9. Tutto e troppo

                                    

                                          
Elias's POV
"Oh my," Maddie gasps after swallowing the first bite of her sandwich. She takes another bite and closes her eyes, savoring the taste.
I laugh lightly and pick up my own pastrami sandwich. "I told you it'd be good."
"Good? This isn't just good. This is amazing!" Maddie puts down her sandwich and wipes the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
"That's because they get all their products from local farmers and bake their own bread," April chimes in.
Maddie nods approvingly and takes another bite.
"The staff's also amazing and you can tell they love what they're doing," I add.
April and Maddie hum in agreement before the three of us go back to eating. We don't talk much after that because we all focus on our food. 
A waiter clears our table a couple minutes later and April gets up to go to the bathroom.
"Elias?" Maddie says once April's out of earshot.
"Yeah?"
"Uh- about Bri. I know you said she's doing this for you because she owes you, but I don't-" Maddie hesitates to go on and looks at her hands.
"You don't what?" I ask gently, not wanting to push her too much.
Maddie stays silent for a couple more seconds before saying, "I don't know if I can afford an attorney like her, and before you say anything, no, I don't want to ask my parents or friends for money because I'm not a charity case."
"Oh," I say dumbstruck. I don't have to worry about money in cases like this -courtesy of my dad- so hearing her say she might not be able to afford a good attorney catches me off guard. 
Maddie looks at me with slightly raised eyebrows, waiting for me to say something.
"I don't think money's going to be a problem," I blurt out.
"What? So, she's willing to do this for free?" Maddie asks incredulously.
"Like I said, she owes me a favor," I lie.
Yes, Bri owes me a favor because I helped her and Michael move into their new apartment a couple of years back, however, I don't think that's enough for her to represent someone in court without charging them for it. 
Maddie sinks back in her chair and vacantly stares at the table in front of her. "Oh wow, I- I don't know what to say. I never thought... I didn't even hope-" she looks up and catches my eyes with her own. "Thank you, so much. I can never repay you for this."
I wave her off and smile. "Well, you could pay for lunch," I joke.
Maddie's eyes widen and she pulls out her wallet. "Of course!"
"What, no! I was just kidding!"
Maddie shakes her head and pushes a few dollar bills into my hand. "Please, it's the least I can do," she pleads.
I eye the money in my hand for a second. She shouldn't have to pay me back for something I'm technically not paying for, but sensing how important this seems to be to her, I accept the money and stuff it in my pocket.
"So, what are we talking about?" April chimes. I avert my eyes from Maddie to my sister who slides into the chair next to me.
"Nothing," I say dryly. I wish I had never agreed to letting her come along. She can be so annoying sometimes and the smug look on her face tells me this is going to be one of those times.
"Oh, come on," April presses, pinching my cheek. I slap her hand away and glare at her.
"Aren't you glad you let me come along?" she jokes, rubbing her hand and narrowing her eyes at me before asking Maddie, "Do you have any siblings?"