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It was to that, I clung.
Chapter Forty-Seven – Compass
Lucky
I dragged my hands through my hair as I pounded down the back stairs. So that was a kick in the pants, but one I obviously needed to understand just how difficult it was for her at times. It changed nothing from my end. I still planned to be there when she woke up from her current nightmare, and I planned to be there for the next one as well. But it was most definitely a wake-up call.
I circled around to the front of the building and opened the door to Spuds.
Vander sat at a table with his laptop open in front of him. He looked up when I walked in and stood up. “Hey, man. How’re you doing? You picking up something for Minty? Junie said she’s sick?”
Now that I was here, I was unsure how to broach the subject.
Vander’s eyes sharpened. “You want to have a seat and I’ll grab us a couple of Cokes?”
“Sure,” I nodded. That might give me a bit of time to come up with a plan.
Ruby swung through from the back, a big smile on her face. “Hey! Are you picking up something for Minty? Don’t worry,” she continued, not waiting for my answer. “I’m going to bring her lunch and dinner. My Yiayia is home making her soup right now. Amber and Gus are going to bring it to her tonight.”
“Ruby-mine,” Vander murmured. “Give the man a chance to speak. There’s something else going on, here.”
Ruby pressed her lips together. “Right.” Then, thinking she knew what was happening and that I was the culprit, she narrowed her eyes at me. “What’s going on?”
Dear, God. Don’t let this be a serious breach of privacy. “She’s not doing too well right now. She would prefer I not be around.”
“She’s not doing too well…” Ruby echoed softly, then her eyes flew up to meet mine. “Is it her OCD?”
I looked between her and Vander. “You know about it?”
She shrugged. “She told us. Said it wasn’t a secret. She’s never even had a flare-up that I can remember.”
“Well, she’s having one now. She needs her girls.”
Vander’s brows lowered. “And you?”
“That’s where you come in.” I took a deep breath. “She’s triggered. Told me she can’t be with me because of her OCD.” I scrubbed my hand over my hair. “I’m not going anywhere, but I don’t want to make things worse either. I need you to monitor and keep me posted over the next couple of days. After that, I’m getting in her face either way, but I’ll come sooner if I need to.”
“Done. I’ll talk to Gus, tell him to call you after they see her tonight. Minty trusts him, and I think Ruby is already texting Amber. We’ve got your back.”
Now that I had eyes on her, the fact that none of them were mine hit me hard and I slumped in my chair.
“Don’t give up, man. The good ones are a pain in the ass.”
I snorted out a laugh. “That’s the damn truth.”
Ripping myself away from her building went against every one of my instincts, but I’d spent years surrounded by broken people. I taught them every single day, and I recognized the signs of a cornered soul and knew when to give space. Trapped, she’d be willing to gnaw off her arm to escape. I didn’t want it to go that far.
There was one more stop I wanted to make to ensure Minty was surrounded at all points by her family compass. I pulled out my cell as I rounded the building and headed for my car. “Barrett? Can you meet me for a drink?”
Willa was at her sister’s, so I headed to their place. Holding Rena was a treat. Some days I could hardly believe Brayleigh was ever that small. The unfairness of it struck me, the fact that Minty’s brain sought to deny her these small pleasures.
“What do you know about Minty?”
“How do you mean?”
I shook my head. “Give me whatever you’ve got.”
Barrett studied me in that still, quiet way he had. “She’s controlled. Careful with her words, keeps her hands to herself, gets lost in her head. I don’t doubt she has some kind of anxiety disorder. Maybe social anxiety. Maybe OCD.” I tried to maintain my poker face, but Barrett was uncommonly intuitive. “Ah. Okay. That’s a bitch of an illness.”
