Page 71 of When We Met

“I don’t know, but you need to. If he finds out otherwise, he might not be so forgiving.”

My heart takes a plummet to my knees. “I need to leave before he finds out.”

Her eyes widen. “No, don’t leave. Don’t do that to him. Just tell him.”

Just as I’m thinking of a plan to tell him, he comes inside the office, snow in his hair and my heart in his hands. I don’t know how it happened. Or when the lie became something I couldn’t right, but looking at him now, those charming dark eyes, I can’t tell him.

“Parts should be here by Friday.”

Somehow I got lost in the dream of thinking I belonged here and stare at him long enough he probably thinks I’m crazy. Anxiety swallows me. I hoped it’d take longer, and by the look on his face, he wants that too. “I should probably get a hotel room in Amarillo. I hate being a burden to you and the girls.”

“You’re not.” And then he smiles, penetrating my will, including the ones begging me to right the lie before it ends this. Knee deep in the haze of him, I feel our souls grabbing at one another. Begging us to listen. And when I stare into his eyes, it’s as if my heart is screaming at me. Look here, listen up, it’s this one. The one we’ve been searching for.

Of all the times for parts to be on time.

BARRON

I have to think of another way to draw this out longer. Friday is coming too fast. But, I also have work to do. It’s easy to forget you have a job when pussy is all you can think of. I do get some work done though. It takes up the majority of the day. With the help of the guys, we get the side of the building repaired too. Which is nice because it’s fourteen degrees outside and having a hole in the building is inconvenient.

As I’m packing up for the day, Camdyn comes into the shop with bright red lips. “Hi, Daddy.”

I glance down at her, confused. “Why are your lips red?”

She shrugs. “I found Kacy’s lipstick.”

I lean into the side of my toolbox, fighting off laughter. “And you thought you’d put it on?”

“I look pretty.”

“You look like Aerosmith.”

“Who’s that?”

“The Joker from Batman’s brother.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Go wash your face before we leave.”

She leaves and I shake my head. Jace approaches, grinning. “Why does Camdyn have lipstick all over her face?”

I hand him a repair order for the backhoe in his stall. “She got into Kacy’s lipstick.”

Tipping his hat with grease smeared all over his face, he glances at the repair order and then me again. “Hmm. You know what they say about red lipstick.”

“No. What do they say?” I stare at his hair oil-soaked hair. “And why are you covered in oil?”

“Slutty.” He winks, stepping back away from me. “Oil was hot when it came out and soaked me.”

I know he’s talking about changing the oil in the backhoe, but I laugh, thinking it’s fitting. “She’s not slutty.”

A gruff laugh rumbles through him. “You don’t know anything about her.”

“Not true,” I point out. “Her dad’s the drummer for Final Code.”

He stares at me blankly. “No shit?”

“Yep.” I gesture to his phone in his other hand. “Did you call Abbi?”

---