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“You’re okay.” I breathe out, my legs wobbly.
“The pain is real,” He moans, stepping back and clutching at his chest. “The last thing a guy wants is to hear a girl call him ‘okay.’”
“You know what I mean, jerk.” I elbow him in the stomach on my way to grab some cups.
“Just in time for breakfast,”
“What are we making?”
“Bacon, eggs, and toasted cheese.”
Eric grins, rubbing his stomach. “It beats the can of beans I was going to open.”
“How much damage?” I ask, following Lucas and Eric outside.
“Nothing too bad,” Eric says, grabbing an extra chair and positioning it next to the two already in front of the grill. “What happened to you, man? You just disappeared.”
“I had somewhere else to be.” His hand rubs his jaw, his stubble thicker than he normally allows it to get, and I look down, not able to handle the weight of his stare as he says this. Even though it was a reckless thing to do—braving his life in those conditions—I’m thankful he was here.
“Figured. But a heads-up next time would be great.”
Lucas shrugs, not looking sorry in the least. “Is the tree still blocking the road?”
“Yeah. But there were a bunch of guys asking everyone to spread the word. They’re going to try to move it at two and need all the hands they can get.”
***
Later that night, we’re on the patio, staring at the dying embers of the fire Lucas made so we could cook hot dogs for dinner. It’s been a busy day. The whole neighborhood came together, and we managed to move the tree just enough for one lane to be open. Eric left a few hours ago, despite me begging him to stay over. When he hugged me goodbye, he murmured that it was a good thing that we were spending time together as a family. I disagreed. I wanted him as a buffer between Lucas and me, but he wouldn’t be swayed.
Lizzy’s fallen asleep with her head on Lucas’s lap, and I’m slumped in my chair, my head leaning against the back of it. Exhaustion is tugging at my eyes, and I’m moments away from joining Lizzy in slumber.
“Do you remember that time we went camping at Ocala?”
“God, yes,” I say with a little shudder, rolling my head to look at him. His face, once so dear to me, is painted in shadows from the fire. Despite the shadows, I can make out the look on his face. He looks…content, and it irritates me. “Remind me never to go camping in summer. I thought I’d have to go for a blood transfusion by the end of the trip.”
“You should have listened to me and drank more beer.”
I drag my eyes away from the gentleness in his. “Right. Beer was your answer to everything back then. Even mosquitoes.”
“At least the beer made me not care about being bitten. Anyway. This reminds me of it.”
I arch an eyebrow in question. “How so?”
“It’s quiet. Peaceful.”
He’s right. It’s quiet. With the loss of power went background sounds that we take for granted, such as the humming of a refrigerator, and it’s so dark that I can hardly see anything past the faint glow of the fire.
I stand abruptly. “I’m going to bed.”
We shouldn’t be out here talking and reminiscing as if there’s nothing wrong. The time he’s talking about feels like it was a lifetime ago, and I don’t want to think about it. If I could, I’d go back in time and scream at that Alexis to run. To get away while I still had the chance to get away with at least part of my heart intact. But then again, if I did that, I wouldn’t have Lizzy.
“Please stay,” he says softly, his voice a plea. “Let’s sit for a little while longer and pretend. Please, Alexis.”
I shake my head. “No. I can’t do this trip down memory lane. And I can’t pretend. Your cheating has tainted every happy memory of us I have, and I can’t bear it.” Despite my gritted teeth, a sob makes its way out of my mouth.
He moves to stand, belatedly realizing Lizzy’s head is on his lap, but despite the hand I’m holding out to stop him, he gently removes her head from his lap and gets up. He takes a step towards me.
“I swear to you, Alexis. Besides Monica, I have always been faithful to you.”
