Page 17 of Derecho

“Do you see my adjustable wrench up there?” I asked. “I need it for one of the connections here.”

Lainey looked back on the porch, nodding. She pushed up from the step and made her way over to the table next to the chairs. I knew it would be there, I should have just walked over myself.

“Didn’t mean you had to grab it for me,” I grumbled as she passed it to me a few seconds later.

“It’s okay. The invader was starting to protest his cramped space. I needed to stretch.”

I barely registered what she said, because as soon as the wrench landed in my hand, my eyes dropped to Lainey’s arm. An arm that had what looked like several small bruises right in a line.

“What are those?” I asked, my voice dripping with horror.

“Oh, I…I burnt myself making bacon this morning. I forgot to put the splatter guard down, and it popped all over me. It’s really fine.”

“Those aren’t burns.” My hand wrapped as light as it could around her wrist, and I turned her arm to get a better look at the marks. “You’re bruised. It looks like fingerprints. Like someone grabbed you.”

She stared back at me, not saying a word.

“Did someone…Did someone grab your arm?”

Please let her say it was a customer. Let her say that she fired them as clients and won’t ever see them again. Because if she says it’s Greg…if he was hurting her…I didn’t know what the fuck I would do.

“Pregnancy makes you more likely to bruise,” she said, her free hand rubbing the underside of her belly. “I’ve been a little off balance lately. Clumsy. I don’t know where they came from, but it’s okay. I’m okay.”

I let her hand go and turned back to the car, sticking my head under the hood as I finished tightening the connections on her battery.

She was lying to me. I knew it the instant her body had locked up once I touched her arm.

“All done,” I called out a minute later, hating that it was the fucking truth. I slammed the hood down, expecting to see her back on the porch. But instead she was right by my side, keys in hand.

“Thank you. For all the fixes. And the laughs.”

“You don’t have to leave right away,” I said. “I was gonna take a walk up to see the horses. Haven’t really been beyond the yard yet. Wanna go with me?” My hand came up to the back of my neck and I squeezed, but the answer was already written all over her face.

“No. I better not. I need to get going.”

I’d messed up. Pushed her too hard and now she was going to push me away. I couldn’t let that happen. Not when she needed help.

“Hey. Do you need someone to see you? Really see you without asking any questions?” I was asking her a question, yeah, sure. But it wasn’t the question I really wanted to ask. And maybe that would make it easier for her to answer.

Her eyes went wide for just one second before her head shook. “I’m good. I promise. I’ll see you tomorrow for your order drop off. Have a good walk.”

Lachlan

Igroaned as my ass hit the sofa. My nerves have been off the charts since I watched Lainey’s car drive away yesterday.

I was still riding the high of being able to tinker with her car. Her AC was easy enough, and I was on cloud nine for a week. But holding my tools again yesterday, seeing the relief in her eyes when she got in and drove off with no alarms on the dash, a part of me that I’d been locking away returned. And I didn’t know what I’d been afraid of, because every terrible thought I’d had…hadn’t happened. I still had the skills, and I had actually enjoyed working again.

I was itching like crazy to see Lainey’s car driving down my road. I’d sent a few messages checking in, but she didn’t reply yesterday, or today, so I figured I was being too much. Those bruises on her arm, though…

I’d check in with her again today. My stomach was about to growl from the thought of getting to have her macaroni and cheese tonight. I had no idea what she put in it to make it so damn creamy, but I had to pace myself every time she dropped a new tray off to me for the week.

As if summoned from my anxious thoughts, Lainey’s name flashed across my phone’s screen. Had something happened to the car on her delivery route? It was at least another few hours before she was normally here…

“You okay? Is something wrong with the car?” Jesus. I could hear the goddamn worry sitting thick in my voice.

You’re just friends. You just care about her like she’s your sister…And those fucking bruises on her arm haven’t left your goddamn mind because you just care a normal, appropriate amount.

“Hey. Yeah, um, of course I am. I just…I’m not going to be able to make deliveries today. Or… uh…probably for a while. I’m trying to find a replacement option for my clients, but it might take me a few days.”