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He struggles to pick a word, and I interrupt him. “Be careful what you say.”

“You know what I mean! This place could do with some fixin’ up! I’d be happy to work on some painting or something this week.

“This is an auto shop. It isn’t meant to look nice.”

“Wrong again, old man. Don’t you wanna be successful? I mean, you don’t wanna be working when you’re eighty, do you?”

“If I make it there,” I say lowly, and he laughs at my dark humor as I lean against a table. The truth is I could spend my life in prison if I’m not careful. Maybe that would be better for me anyway.

No, no. That won’t be good for anyone. I won’t take the easy way out.

“I’ll make sure you make it there. Ain’t you excited to have me around?”

“Ecstatic.”

I finally lead him upstairs to unpack his things in the guest bedroom, while Bacon excitedly loops around.

The night feels long. He keeps me up, forcing me to watch some sort of action movie. Truthfully, I did miss him. I guess I did him a disservice by staying away. Have I done everything wrong again? Maybe he was my second chance at family, and I left him behind just like I did to Mel.

Fuck. I don’t know what’s right and wrong anymore.

“Okay, just…don’t fucking drop it all over!” I groan as I watch Mason attempt to bring some paint outside, thinking he can paint the entire shop on his own.

“Well, it’s messy! It’s fine, the rain will wash away what ain’t primed.”

Yeah, my fucking ass it will.

“Whatever. I got real shit to do,” I grumble, stepping back into the shop to work on my numbers for the month.

He’s out there for a while, but as I expected, he came in to take a break before even finishing one side. “It’s miserable out there, you know? Why would you move somewhere like this?”

“If you don’t like it, leave.”

He laughs, and plops down on a waiting room chair. It’s finally quiet again as I write down the numbers, until he speaks. “Who is that? I thought you were closed today.”

I look up, and my heart drops as I see bright copper hair standing outside the glass door. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I try to quickly make my way to the door, but Mason beats me. “Wait don’t⁠—"

“How can I help you darlin’?”

“Oh hi,” she says sweetly, tilting her head to look at me past Mason. “I’m just here to see Kane.”

“I see,” he says, turning to me with a beaming smile. He moves out of her way and she waltzes right inside, hands full. “Let me take that for you,” he offers, grabbing the large tupperware.

“Thank you! I didn’t know you had company,” she says, turning to me.

She knows that I said not to come find me again, right?

“How rude of me, I’m Mason.” He puts his free hand out, and she shakes it.

“I’m Layla.”

“Whatever this is sure smells good.”

Fucker. How am I gonna get her out of here? Worse, how do I keep her from saying the wrong thing? I don’t want Mason to know how we met. Or that we…

“Oh! Yeah, well Kane said before he didn’t like sweets so um this time I brought some of the savory confections we had left over today.”

“No shit? Thank you.” He opens the lid and I smack the back of his head.