Unbroken (29 page)

“Yeah, sure we can, Nic,” Brody says reassuringly.

We both know how those words are barely true, but I decide against saying anything. Who knows how things will be a year from now? Maybe we will get together again. Hopefully, though, we can do so without the drama. I’m with Brody, and I’ll defend the both of us until the end of time.

“Good. Maybe we can meet somewhere in the middle, so no one has to travel too far?” she suggests.

No one speaks. Hayden looks incredibly uncomfortable, but I decide I’m not going to encourage the awkward air in the room.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Aspen. It doesn’t snow here, so maybe that can be next year’s trip,” I say, encouraging Nickayla.

Regardless of where life takes us, I really like this girl, and I love Brody, and I can see myself being part of both of their lives for years to come. Colin gives me a smile from across the table and raises his glass to me.

“Aspen it is. Are we doing Christmas there, then? Or bringing in the New Year?” He looks as enthusiastic as Nickayla sounds.

“New Year,” I say. “Just seems like the best choice, since we don’t know what anyone’s plans will be for Christmas. And we’d be more than happy to bring Naomi and Trevor along with us, so your mom won’t have to worry too much, Nickayla.”

The plans are solidified as we begin eating our meal. Michele pipes in every now and then with her two cents, and even Trey made a few suggestions about our next getaway. I’m just hoping us “newbies” stick around long enough to see these plans through.

I squeeze Brody’s knee beneath the table and give him smile.

“Are you okay with this?” he whispers, leaning his head toward me so no one else can hear what he’s asking me. “With her around? We’re not really friends anymore, so you can tell me if you have an issue…”

“Babe, I’m fine. I can take Michele if need be, but something tells me she’s not going to be a problem for either of us for much longer. Besides, she’s only here until Wednesday. I can be civil for a few days.”

TWENTY THREE

“HONESTLY, BRODY, THANK YOU SO much for all your work. I’ll be referring you to all my friends when they ask for a reliable mechanic,” June says, smiling from behind the wheel of her car. “And please let Eddie know that Daddy sends his best.”

“Will do, Miss Morgan,” I say with a friendly wave as she drives away.

Wiping the sweat from my brow, I walk back inside the auto garage and clock out for the day.

After our last encounter—and the fact that my living situation is different now—I had a nice, long talk with Henry about my schedule. He’s offered to let me continue to work over time whenever I need it, and I’ll just get the extra pay as my bonuses during the holidays. It works out for the best for the both of us, but he told me to come see him in his office once I was done with June’s car.

When it comes to Eddie Hastings, I never know what to expect when he asks to speak with me. It could either be something very good or something very bad, and at this point, I’m not sure if I’m ready for more of either.

Things are great in my life right now, and they have been since we got home from Big Bear a couple weeks ago. I’ve never felt better or lighter. Sabrina and I get along so well, and knowing she loves me is enough to keep me happy for the rest of my life. I know I’m in love with her as well, but I haven’t had the guts to tell her. I’ve started a million letters to her, knowing full well how much easier this shit comes to me when I write it out, but I have yet to finish a single one. And telling her? Well, that’s another story entirely. But besides all that, things are amazing. She’s amazing. We’re amazing together. But I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I know it’s only a matter of time before I have to handle my father again, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to refrain from killing him with the knowledge that he put his hands on my girl. She hasn’t said it, but I can tell she’s still afraid. She’s so afraid that she hasn’t let me go by my father’s house again. I’m aware of the threat he made, but I’m also aware of the fact that he’s made similar ones regarding my life in the past and I’m still here. Barely, but still.

Either way, good or bad news, I’m not ready for whatever it is Henry has to tell me.

I knock on the glass panel window right outside his office, and he waves me in from his spot at his desk.

I enter his office and take a seat across from him. Crossing my legs, I sit forward and wait for whatever it is he has to tell me. All I’m thinking at this point is,
I hope he doesn’t fire me. I hope he doesn’t fire me.

“Hey, Durham. June pleased with the work on her car?” he asks.

“Very. She said she’ll be sending some new clients our way soon.”

He nods, stroking his beard pensively. “Good. It’s never bad for business when we have the mayor’s little girl as our number one fan.” He stands up, walks over to his filing cabinet, and pulls out a small envelope. He hands it to me and then sits back down. “I wanted to talk to you about something. Open it.”

I raise an eyebrow and slip my finger beneath the fold of the envelope. I pull out two patches. One says,
Brody’s Auto Repair
, and the other says,
Durham Auto Repair
. I glance up at him and he smiles.

“What the Hell is this, Eddie?” I ask.

“Well, I didn’t know which name you’d prefer, so I went ahead and made both logos so I could let you choose for yourself.”

I shake my head, not comprehending. I don’t know what he expects of me. This isn’t making any sense.

“What are you talking about?”

He smiles, taking the patches from me. “I spoke with Alice. We both think it’s about time I step away from the shop. I’m going into my seventies, and I’m having a hard time doing the same work I normally do. I have to appoint someone to run the shop for me while I make the transition from owner to mechanic to customer. And there’s no one Alice or I could think of who deserves this shop more than you do. You can say no, and there won’t be any hard feelings, but I want you to think long and hard about it before you make a decision in either direction.”

I close my eyes, letting all his words sink in. My mentor, the man who taught me almost everything I know about cars and gave me the first financial helping hand ever wants to step away. And he wants to hand his life’s work over to me.

