Page 36 of Lethal Weakness

At least I get to talk to them on the phone whenever I want.

“My dad was out of the vehicle, changing a flat tire. My mom was sitting in the car on the phone, but she didn’t have her seatbelt on. A semi-truck clipped them going 75 mph.”

“Was it instant?” I don’t need to elaborate. He knows what I mean.

“For my dad, yeah. Not my mom. She suffered for about 10 minutes.”

“How do you know she suffered?”

“I was the one she was on the phone with when they were hit. I could hear her crying out for help, and groaning in pain. Sobbing. I stayed on the line the entire time, but by the time first responders got there, she was gone. I knew she was dead before they did.”

“How old were you?”

“17.”

“Jack.” I reach for his forearm where it rests on the center console on instinct. His arm jumps at the contact, and I pull away.

“Don’t,” he whispers painfully.

I tuck my arms around myself in my seat, trying to ignore the hurt that single word is causing me. I just wanted to express comfort in some way.

“I’m sorry. I’m not used to people…” He trails off.

“Used to people doing what?” I ask, staring out the window, but I can still see his reflection, glowing from the interior controls. For as old as this truck is, the inside panel seems too modern.

“I’m not used to being around people who feel so much.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No. It’s not. The first thing I noticed about you is how much you love her.” He nods to the backseat, and my chest tightens.

“You were upset on the phone, and when it kept breaking up, I didn’t know if you were okay… I was worried that something happened to Avery. Then I saw where your car broke down… I didn’t mean to snap at you. I was just worried,” he admits, clearing his throat. “It made me think of my parents’ accident.”

His honesty surprises me and renders me speechless. Silence lingers as we near our houses, and I take my opportunity to look at him up close.

He’s not wearing his usual hat, and it’s striking how handsome he truly is underneath it.

He’s sharp and serious, and I can understand why people are naturally nervous around him. His eyes seem soulless until you see how deep the depths of them are. How endless his soul truly goes.

They’re nearly as dark as his black shirt.

His eyes would be nearly impossible to replicate, and undeniable when you recognize them.

I swear I recognized them earlier tonight. Maybe I was seeing things… But I don’t think that I was.

I saw eyes that reminded me of his, and I wasn’t afraid to be alone in that hallway with Turner anymore.

“Do you do security at night?” I ask, and his shoulders shift slightly, but otherwise he doesn’t react.

“No.”

Maybe I’m wrong. I hope so, because that means he would be employed by my psycho in-laws… And I don’t know how I feel about living next door to one of their minions.

He pulls into my driveway, and I decide to let it go. He’s saved my ass so many times; I hate to give him grief over anything he does in his personal life. It’s not any of my business.

He lifts Avery into my house and sets her and her car seat down in the living room.

“I’ll have your car back by morning, then I’ll see what is wrong with it.”