Page 146 of Trust Me

“Oh!” Teresa jumped to her feet with wide eyes. “I’m not expecting anything.”

“That’s because it’s not for you.” I winked at her before I handed it to Lee.

She sat on the edge of her seat while she watched him untie the ribbon.

“These are Knicks colors,” he noted with a twinkle in his eye. “I bet it’s from Dan.”

He popped the top, then pulled out a little box of chocolates. With a conspiratorial look, he tucked them off to the side, then narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Dean, who snorted at the threat.

Settling beside him again, I slipped my hand between both of our legs and played with the seam of his jeans. He leaned back, putting his arm over the back of the couch without touching me. Still, it was comforting just feeling it behind me, like it was some guardian above my shoulder.

Teresa’s gaze found mine. For a second, I felt a flutter of anxiety, but then she smiled and refocused on her husband.

Maybe she knew. It didn’t really matter to me, and Dean wasn’t trying all that hard to hide it. It was his decision when he wanted to say anything, so I’d just go with the flow.

“It’s from Dr. Matteo,” Lee said as he read the card from inside.

The contentment I felt shattered at the mention of him. I shifted in my seat, glancing between Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy warily.

“What’s the card say?” Blake asked from the doorway.

Lee perched it between his fingers and cleared his throat. “‘Dear Mr. Kennedy.’” He chuckled. “Gonna have to get him to stop that shit.”

“It’s professional,” Teresa scolded.

“Yeah, yeah. ‘I was devastated to hear about your accident. Please know that you and your family are in my thoughts. Teresa has already become an invaluable part of our practice, and we’re lucky to have her with us. Take as much time as you need to rest and recover. Wishing you strength and healing.’”

The world around me seemed to teeter as I listened. I continued to look between Lee and Teresa, feeling my heart rate spike.

Up until this point, I hadn’t been worried about it. I actually hadn’t thought of it for a while. They were happy with her new job, and from the conversation Dean had with them over the phone, I knew she was exactly where she belonged. But if they knew the truth, that she hadn’t gotten that job by pure luck, would they be angry? Would she feel violated because I’d meddled in something so personal, something that I had no right to?

The tips of Dean’s fingers dropped to the back of my neck. I leaned back further, relishing that touch. Every time I felt his eyes on me, I kept mine on the package Lee was holding.

“Oh my god!” he exclaimed when he opened a yellow envelope. I jumped, but Dean’s touch soothed me. “Tickets to the Knicks.”

Teresa gasped. “No, he didn’t!”

Lee laughed and rocked his chair. “I might have to have a few more accidents before the season ends.”

She smacked his arm, but there was still a smile on her face.

They were happy, I reminded myself. I hadn’t done anything bad. This was exactly what I’d wanted for them, before Dean and I had been anything more than roommates.

Still, as I watched Blake crouch next to his dad to check out what he’d gotten, something unexpected struck me. I’d never felt it, but I knew what it was immediately.

Loss—not present, but impending. I felt afraid, not for myself, per se, but for what I’d found myself in the middle of.

For the second time in my life, I felt like I really belonged somewhere. It hadn’t been very long, but the truth was that much more visceral. I could lose this just as quickly as I’d found it.

It didn’t feel fair, although I had no right to think that. I’d made the decision to get involved, even knowing that Dean might be angry.

I tried to decide if it was best for me to tell him or let things unfold as they were meant to. Maybe it would never come up. But then I’d have a secret.

As illogical as it was, I found myself torn as that vision Dean had painted for me started to crumble. The roof didn’t get fixed; it continued to deteriorate until the entire house flooded, rotting away the floors entirely and ripping the front door from its frame.

Could a good deed end in such tragedy?

Remi would probably laugh if I told him I’d gone job hunting for Dean’s mom before the guy even liked me all that much. Maybe this was more of a tragicomedy.