Page 74 of Tainted Truth

“I don’t know. Maybe my leaving for a week was too much. I should have checked in with her.”

Zane tilts his head. “We took your phone, Spencer. How would you have called her?”

“I don’t know. I just feel responsible.” My shoulders slump forward.

He slings his arm around me. “She’ll be okay. Now let’s go say hi to Hayes and everyone else.”

Opening the door to Clay Creations is much easier than normal. When I make a confused face, Zane just shrugs and ushers me through the door.

“Spencer!” Hayes rushes to me and picks me up in an all-encompassing hug. My heart contracts and if I were the Grinch, I’m sure this is the point where it would grow three times its size. I hug him back just as hard and tears line my eyes. I knew that if I left, I’d miss this, but getting to hug them all again really makes the thought hit home.

When Hayes sets me down, Alma and Paul take their turns hugging me. “It’s only been a week, y’all.” I know my comments make me sound put out, but I’m over the moon that I get to see them all again.

“How was your self-discovery?” Alma asks, then raises her brows up and down. “Did any ofthemhelp with your little introversion excursion?”

My cheeks are set aflame as I flounder for a response. Alma beats me to the punch though. “Ahh. Good for you,chica,” she says with a wink.

“Leave her alone, Alma.” Paul leads Alma back to their wheels.

“Boss, you’ll be happy to know I’ve had everything under control. Inventory has been counted, more dates with the kids’ summer camp have been set, the storage closet is organized, kiln time has been scheduled, and I’ve begun a list of things we may need to order soon.”

My cheeks become wet from tears falling down my face.

Hayes’s face turns alarmed, and he looks to Zane for help. “Uh. Spencer? Are you okay? Have you been watching videos of lost pets reuniting with their owners again? You know what happened last time you did that.”

“No, no. Sorry. I’m fine.” I wave him and Zane off.

Hayes looks unconvinced but doesn’t push the topic further. “Okay. But did you get the inspiration you needed?”

My mind goes over everything I learned and went through in the last week. I learned some truths that have been hard to accept, but they were truths I needed to absorb and understand. While I’ll never understand Anthony, I see him in a clearer light.

I smile at Hayes as ideas begin popping into my mind. “You know what? I think I did.”

CHAPTER 32

SPENCER

The rest of the day, and over the next several days, I work tirelessly on my pieces for the exhibit. Zane and Rio fall right back into the routine we had set before. They both go to work and then meet me for lunch. Asher glues himself to my side, but this time it’s way more pleasant.

Kind of.

Whenever I need a break at the Mudhouse, Asher tags along. The giant and I practically become Siamese twins! But he’s still holding back. At night, Zane and Rio squeeze themselves in my bed with me. Asher insists it’d be weird for him to sleep in the room with us. I offered solutions, but he’s slept on my couch every night instead.

All three of them have tried sneaking peeks at my sculptures, but I shoo them away every time by flinging wet clay at them and then cover the piece with a towel. I know they’ll see them when they’re on display soon, but if they don’t like my art, I don’t want to know. I’m not going to be able to watch them watch the reveal. I think I’ll hang out in the corner with a paper bag instead.

Eight days of being covered in clay is exactly what I needed to feel normal again—I feel right at home. The ideas in my brain flow right from my mind through my fingertips and into the clay.Each design is an expression of my soul. Vulnerability and doubt constantly make appearances in my consciousness, but I battle them away by trudging through.

It’s Thursday night, and I’m standing in the middle of ten completed sculptures. Alma and Paul left this afternoon, and I sent Hayes home a few hours ago. The three of them are the only ones I’ve allowed to see my sculptures. They’ve all given me usable criticism that I think has made this exhibit my best one yet.

My relief is tangible.

I take another moment to revel amidst my accomplishments. “I finished.”

Asher looks up from his laptop and eyes all of the covered pieces of art. He leans back in his too-small-for-him stool against the worktable and loosely crosses his arms. “Umm. Are the towels part of the exhibit?”

A chuckle involuntarily escapes me. “No.”

Asher smiles and shrugs his shoulders. “Then show them to me.”

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