Page 30 of Westward

“It’s fine. We weren’t good at this whole gardening thing anyway. I should hire someone.” I had the money now. At least I would once my parents’ estate went through all of its steps. I was already on all of their bank accounts and had access to all of their assets, and eventually I would have to sell the house, as well as any other belongings I didn’t want, but I wasn’t going to do that right now. My summer vacation was turning into a stack of paperwork I hadn’t expected. But I had the money to hire someone to deal with things I couldn’t handle on my own. However, that would mean I’d actually have to tell people that I couldn’t handle it.

Teagan winced. “I know a few people. They are way more knowledgeable than we are.”

“I’m pretty sure a toddler is more knowledgeable than us,” I said dryly.

Teagan winked, then she came forward and hugged me tightly. “I’ll come back for dinner if you want?”

“You said you would help Felicity. And I know you, Tess, and Keely all have plans,” I said, speaking of some of our local friends. Everybody worked so many hours a day that getting all of us together in one place was practically unheard of. And while I had been invited to nearly every one of those events, I wasn’t in the mood. Not yet. One day soon. But for now, I wanted to stay home and just breathe.

It didn’t help that every time I closed my eyes, however, it wasn’t my parents I saw. But him.

And it wasn’t the feel of my mother holding me tightly that kept me up all night, no, it was him.

Again.

My perpetual problem.

“That’s right.” Teagan kissed the top of my head, then went on her tiptoes and squeezed my hand. “I nearly forgot. Are you sure you don’t want to come out with us?”

“Not this time. Maybe another time.” My friend gave me a look. “I promise. I’m not going to hole up in my house or my parents’ house every day. I’m just not ready for the stares. Especially after that last photo in the Gazette.”

“I could kick Atlas for putting you in that situation.”

“It wasn’t his fault. It was a mutual hug.”

The photo of us hugging at the summer festival had made it not only on the website but into the printed Gazette. I had a feeling it had also made it to a few other online sources, ones that had left the containment of Ashford Creek, but I didn’t want to think about that. The world loved speculating about who Atlas Carter was dating, but that wasn’t me, and I didn’t want to think about that any harder than I already was.

“Whatever you say. Just be careful.”

I crossed my eyes and stuck out my tongue. “You know me. Careful Lizzie.”

“I thought that was Quiet Lizzie.”

“I don’t remember. High school was so long ago.”

“Well, thankfully, we have a reunion coming up, so that way we can all get together and remember the fact that we didn’t like most people we went to high school with.”

“Hopefully, they won’t show.”

“Both Atlas and Callum will be here. They’re going to show. You know some people like to make it a spectacle.”

That made me sigh, but I let it go as Teagan walked around the house, presumably to her car to head to help her manager with whatever the man needed. It was probably something as simple as finding a piece of paper in the office because God forbid he actually looked for it, but that was what Teagan did for a living. Dealing with men who couldn’t take care of themselves. And that wasn’t unkind, in this case—truthful and uncalled for.

With a sigh, I stared at the oft-weeded garden and shook my head. “It’s a lost cause,” I said with a sigh.

“Hey, Ms. E.” I looked up, my heart racing because I hadn’t realized anyone was nearby, and then relaxed as Will came forward.

“Hi Will. I didn’t hear your bike.” Usually, I could hear his bike on the gravel when he rode by, and yet I had been so lost in my head I had missed it this time. I knew he was still living out in the trailer park, couch surfing. He wouldn’t let any of us find him a place to stay, but he worked with Rune, and I knew he was spending time with Atlas. I had been so lost in my own issues that I hadn’t spent enough time focusing on Will. And that needed to change.

“I was helping Atlas put up a shelf in his bathroom,” Will explained. “It might not be completely straight, but there are enough anchors on the wall that it’s not going to fall down.”

I pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh at the thought of Atlas Carter trying to do a household repair. “Did you tell him he should talk to Finnian?”

“I didn’t want to get thrown into a lake.”

“Atlas would never do that,” I said as I tried to dust the dirt off my jeans.

“When it comes to Finnian and his odd jealousy over you? Yeah, he would.”