Page 116 of Truck Me
“Are you going to get that?” Rayne’s voice causes me to jump again. I turn to face her. Where I feel stressed and anxious about seeing Garret, she looks hopeful.
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “I don’t know if I’m ready to see him.”
She rolls her eyes like I’m being silly. “Just talk to him.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready. His secret hurt you.”
“No, it didn’t. I already knew, remember? His secret hurt you. Don’t use me as an excuse.”
I stare at my ten-year-old niece in complete awe of her. Because she’s right. She’s asked me several times when she can go see Garret again. She’s even asked if they can find out for sure if he’s her father. Where I’m struggling to accept this knowledge, she’s excited the secret is finally out.
I take a deep breath and rub the bridge of my nose. “When did you get to be so smart?”
She shrugs, then gives me a wide smile. “Dunno. Just born that way, I guess.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “Alright. Go to your room and I’ll deal with him.”
Her smile instantly falls. “But I want to see him.”
“I know you do.” I pull her in for a hug. “But let’s figure out what we need to do next first, okay?”
“I already know what I want to do.” She pushes away from me with furrowed brows. “I want to know if he’s really my dad.”
“I know. Just …” I take a few deep breaths to calm my pounding heart. “Let me see what he wants first, and … Give me a bit more time to get used to this. Please.”
She nods but doesn’t look happy with me. “Fine. I’ll go to my room.”
“Thank you. We’ll figure out a plan soon. I promise.”
Once she’s inside her bedroom, I head downstairs. I pause with my hand on the doorknob, digging deep for my strength before I open the door.
Garret is on the other side with his head down and his hands in his pockets. When he looks up at me, his eyes are dark and tormented. It makes me want to hug him.
When he pulls his hand out of his pocket, he’s holding my car key.
“It’s done,” he says as he drops it in my hand.
“How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing.” His eyes shift to my left hand, and something close to relief passes over him when he sees I’m not wearing a ring. I’ve hardly let myself think about his reaction to Brad proposing to me. It all happened so fast, the meaning of his words haven’t fully set in.
If she’s going to marry anyone, it’s going to be me!
Did he mean that? Does that mean Garret loves me?
I stare at him for a moment, but he doesn’t meet my gaze. His eyes are now firmly planted on the ground. Shaking my head, I refuse to think about that right now. “I can’t let you fix my car for free.”
“Already done.” His eyes flicker to mine before they glance around like there’s something interesting happening around us. “I’m not taking your money, and there’s not much you can do about that.”
We stand in silence for what feels like an eternity. I want to argue with him but decide against it. Instead, I grip the key close to my chest.
“Thanks.”
He nods then shifts his gaze behind me. “Is your dad okay?”
My throat tightens at the memory of what he saw. “He’s still in the hospital. His memory is still lost to him.”
“I’m so sorry.” He lifts his hand like he’s going to brush my bruised face but stops himself. “You okay?”