Page 24 of Truck Hard

“But you can direct the future.”

My heart pounds against my ribs. Can I direct the future? Does Hannah even want me in her future? Or Cam’s future? So many questions and too much fear holding me back.

“Hey.” Warren’s voice pulls me from my spiraling thoughts. “Whatever you’re thinking right now? Stop it.”

“It’s not that easy to do.”

“It never is.” He sets his water bottle down with more force than necessary. “But you know what else isn’t easy? Watching your brother—the strongest man I’ve ever known—tear himself apart over something he can’t change instead of dealing with what’s right in front of him.”

The words sting, but there’s no real heat behind them. Just the kind of brutal honesty Warren’s always been known for.

“I don’t know how to fix this.” I admit.

“So you’re just going to what? Hide in your office forever?”

“No, I—” But whatamI going to do? Keep drafting texts I’ll never send? Keep watching from a distance as she rebuilds her life without me? Listen to every person who cares about me tell me the same thing but still do nothing?

Warren sighs, running a hand through his hair in a gesture so similar to my own it’s almost funny. “Look, I get it. You’re scared of messing things up worse than they already are. But Liam?” He waits until I meet his eyes. “You can’t protect people by staying away from them. Sometimes the best thing you can do is just... be there. Let them know they’re not alone.”

The wisdom in his words strikes me hard. Because isn’t that exactly what I’ve been doing? Trying to protect Hannah by keeping my distance, when what she might need most is just knowing someone’s in her corner?

“When did you get so smart?” I ask, only half joking.

A shadow crosses Warren’s face, something dark and haunted that I’ve noticed more and more since he came back home. “Let’s just say I learned some things while I was away.”

I want to ask what happened during those years he was gone. What put that look in his eyes that wasn’t there before. But I know he’s not ready to talk about it yet. Maybe this is part of being a better brother—learning when to push and when to wait.

“Thanks,” I say instead. “For the talk. And for...” I gesture vaguely between us. “You know.”

He nods, understanding what I can’t quite put into words. “Any time.” He starts to head back to work, then pauses. “Oh, and Liam?”

“Yeah?”

“When you do finally talk to Hannah? Try not to lead with ‘hey asshole’ this time.”

The startled laugh that bursts out of me feels like the first real one in days. Warren grins, then turns back to where Christian is waiting with the engine.

I watch him go, feeling lighter somehow. One small step toward fixing old mistakes. One piece of the past put right.

Now I just have to figure out how to face the biggest mistake of all.

My phone weighs heavy in my pocket, still silent. Still waiting for me to find the courage to reach out properly. To stop hiding behind excuses and fear and just... be there. Like Warren said.

The afternoon sun slants through the garage windows, painting everything in warm golden light. In a few hours, I’ll head home for dinner with Grams. Tomorrow, I’ll have to face another day of running the shop, managing my brothers, and keeping everything moving forward.

But maybe tomorrow will also be the day I finally stop running from the past. Maybe tomorrow I’ll find the right words to say to Hannah. To tell her everything I should have said thirteen years ago.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll be brave enough to face whatever comes next.

For now, though, I have work to do. Cars to fix, papers to file, a family business to keep afloat.

One step at a time. One day at a time.

Because that’s all I can control.

The morning sunglints off Frank’s weathered storefront as I park my truck across the street. My hands grip the steering wheel, knuckles white with tension. Through the large windows, I can see Hannah moving behind the counter, her brown hair catching the light as she serves customers with practiced efficiency.

What the hell am I doing here?

---