in the hallway with his jacket over one arm and a smile.

"Hey, buddy. Can I come in?"

I let him.

He sat on our couch like it was his, which it nearly was, because he'd helped us carry it up.

He put the envelope on the coffee table and slid it toward me with two fingers.

"Two thousand," he said. "Cash. That's four months of your rent share, double what I usually do."

I didn't touch it.

"I'm not here to fight," he said. "I know I handled Tuesday badly. I got excited, and I should have told you in private. That's on me."

"It was live-streamed."

"I know."

"You told thirty-one thousand people when to watch."

"It was a joke, Elliott. A bit." He shrugged. "People like me when I'm real."

I looked at him.

He had been my best friend for nine years.

He had never once looked tired until this week.

"Here's what I need," Brecken said, more quietly. "I need the next song by Saturday. The scout will be there, and she's expecting new material."

"No."

"I need you to take down the open mic video."

"It isn't mine. Roxie posted it."

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