Jesus Christ.

“Eddie, I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think I can agree to that. I’m only eighteen. I’m still in high school. I have two kids I have to finish raising. I don’t know…”

“Don’t make a decision right now. I want to officially step away in December, so you have until then to make your decision. I just want you to know it’s on the table. This place is yours if you want it.” He stands, walking over to me and pulling me into an embrace. “I love you like you’re my own son, kid. If this is something you want, it’ll be yours when you’re ready.”

I nod, but I’m still taken aback by his offer. He leaves me alone in his office to close up shop, and I stare down at the patches in my hands. I start to think what it’d be like to see my name on the moniker outside, on the jumpsuits we wear while fixing the cars. It’s appealing, I’ll admit, but I’m not sure whether I can handle more responsibility on my plate.

I sigh, placing the patches back inside the envelope when my cell phone vibrates in my pocket.

Dove: Hey, Babe, sorry to bother you at work, but we have an emergency. I just picked Nickayla up from her apartment. I think she just left Colin.

Holy shit. I read her text message a few more times and shake my head. There’s no way.

Me: How do you know?

Her reply is instant.

Dove: She was crying when I picked her up, and she had a large bag with her like she wasn’t planning on coming back. She needs you.

Shit, shit, shit. I wonder why Nickayla didn’t call me, or Michie. Usually we’re the first on call when she needs something, so I know things must be worse than I feared if she called Sabrina.

Me: Where are you taking her?

I leap out of my chair and head for the locker room. I grab all my stuff, change out of my jumpsuit and walk to the bus stop. I hope she’ll respond to my text message soon so I can try and meet them wherever they are.

Nickayla has had to deal with far too many things on her own, and I don’t want her breakup with Colin to be added to that list. I don’t know what happened, and to be honest, I’m not sure I want to. Colin’s become a great friend of mine, and I’d hate to lose yet another person in my life because of relationship issues.

Dove: She told me to bring her to the lake house right off of Lowe. You need me to come get you?

Oh, that’s perfect. I respond to her text message and sigh.

Me: No, I know it. I’ll meet you there.

I think of typing the words
I love you
into the end of the text message, but I decide against it. The first time I tell her those three words, I want them to come from my mouth, and not via text message.

…

NIC IS A MESS.

I got to the lake house ten minutes before she and Sabrina arrived, which worked out perfectly for me. I was waiting in front of the house when Sabrina’s car pulled up, and I could see Nickayla’s expression brighten just a little bit.

She climbs out of the car and walks straight into my open arms. Well, really, she kind of falls against me. I can tell it’s taking every bit of strength in her body not to fall apart completely. Her head nestled into my chest, I rest my chin atop her head. I let her cry. I always let her cry. She balls my shirt up between her fingers and sobs unabashedly. After a few moments, I pull away and lace my arm around her waist.

Sabrina has her bag and cell phone, and I gesture with my head for her to go on ahead into the house. She holds the door open for us and when we get inside, I sit on the couch. I grab a pillow and set it on my lap, then Nickayla lies down so her head’s resting on the pillow. She curls into a ball, and I lift my hand from around Nickayla to pull Sabrina close.

I grab the belt loop on her jeans and then wrap my arm around her.

“Call me if you need anything,” she says.

“Don’t go,” I whisper. “It’s only a matter of time before she’s sleeping.”

She nods. “Meet me in the kitchen when she does.”

I tilt my head upward as she leans forward to kiss me.

“I will.”

I turn the TV on, making sure it’s connected to the lake house WiFi so I can play Pandora.
Everybody Hurts
by R.E.M. starts to play, and I suppress a laugh at the coincidence. I lean back, getting comfortable.

“Nice choice of music,” Nic whispers through her tears.

“Well, I know you like sad music when you’re sad. But I don’t care how sad you are; you couldn’t pay me a million dollars to listen to Dashboard Confessional,” I retort.

I think my comment is going to amuse her, because it’s been a running joke between Mich, Nic, and me since we were little that Dashboard Confessional is the worst band ever. But instead of laughing like I expect her to, she buries her face into the pillow in my lap and starts to cry.

I can’t bear this any longer. I hate to see her hurting, especially when I don’t know why, and when I don’t know how to help her. I grab her and guide her into a sitting position. I turn the TV off, then I grab my phone off the table near the door.

“Come on,” I tell her, leading her to the bedroom. “We’re going to order some pizza and fried ice cream. ‘Kay?”

She nods, giving me the most unattractive smile I’ve seen on a girl before, mostly because I can tell how hard she tried to force it. I lay down on the bed and wave her over. She buries herself against my side. She lays her head on my chest, and I watch as she closes her eyes.

“Brody?” she asks.

“Mmm?”

Her eyes flutter open and she stares up at me. “What are you doing here?”

I shrug. I didn’t think I needed to give an explanation for my presence, but if she wants one, I’ll gladly oblige. I give her a small smile. “Sabrina text and said that you needed me. So I came. If my best friend needs me, there’s nowhere else I need to be.”

An hour and half a pizza later, I’m joining Sabrina in the kitchen. She’s doing homework, and somewhere in the past hour, someone brought her Scout, the Matteo family’s Yorkie. I grab the dog from her, pulling the pup’s ears and holding her up.