Page 44 of Built to Fall
They all nod and head down the hall. I pass them as they unlock their door, their chatter still echoing faintly behind me.
I unlock my own front door and quickly grab my toolbox from the hall closet.
Braxton’s at the kitchen island. “What are you doing?”
“The girls’ apartment has a broken shelf. I told them I’d fix it.”
He stands and follows me back through the entryway. “I’ll go with you,” he says, slipping on shoes. “I haven’t seen Mer yet today.”
We exit our apartment, closing the door behind us before making our way down the hall toward their door.
When I knock, Kara answers immediately. “Welcome,” she says, stepping aside dramatically.
“Thanks. I brought reinforcements,” I point toward Braxton.
“Oh, I’m not helping,” Braxton says, passing me and heading straight for Meredith’s room.
I glance around their place. I’ve been here before, but every time I come over, I find myself noticing how slightly chaotic it is—in the way only three twenty-something girls can pull off. There’s an open textbook on the couch, a couple blankets hanging off the armrest, and a single, unmatched sock on the coffee table.
The painting Braxton and I hung for them is still safe and sound on the wall, and the standing bookshelves on either side of the TV have more stuff on them every time I come over—books, trinkets, fancy-looking gold picture frames.Girly shit.
The three of them are surrounding the kitchen island, all eating from their takeout boxes. I’m not sure why Meredith is still in her bedroom, but she and Braxton probably won’t be coming out anytime soon.
I stare at Lina longer than I intend to, memorizing the way she laughs mid-bite, like whatever she just said was too funny to wait. Her hair’s tucked behind one ear, there’s a smudge of sauce on her thumb, and she looks so at home here. It hits me harder than I would have expected.
Eden points toward the laundry room with her fork. “It’s in there. Try not to die.”
Nodding, I set the toolbox down and open the door carefully. One look tells me they weren’t exaggerating. The shelf is visibly slanted, one side sagging under the weight of what looks like three Costco-sized bottles of detergent and a crate labeled‘Miscellaneous but Necessary,’which almost makes me shake my head with amusement.
“Okay, yeah,” I mutter. “This thing’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.”
Lina appears beside me, arms crossed again. “So? Can you fix it, or are we about to be tragically crushed?”
“Do you want me to fix it, or are you hoping for an insurance payout?”
She doesn’t answer. Just watches as I kneel down and start pulling things off the shelf, setting them aside carefully.
“I’ll need to replace the anchor screws. These are barely hanging on,” I explain, more to myself than anyone else.
“You brought anchor screws?” Kara asks, impressed.
I nod, reaching for my drill. “Always prepared.”
Plus, they’re the most sturdy, and I need all the reassurance I can get that this shelf isn’t going to fall on top of one of them.
“You didn’t even need to go to college. You’ve got the whole trade thing down!” Eden jokes.
“Not like he’s paying much to be here,” Kara mutters in the same tone.
I look back at her, shaking my head while laughing.I mean, she’s not wrong.
Lina still hasn’t said much, but I can feel her watching me as I work.
Ten minutes later, the shelf is reinforced, level, and—most importantly—not going to kill anyone.
I finish putting all their stuff back up before turning toward them. “Try not to overload it again. It’s fixed, but not indestructible.”
“Guess we’ll cancel the five-gallon bucket of bleach we were about to order,” Lina says, mock disappointment in her voice.
