He could see the interest in Calla’s face, but there was also hesitation.
“I don’t want to be a bother.”
Her words didn't surprise Thario. Calla had been abused and treated horribly by her brother. She needed space and time, and out in the mountains, she would have both.
“I’m moving to a cabin near them,” Thario said, committing to the plan to move close to Elowen and Griz.
Calla glanced up, meeting his gaze. He swore he saw a spark in her eyes just before she nodded. “Okay. I’ll move to the mountains. That sounds great. Thank you for offering. I can’t believe I found you all. You’re too nice.”
Thario couldn't stop the smile on his lips. He noticed Calla smiling, too, though she seemed to be busy studying the pillowcase.
“Good. That’s settled. Frog is on his way over, and I know Knuckles will be excited to see him. We’ll be leaving in the morning.”
"My van should be ready this evening, and I can pick it up." Thario had traded in his truck a few months ago for a van that was easier for him to get in and out of. But the van had been second-hand and needed some work on it. Luckily, he'd picked this week for the work to be done. Otherwise, it might have burned up in the fire.
Elowen's lips thinned. "If you can't watch TV, then you can't drive. Calla and I can ride in our car, and Griz can drive your van. After a few days, I'm sure you'll be able to drive, but you'll have to be careful."
He blew out a frustrated breath. “Shit, you’re right. I can’t drive. I guess it’s me and Griz on a road trip.”
“Cool. Girls’ trip,” Elowen said.
Thario caught the worry on Calla’s face before she smiled at Elowen. He wanted to know what the look was for, but he didn’t want to put too much focus on her. Later, if he had time, he would ask her if the arrangements were okay.
He didn’t need to get too attached to her. She probably had no interest in him, just like other women once they found out he wasn’t whole. His stomach dropped. Other women dumping him once they figured out he’d lost parts of his legs wasn’t fun, but the idea that Calla wouldn’t like him and see him as less than freaking hurt. He didn’t really know her, but already he was getting attached. He needed to be careful, or he would fall for her.
Chapter 15
Calla couldn't believethese people were being so nice to her. It really was weird that they'd taken her in and were treating her so nicely.
She felt off, like something wasn’t quite right. It had to be her own fear getting in the way. These people were good, and they weren’t using her.
She finished the one slice of pizza and was about to stand up when Elowen put another slice on her plate.
“Oh, I don’t need?—”
“If you truly aren’t hungry, you don’t need to eat it. But if you are hungry, please eat. There is plenty.”
Calla glanced around the table. She'd noticed earlier that the guys had two slices on their plates. She couldn't consume as much food as they did. Not that she wasn't hungry, but she'd been conditioned to always be hungry, and having food in her belly felt weird.
Elowen’s lips twisted to the side as her eyebrows raised. “Seriously, the guys can fix something else if they’re hungry. You need to eat.”
She bit her lower lip and then nodded. "Okay. I am hungry."
“Good,” Danika said. “We have plenty of food.”
Sitting at the table with everyone else made her a little nervous. She was used to sneaking food, but here she didn’t have to. No one had made any comments about her being too big or how eating would make her fat. They hadn’t tried to knock the food out of her hands or tease her with food.
Brent had always been cruel. Killing their parents hadn't made him any nicer. He'd been her whole world for years, and she'd taken what he'd said as truth. She'd been wrong to believe him.
Danika and Sharp got up from the table, and she realized Griz was gone, too. She must have been daydreaming and not paying attention. Brent used to get so angry when her mind drifted.
“You okay?” Thario asked.
She jumped a little, then turned to him. "Um, yes."
"I know you're going through a lot. It's hard to deal with trauma. Mine was different from yours, but it hit in waves. Sometimes you're good, then everything seems to be too much."
She blinked at him, unsure what he was talking about. “I’m sorry. I don’t…uh, what was your trauma?”
