Page 49 of From That Moment

He didn’t say anything more, and I was grateful. After all, I was losing my mind, and I had no idea what I was supposed to do.

I did my best to push thoughts of Prior from my mind and made my way to my bathroom, ignoring my reflection in the mirror. I didn’t like to look at the bruises still healing on my skin.

I had always bruised easily, and the attack had just made that even more evident. I was healing, but my skin was taking its sweet time.

It didn’t help that every time that I dreamed about falling, I always remembered the exact feel of the gravel against my flesh. That wasn’t something I ever wanted to feel again, but my dreams weren’t letting me forget it.

I quickly showered and then went about my business, putting on creams and doing my hair. I wanted to feel pretty, or at least normal. I had nowhere to go today, but having my hair done so I wouldn’t have to wash it the next day was pretty much the main reason for doing that and taking the time.

I had been truthful when I’d told Prior I didn’t have anything to do today, so I pulled out my tablet and looked through my house to-do list. I went through what I needed to clean and deep clean and figured I could do that for the day, and then winced when I looked at what was overdue.

“Fuck.”

I needed to replace the filter in my A/C unit. The only problem? It was in the attic. Why they had put it in the attic at a hard angle was beyond me. In fact, it was one of those tiny ones that was one foot by one foot and barely did anything.

I hated it, but it’d come with the house. And with my current rib situation, and the pain I was already in from healing, I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it. Not that I’d ever done it on my own before, but that was a whole other matter.

“Fuck,” I mumbled again.

And while I could maybe use my little, rickety ladder to get up into the attic, if I got hurt again—and I probably would since the last time I had tripped over the bottom step, I had fallen and bruised my elbow—my friends would hurt me more.

And while I wanted to do everything on my own most of the time, I was trying to lean on others more.

Because my ribs already hurt, I pulled out my phone and dialed.

“Hey there,” Hazel said.

“Hey,” I said. “I need some help.”

“You’re asking for help? Are you okay?” Hazel asked, and I could tell that she had just stood up as if she were ready to grab her keys and head to me.

“I’m fine. I’m not hurt. However, I do need some help changing the air filter in my attic. I have a spare one. I have two actually, but I can’t physically do it right now. And as much as I loathe saying it, I could use either your or Cross’s help.”

“I can do that for sure. I’m actually with Cross’s family’s family at the moment, but we can make this work.”

“His family’s family?” I asked, somewhat confused. Then again, I did get confused with the number of people Cross knew.

“Cross’s sister’s family. A few of us are hanging out, but I can head over. Or I can send Cross or someone. One of the Montgomerys.”

I had heard of the Montgomerys, and had even almost gone on a blind date with the last single one, but that hadn’t happened. I was grateful because one didn’t date within one’s circle, even if that circle was sort of somewhat adjacent to ours.

“Take your time. Or do it this weekend. Or next weekend. I don’t know, I’ll think of something.”

“No, I’m sending someone right now. Do not get up on that ladder. If you do, I will know, and if you get hurt, it will not be me who hurts you more. Or even Myra. No, I’ll send the mother. Dakota will strip your hide. She’s a mom. She knows how to give you thatI’m disappointed in youlook that makes you feel even worse than if she’d actually yelled at you.”

That made me smile and wince at nearly the same time. “You’re right. She does do that wholeI’m disappointedlook, doesn’t she?”

“I hear you learn it during the birthing process, or at least during the first few months.”

“When you and Cross have a baby, you can tell me all about it.”

“Okay, slow your roll. We are not having kids anytime soon.”

“So you say. You’re the one who told me you try to jump his bones as much as you can.”

“And there are such things as condoms.”

“Condoms break. Babies are born. And I want to be an auntie again. So get on that.” I paused, grinned. “Or get onhim,I should say.”