QUOTE : When Zev still didn’t say anything, Toby visibly stiffened,<br /><br />seemingly steeling his courage, and then continued speaking. “Is<br /><br />something going on with Jonah?”<br /><br />“We haven’t talked about Jonah since he moved away,” Zev<br /><br />answered after a short pause.<br /><br />“I know.”<br /><br />“That was three and a half years ago,” Zev continued.<br /><br />“I know.”<br /><br />He probably should have been surprised that Toby had known<br /><br />he’d kept in touch with Jonah, but Zev wasn’t. Lori was pretty<br /><br />perceptive, and she probably knew exactly where Zev went when he<br /><br />traveled for business. And what Lori knew, Toby knew. Whether they<br /><br />were aware of the nature of Zev’s feelings for the human wasn’t clear,<br /><br />but Zev was too tired to try to make excuses.<br /><br />“He’s gonna go to medical school.” Zev still hadn’t moved his arm from his face, so he couldn’t see Toby’s reaction.<br /><br />“Medical school?” Toby’s voice was tempered but confused.<br /><br />“That’s, like, four years of school and then four years of<br /><br />residency. Which means eight more years away from Etzgadol.” Eight<br /><br />more years away from me.<br /><br />The last part was really the crux of the problem, but Zev didn’t<br /><br />dare say it out loud. It’d give away too much. Still, it didn’t make<br /><br />sense. A few years away so they could grow up and be old enough to<br /><br />tie when they came back together, Zev was almost able to understand.<br /><br />But that time had passed, Zev had figured out how to tie with a male,<br /><br />and he was ready for his mate to join him.<br /><br />Why would nature give him a mate who insisted on staying<br /><br />away? Zev felt like he was missing something. Like there was a lesson<br /><br />he should be learning, but he had no clue what it was. Instead, he just<br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br />felt frustrated and angry. So many thoughts were swirling in his mind<br /><br />that he hadn’t registered Toby’s long silence until the other man spoke<br /><br />again.<br /><br />“You know my mom works with Doc Carson.”<br /><br />The change in topic was weird, but welcome, so Zev engaged<br /><br />Toby in the conversation.<br /><br />“Yeah, I know.”<br /><br />“So I was asking her the other day if she thinks he’d take me on at<br /><br />the clinic when I get my nursing degree, and you know what she told<br /><br />me?”<br /><br />The conversation was about as interesting as watching paint peel,<br /><br />but at least it got Zev thinking about something other than Jonah.<br /><br />Almost.