Page 22 of Welded Defender
I stare at the gravel lot, working to breathe past the tightness in my chest.
Nova slides the box closer. “Eat another donut. Sugar therapy is scientifically proven.”
Despite everything, I laugh—small but genuine.
She grins. “See? Already working.”
The knot in my chest loosens. We sit there picking at donuts, the quiet settling around us without weight. For once, I don’t scramble to fill the silence or shrink into myself.
When she speaks again, her voice carries a smile. “So, how’s my brother been as a boss? Still brooding like he’s auditioning for a vampire movie?”
The laugh bubbles up before I can catch it. “A little. He’s… patient, though. Kind. He makes it easier than I expected.”
Nova smirks. “That’s Landon for you. Stone face, marshmallow heart. Don’t tell him I said that. It'll hurt his pride.”
“I don’t think he’s fooling anyone,” I say before I can stop myself.
Her eyebrows arch. “Oh? You’ve figured him out already?”
Heat crawls up my neck. “I didn’t mean?—”
Nova waves me off, grinning. “Hey, no judgment. Just saying… it’s nice seeing him care about someone. He’s built for it, you know. Sometimes too much. Forgets he needs looking after too.”
I study the torn edge of my donut, but something warm unfurls in my chest, pushing against the familiar weight of worry.
The side door groans open. I flinch.
Landon emerges, wiping grease from his hands with a rag. His eyes find me first, then Nova, then the pink bakery box. “What’s this?”
“Emergency sugar intervention,” Nova says, nudging the box toward him. “You’re welcome.”
He studies her, then me, the wariness in his expression easing when he sees I’m still in one piece.
“You doing alright?” he asks, his voice pitched low, meant just for me.
I nod. “Nova brought backup.”
“Good thinking.” But his gaze holds mine a beat longer, reading the spaces between my words. He clears his throat and turns to his sister. “You heading out?”
“Yeah, I need to get back to work.” She gets to her feet, brushing crumbs from her jeans. “But I’ll leave these for you guys. And Marcy—don’t let them hog all the chocolate ones. They’ll fight dirty.”
The corner of my mouth lifts. “Thanks for the warning.”
“Anytime.” Her hand finds my shoulder, a brief squeeze that sends warmth spreading through my chest. She kisses Landon on the cheek before skipping off to her car.
We watch her leave and silence settles over the lot—just me and Landon now.
He watches me, expression unreadable. “You okay?”
The automatic “yes” rises in my throat. But Nova’s voice still echoes, and there’s something in his gaze—steady, waiting—that strips away my defences.
“I’m trying,” I say instead.
His jaw shifts, words forming and dissolving behind his teeth. Finally, he just nods. “That’s enough.”
The statement hangs between us, solid as stone.
My shoulders drop. For the first time in weeks, the weight feels bearable.
