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20
Alexis
Having Lucas back at home is jarring—knowing he’ll be sleeping in the spare room tonight and not in our room is even more so.
Lizzy has been sticking close to him since she woke up. I can’t blame her. The hurricane has been hard on her, and he’s her daddy. He makes her feel safe. I wish I hadn’t had that sense of safety yanked away from me.
Before we started setting things right, we’d walked down our street, checking on neighbors and seeing if anyone needed help. People were dazed and tired, but thankfully all—except for Jeff—were relatively okay. The wind had scooped up an unsecured pot plant, turning it into a flying projectile that had shattered a kitchen window, sending glass flying everywhere and leaving a deep cut on Jeff’s arm when he’d brought it up to shield his face.
When we left, they were still arguing. Jeff blamed Vicky for forgetting to put the plant in the garage, and Vicky blamed Jeff for not listening to her and leaving their safe room to get a beer from the fridge, In the middle of a damn Hurricane, she had shrieked while Phillip—who was a doctor and their next-door neighbor—was treating his cut.
Our last stop before checking on Lucas’s car was Erin’s house. My heart was in my mouth while we waited for Anthony to answer the door. I knew Erin had already left, but what if Monica was here?
I was taken aback when he finally opened the door. It looked like he’d aged ten years. His eyes were red, the skin beneath them dark and puffy, and his beard would put a mountain man to shame.
“Anthony,” I said, my voice flat, an image of Erin’s broken eyes flashing through my mind. Even though I was trying to be civil, I must have been wearing my disdain for him on my sleeve. His body folded in on itself, his eyes dropping to the ground.
He was alive, and that was good enough for me, so I turned and left. Let Lucas talk to him. Birds of a feather and all that.
Lucas caught up to me halfway back to my house.
“What was that about?”
“Hurricane Monica,” I mumbled. “It seems that you weren’t the only one that enjoyed fucking her. You should go over there with a couple of beers. Compare notes.”
My back stiff, I leave him to go back to our house. He could check on his damn car by himself.
***
“Don’t touch that.” I reach out a hand to stop Lizzy from picking up a large shard of broken glass. She’s been a trooper, helping me clean the porch while Lucas is inside, boarding up the broken window.
Leaning against the broom, I wipe the sweat that’s collected on my neck. It’s warm and humid, with little to no breeze, the sunny blue skies a direct mockery of the past twenty-four hours. I’m trying, but it’s hard not to get upset at the destruction that was once our backyard. I mean, what’s the loss of shrubbery compared to the loss that I’m sure a lot of people are facing?
“I’m hungry,” Lizzy moans, plopping down on one of the porch chairs I’d carried back out. She’s been a bit sulky since she’d seen the state the pool was in. Not being able to swim is a massive inconvenience in her life.
“Go grab some crisps from the pantry.”
Her drooping body straightens, her frown replaced by a wide smile. “Really? Can I take it to my room? The whole bag?” I chuckle, motioning her inside and resuming my sweeping.
Lucas walks up to me, handing me a bottle of water. “The window’s done, and I’ve mopped up the rain.” Lucas has been treating me with kid gloves since he got back, and I’ve calmed down somewhat.
“Thank you.” The water feels like heaven going down my dry throat, and I don’t stop until the bottle’s empty.
“Do we have another broom?”
“It’s fine. I’m almost done. Would you mind bringing the furniture back out? Start with the chairs. I’ll be there in a minute to help with the table.”
He frowns. “Who helped you take it inside?”
“I managed.” I’m grateful he’s here to help me. It took me forever to wrestle our big patio table inside, and I ended up sliding it most of the way, scuffing the wood floor in the process.
“I should have been here to help,” he grimaces.
I shrug. “You tried.” He had, but I’d been too prideful to take him up on it.
He nods, blowing out a deep breath and running his hand through his hair. “It’s going to be crazy for the next few days.”
“I’m sure Eric’s wondering where you are,” I say, sweeping the last of the debris into the dustpan.
