Page 10 of Keel

“You’re not damaged goods. I’ve seen damaged goods in my work. People who use kids by strapping bombs on them and forcing them to walk toward US and Allied soldiers. People who slit the throats of women, bastards who destroy their families to wreak havoc on a country or a region. That’s damaged. You made a mistake, and you’ve put yourself through hell to pay for it. It’s time you dug yourself out of the pit and walked back into the light.”

His words took her voice, leaving her unsure what to say. How could she respond to the horror of his words? There was nothing she could come up with, so she put her hand in his as they made their way to the chairs.

He dropped her hand and grabbed both chairs and the cooler pack that he swung over his shoulder. They made their way to the condo building and climbed the stairs up to their floor.

“Let me grab the reader. I’ll pull up the book so you can start.”

She glanced up, meeting his gaze. He wasn’t angry. Instead, he smiled at her as he set down the chairs and opened the door to his place.

“Thank you.”

“I hope it helps you like it helped me.”

After he stepped into his place, she entered the code for her door and stood in the doorway until he brought out his Kindle and handed it to her.

“How about breakfast tomorrow? You can come over, and I’ll fix an omelet.”

She thought about saying no, but she wanted to see him again. It was stupid to encourage him, but he wasn’t flirting or hitting on her. He was just being a decent person.

“Okay. Breakfast. I’d like that.”

“Awesome. I wake up early, so when you get up, knock.”

She nodded. “I will and thank you for this. I’m going to go read.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Frankie shut the door, turning the deadbolt, then leaning against the cool metal. What was she doing? This was insane. She’d just left Forest, but Keel wasn’t offering a relationship. He was just being a friend.

She pushed off the door and headed to the couch, plopping down to read the book. Did she deserve to get better? Castigation seemed like an easier path. But how long could she hate herself and not do something about it?

Chapter 6

Keel needed a workout. After a quick shower, he pulled on workout clothes and headed out. He ran, then stopped for sit-ups, pushups, burpees, and when he found a set of pull-up bars, he did fifty, trying to wear himself out and forget about how much fun he was having with Frankie. She didn’t need his shit.

After the workout, he showered, then ate chicken and broccoli. He drank plenty of water, then grabbed a beer and headed outside to sit. He wished Link had a hammock, but it was a lot to keep up with.

He was catching up on messages when he heard a sniffle from the balcony next to his. “Frankie, is that you?”

“Yeah,” she squeaked, her voice sounding like she was crying.

“What’s up?”

She sniffled again. “This fucking book.”

“Oh, yeah, it hits hard at first.”

“I thought you said it would make me feel better.”

“You have to dig out the shit before you can get better. It’s hard to dig out of a pit when it’s all you know.”

“The author is right. I stayed with Forest because he was abusive. If he’d been nice, I would have walked away. I wanted trash because I felt like trash.”

Her words twisted through him. He knew what she was talking about. He’d stayed with Shana, though she’d been wrong for him. Once he walked, he was able to heal. “I’m sorry it hurts. This is the work you have to do to get to the other side.”

“Will you sit out here for a little while longer while I read? You don’t have to talk, I just don’t want to feel so alone.”

“Sure. I may need to grab another drink or go in for a minute, but I’ll eat dinner out here.”