Her expression drops again, her gaze going to her phone.“I have to order food,” she whispers.
She seems so lost, but I don’t think it’s because she’s traumatised to the point she can’t come back from it.She’s most likely compartmentalising everything she has witnessed and gone through.I’ve seen others do the same.We, the Hayesandthe Carters, just do it differently because it’s all we know.
I slowly reach out to take her phone, not wanting to disturb her thoughts.She glances at me, her thick lips puckering as a look of puzzlement crosses her face.“What are you doing?”
“Ordering food,” I reply, heading to the app.“There are too many of us to order from one place, so I’ll order from a bunch of places.”
I’m not sure how much time passes, but on the last restaurant, Jaxon yells out the house is clear.
“Pay for that order from my account,” Summer demands softly, more relaxed now.
I glance at her, wondering if she saw the price.“Are you sure?That’s a lot of money.”
She rolls her eyes.“Don’t think I didn’t see you adding other bank accounts onto it,” she mutters.“It’s only fair.”
I chuckle under my breath.She isn’t wrong.I used my account, my brother’s and Liam’s.It didn’t seem fair to put all the costs onto one person.I’ve also made a few more orders but asked to pay in cash, which I’ll be putting on Max and his side.“This one?”I ask, pointing to the bank details.There are four on there, but that one is the default account so I’m assuming it’s hers.
“Yes,” she rasps, folding her arms over her knees before placing her chin down on the crook of her arm.“Why are you being so nice?”
I hand her back the phone.“Does there need to be a reason?”
I could give her some sarcastic remark, some backhanded comment, but for some reason, I don’t want to lie to her.“Your family are all hovered around each other, but not you—the person this actually happened to.”
A small smile tugs at her lips, giving me a flash of a dimple.“They are giving me space; something you don’t understand,” she explains and turns her head until her cheek is resting on her arm so she can see me, her eyes sparkling.“Why do you sound so annoyed by it?”
“Because they should be with you,” I state.“You shouldn’t be alone right now.”
She arches her eyebrow.“Careful, you sound like you care,” she teases.“And I’m not alone.They are right there.If I need them, I just need to call out to them.”
“Fair enough,” I mutter, and lean back against the fence post, crossing my legs at my ankles.“I’m sorry you had to witness all that today.”
She joins me by resting back against her post.“It’s not your fault.You didn’t cause this.I am hoping today is the first and last time I’m ever near a house exploding though.”
I laugh at her attempt to lighten the mood, but my next words come out kind of bitter.“Then I wouldn’t stick around.It’s bound to get worse.”I glance away when concern flashes over her face.She needs to hear the truth.“It always does.”
“Reid, you can’t let them win.Houses, jobs, cars, they are all replaceable.Lives aren’t.And from what I’ve witnessed, you guys have each other’s backs.I can’t comment on Black, but I guess he’s not much different to Katherine.And people like her, they have no one, Reid.In all the time I’ve worked there, I’ve never seen a friend meet her for lunch.I suspect she has friends, but they are most likely acquaintances from her age group.Not someone she can unload to, go out for drinks with or spend the night getting spa treatments.She thinks possessions, money, and status make her important.They don’t.All those things are what make her weak.
“You guys aren’t giving up.Look at all the things they have done to you.Whilst it’s not been fun for you to live through, youhavelived through it.So it might get worse, but you can’t give up.None of you can.Giving up gives her power.It might not feel like it right now with everything that has happened, but there is a reason they keep doing these things.There’s a reason they keep going bigger with the next attack.”She doesn’t say anything for a moment, so I meet her gaze, seeing her eyes water.“You aren’t on the defence, Reid.All this time you’ve been on the offence.You’ve just been more clever about it, which is why they keep fighting harder.”
I take in her words, feeling my chest tighten.I have never really thought about it like that.All this time, I’ve been angry that we haven’t just finished it, finished them.Instead, we’ve had to take everything they’ve thrown at us, and at times, it’s felt like we’ve stood there whilst they give the beating.Nothing we ever did felt like it measured to what they put us through.
“You’re right,” I whisper.“Sorry, it’s been a long day.I hate that more people are getting hurt because of them.”
She places her hand on my arm, and everything within me tenses.I feel her touch everywhere.There’s not an inch of me that doesn’t feel it.“It will be okay in the end.”
I smirk, wide.“You know what would make today okay?”I ask, wiggling my eyebrows.
Her comforting smile drops and she rolls her eyes.“You’re a pig.”I shrug, uncaring, which has her letting out a heavy sigh.“And don’t think I don’t know the crude remark is because you just realised you let your guard down.”
She got me.Instead of admitting that, I just smirk, eyeing her mouth.And on cue, she squirms, uncomfortable.
“Give it back,” Max roars, pulling my attention away from Summer.
“It’s my brownie,” Malia screams.“Get your own.”
“Thatwasme getting my own,” he snaps, trying to reach for the brownie she’s holding hostage.“Don’t make me get my wife.Give me my brownie.”
Malia glares at Liam whilst she points at Max.“Get that man out of my face, and keep him away from my kitchen.”
