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“Outside. He’s doing his G.I. Joe checks around the house,” Trent chuckled. “You want coffee?”
“Is the sky up?” I joked as I followed him through to the kitchen and perched on one of the stools at the island. “How was your day?”
“Crazy. I swear every kid in my class had nothing but sugar for breakfast before school this morning.”
“Any update on my application?” I asked hopefully. I had filled in all of the forms required to become a volunteer at the school a week before. Now I was just waiting for the necessary checks to be done.
“Nothing yet, but they did say it could take a few weeks to run the background checks,” he reminded me and I nodded. He was right and I knew I was being impatient. I was just excited about the idea of working with the kids though and I wanted to get started. “On a more positive note though, I called the DMV on my lunch today and spoke with an advisor about your situation. They said since you don’t have issues with seizures or with your vision there’s no reason you can’t get your learners permit. I have a link with information about what you need to do next if you still want to do it,” he explained.
“Really?” I gasped excitedly. He looked up from the coffeemaker and smiled as he nodded. “Thank you Trent. Can you send me the link? I want to take a look at it right away.”
“Sure. Just let me grab something to eat first. I’m wasting away here,” he told me dramatically.
“There are leftovers from lunch in the fridge. Fiona ordered way too much.”
“Great.” He handed me a mug of coffee, then darted for the fridge like he really was at the point of starvation.
While he reheated a heaping plate filled with most everything left over from lunch, I texted Fiona to apologise for falling asleep and abandoning her. She replied quickly, promising me she hadn’t minded and apologising herself for leaving without saying goodbye. I was just relieved she didn’t seem offended I had dozed off on her. I hadn’t meant to, but as always I hadn’t been sleeping well and had been exhausted, especially after my earlier melt down.
“You sure you’re okay? You don’t look it?” Trent asked. I looked up to him and realised I’d been lost in my head again.
“Did you t-talk to Luca?” I asked instead.
“No. Not really. Why? Something happen today?” He walked over with his plate of reheated food and sat at the stool across the corner from me.
“Luca’s partner got a picture of the car they th-think hit me…f-from a doorbell camera down the road,” I explained. “It wasn’t Abby, which I sort of knew. After she stopped me in the street I was pretty sure it w-wasn’t her, but well…it sort of freaked me out, I suppose. Knowing it definitely wasn’t her…it means it probably was th-them.” I went on, even just saying the words and acknowledging that those monsters could be coming for me once again, almost impossible to do.
“There are other possibilities, tiny,” Trent told me as he placed a hand over mine on the counter. “We don’t even know if this is about you yet. It could be someone who has a grudge with Dad, targeting you to hurt him. I know that’s not any better, but whoever it is, and whatever they want, it’s not happening. We have G.I. Joe out there watching our backs and we’re being cautious. You’re protected,” he assured me. “Plus if they have a lead now, then it’s only a matter of time before they catch whoever hit you. Then it will all be over and we can get back to normal.”
“I’m not sure I know what n-normal even is,” I sighed.
“Then you’ll find out. Once this is behind you, you’ll have as much time as you need to find out what you want your new life here to look like, and we’re all going to be here to help you get it. It’s all going to work out, short stack. You’ll see,” he told me confidently.
“I hope you’re right,” I replied. “Because it would be really nice if things actually did work out for me for once.”
“I’m always right. You’ll learn that soon enough too,” he told me with a wink, then he shoved a whole slice of pizza into his mouth and grinned at me even more with his cheeks bulging with food.
“That’s just charming,” I sighed. “I wonder how on earth you are still single with manners like that.”
“One of life’s unsolved mysteries,” he shrugged with his mouth revoltingly full.
“God Trent. That’s bloody disgusting!” I gasped as I hit out at him.
“Yeah T, disgusting!” Liam’s voice piped in, and when I looked up excitedly both he and Tom were striding towards us. He looked to me, a broad grin on his beautiful sun-tanned face. “What’s he done now?” he asked.
“Being a disgusting pig with his food,” I replied as I jumped down from the stool and moved towards them both as if being drawn to them magnetically. They were both in their usual work clothes of jeans, company polo t-shirts, and hard work boots. It was such a simple outfit, but they wore it well, and with them both side by side, the effect was jaw-dropping.
“Maybe we should call Nan and tell her Trent needs an update on table manners,” Tom taunted with a grin on his face.
“Don’t you fucking dare!” Trent snapped as he pointed a warning finger at Tom.
“Nan’s a stickler for manners. She used to give us lessons on proper table etiquette when we were kids. It was drilled into us every time we ate at Grey’s place,” Liam chuckled as he pulled me into his arms and held me tight.
“I’m not sure those lessons worked too well for my brother,” I laughed as I wrapped my arms around his waist and held him too.
“You okay? Grey sent us a message to say you had a rough morning?” he asked in a quieter voice so only I could hear.
“Yeah. I’m alright,” I assured him as I released my hold and turned to Tom. “Better now you guys are here,” I added.
