Page 46 of Make Me Trust Again
The cabinet digs into my shoulder, so I make my way toward the house. I expect Kyle to stay outside with Shadow, but they both follow after me.
I put the cabinet on the floor inside the kitchen, swallowing back the groan, and dust off my hands. Kyle’s gaze narrows as he looks at the cabinet. “They don’t have doors.”
“I have to put them back on.” I point at the corner, where all the doors were already waiting with the new handles attached. “But first I need to bring them all in.”
Kyle glances toward the doors, so I decide to leave him to it and go back outside. It takes me a few runs until all of them are in the kitchen, my back aching in protest as prickles of pain make my muscles spasm.
Cursing under my breath, I grit my teeth as I fight through the pain, that buzzing in my ears growing stronger. I press my hand against the side of my leg, massaging it slightly until my muscles relax.
When I open my eyes, I find Rose’s son watching me; his head tilted to the side. He opens his mouth, and I have to zero in on his lips so I can understand what he’s saying.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
Leave it to kids to tell you the truth without missing a beat. He presses his hands against the counter and lifts himself up, his legs swaying underneath him as he watches me, Shadow sitting by his side. “Did you paint them?”
“Yes.”
“They’re boring.” My eyes narrow at him, but if he notices my annoyance, he ignores it and continues, “You should paint them blue. Or green. Green’s my favorite color.”
“I like them like this.”
The kid sighs dramatically. “Okay, I guess.”
There is a moment of silence, so I turn around and grab the first door.
“Are you going to put them on now?”
So much for quiet.
I grab an electric screwdriver and a few screws from the box where I put them before looking up. “Yes.”
“Can I help?” Kyle shifts in his seat, a tentative smile spreading over his mouth as he flashes me his best puppy dog expression. “I’m areallygood helper.”
I should tell him no. That he should play with Shadow, or better yet, go back home and play there. But it’s like the words are stuck in my throat, not wanting to come out while he’s looking at me like that. He seems so eager to help, so… hopeful. And I can’t—don’t want to—disappoint him.
Dammit, this wasnotthe plan.
“Have you ever used a screwdriver?” I lift the tool up in case he doesn’t recognize the word, which earns me a shake of his head.
I tilt my head toward the cupboards. “C’mon, I’ll show you.”
The excitement fills his eyes. “Really?”
“Yes.”
Kyle jumps from the counter immediately and joins me. I show him the electric screwdriver, pointing to all the buttons and how to change the attachment, as well as which button to push to get it to start. He startles slightly as the tool buzzes to life, his fingers tentatively wrapping around mine so he can feel the vibrations under his fingertips. Only after he repeats everything to me, so I know he understands it, do I grab the first door.
Kyle helps me hold the door as I show him how to actually attach it to the cupboard. For a while, we work in silence, the buzzing of the machine the only sound filling the room. After a couple of doors, Kyle’s the one handing me the screws and holding the doors all on his own. When there are only a handful of doors left, I look up at him.
“You wanna try it on your own?”
His eyes widen. “Yes! Can I?”
“Just be careful. Don’t touch the start button until I tell you to, okay?”
