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“That’s what I thought.” He grabs the drill, climbs the ladder, and resumes his work with renewed vigor.
This was a mistake.
I stand there a moment longer, swaying beneath the enormity of everything left unsaid.
Then I turn away and walk back to my car with my guards.
Halfway there, the drizzle grows heavier, harder, intensifying into a downpour.
I came here to fix this.
I didn’t even fucking try.
Fuck.
Halting in my tracks, I lift my face to the sky and let the cold rain wash over me.
Then I pivot and come face to face with Leo.
He stands a few feet away, arms at his sides, unblinking in the deluge.
“You look like shit,” he says.
“So do you.” I swipe a hand down my face, uselessly clearing away the rain.
“I appreciate you. Everything you’ve done for me. The support and encouragement, the opportunity to pursue my dreams, and every basic necessity I could ever need or want. I’m indebted to you.”
“No, you’re not.”
“What did you come here to say to me?”
My chest tightens. My stomach hardens. My throat closes up.
One session with a psychiatrist, my first genuine attempt at trying, and I’m ready to puke my feelings all over the cement.
Here it goes.
“I’m scared.” I rub my chest, and a shiver runs through me. “Scared of losing her for good. Scared of losing you and Kody.”
“What are you going to do about it?” He crosses his arms, seemingly unfazed by the rain.
“You didn’t want to share her with Kody. I read about all the fighting in her journal. What changed your mind?”
“Fear. She and Kody were gone for a month. I didn’t know if they would return. The odds were against them, and I was in that cabin, alone and fucking terrified.” He licks his rain-drenched lips. “Fear has a way of putting things in perspective. From where I’m standing, you’re not scared enough.”
“I don’t solve my problems with fear. I take action, hire resources, and make plans. I execute.”
“How’s that working for you?”
“Are you willing to let me take the lead? Call the shots? Do this my way, no questions asked?”
He huffs a laugh. “Not in this lifetime.”
“Then this will never work.”
“Could’ve told you that.” He turns and walks away, throwing a glare over his shoulder. “Good luck with those plans.”
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