AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ll change it.”
“Weekly,” she muttered.
“What was that?”
Calista stared at him because he had heard her, and he knew what she meant. When someone had to do something once, like change a code after an ex, that was life. When it was twice, they had to look inward. It’s not me, it’s you. Calista wanted to blame him for the anger screaming through her insides and shout at him, but the vulnerable words burbled up and stopped. “I had told Dodo I’d fix the drywall. I’m here to fix the drywall. I do what I say.” She continued wheeling the wagon out to the sun porch.
Ronan stared at her, then followed her. “I’ve always intended to return to my home team.” Words he could have and should have said at some point during her stay. “You just shut that down, without having a word with me. While evidently speaking plenty with Zee.”
Calista put on her N95 mask, plugged in her air purifier, and got the sledgehammer.
“What are you doing?” Ronan looked at the quarter-sized stiletto heel puncture in his drywall. “It needs a patch.”
Amazing. Everyone always had opinions on how she fixed things. Maybe it was her. Some women broke things with shoes; she was more of a sledgehammer woman herself. Calista ignored him and tapped the blunt end of the tool in three solid hits above and below the circular stiletto hole. Vibrations pounded through her arms as she used more force than necessary, releasing some of her adrenaline. It was his wall, he should be consulted on the repair. She sighed and paused to explain her process. “You have to make things worse. Know what you are dealing with to make them better. I’m not a patch over it and move on person.”
Ronan put his fists on his hips. “I’m a straight up guy. Say what you have to say, don’t talk in metaphors.”
Was she doing that? Despite the tension of the moment, Calista’s lips twitched. She wouldn’t have considered herself obscure. She wore his number across her chest. He was her favorite. At no point ever had she been okay with him playing for another team whether she owned the Snowers or not. How could he possibly think that? She dug another respirator from the package. “Put this on before I break the wallboard out. We don’t know what kind of insulation is in this old house.”
He put the mask on. “Calista.” He said her name like an objection, as if to pivot her from her intentions. That wasn’t how he usually said her name at all.
Calista pretended not to hear him. She put on safety goggles, took a claw tool and pulled out the sheetrock around the hole, revealing a relatively fresh column of brown paper-wrapped insulation. Good, there was no asbestos, ancient rotting wood, or stray wiring. She took off her goggles and mask and motioned that Ronan could remove his. Using both palms she shoved inwards, knocking down the insulation, which fell forward. She shined her flashlight into the dark space.
Huh?
She had not seen that coming.
