“That’s the short version.”
He was quiet for a few moments. “I’d like to hear the long version, if you’re comfortable with telling me.”
His voice was soothing, reassuring. I took a deep breath and told him everything. I told him about how, after he’d moved away, Eric had convinced me to get on the garage roof. How I’d lost my footing and fallen. How I’d been terrified of heights ever since. My voice wavered as I explained. I even went into detail about that night he’d been there when I’d fallen. “I was so confident,” I said. “I thought everything would be fine. It had been so long since the first fall. I was sure I was just making something out of nothing. And then…”
“And then you ended up with a concussion and a dislocated shoulder.”
“Exactly. And now my fear of heights is worse than it’s ever been.” By the time I’d finished explaining, my heart was pounding and I was literally sweating, even my palms.
“Would it help ifItook the measurements for you? Or Jake? Someone else, so you don't have to?”
I thought about it and a resolve formed in my gut. “It would, but someone has to install them, too. And even if we have Jake or the roofers do that, I don't want to just shirk my responsibility because I'm scared. This is my job. Literally.” The part about not wanting to avoid it just because I was scared was more true thanI’d realized. I hadn't planned to say it. Micah was bringing truths out of me that I didn't even know I had.
The phone line was silent for a long moment before Micah spoke again. “Tell me something. What’s the scariest part about heights for you?”
“What?”
He cleared his throat and repeated himself. “What scares you? Is it the ladder not feeling stable? Having to step from the ladder to the roof? Looking down? Something else?”
“Everything feels unstable up there. Like if I make one wrong move, I’m down for the count.”
“Okay. Well, what if I put a stabilizer on the ladder and have someone spot you?”
“You spotted me before and I still fell.”
He hummed, and I imagined him nodding, his lips pinched together as he let that thought process. When he spoke again, his voice was steady and even, reassuring. “Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to get your ladder stabilized. We’ll get you a harness. The roofer’s crew was going to use harnesses anyway, so we’ve got the equipment. We’ll get you set up with the fall protection system. Then once you’re up there safely, you can take the measurements and climb down.”
“What if—”
“Don’t. Don’t ‘what-if’ yourself. I’m going to be there for you. With you. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll make sure nobody rushes you or anything. You can do this.”
I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “I don’t know if I can.”
“Hey.Iknow you can. You can use my certainty until you have your own.”
My laugh came out a little watery, and I scrubbed one hand over my face while I held the phone in my other hand. “Thanks.”
“Of course,” he said softly. “I’m going to talk to Max in the morning. I’m not going to tell him what you said, just what we need to do. That’s part of my job, so it won’t feel out of place. Do you need anything else?”
I need to touch you right now.The thought fluttered unexpectedly through my mind. Instead, I took a deep breath. “No. I think I’ll be okay for now. Thank you.”
“Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thanks. See you tomorrow.”
As we hung up, the nerves in my stomach had settled and I felt less like throwing up. I still wasn’t thrilled at the idea of climbing onto the roof of the post office, but at least I knew Micah would be watching out for me. I was sure he’d make it as safe as possible—not that Max and Jake wouldn’t have done the same, but knowing he was watching out for me specifically felt different. Reassuring. Warm.
I went to bed not long after our call ended, trying hard to think about anything but what I had to do the next day.
Chapter 24 - Micah
Ishowed up to work early the next day, one of the first on site. I wanted to take the time to ensure that everything was set up appropriately for Asher. Touched that he’d shared so freely with me, I felt a deep sense of responsibility to make sure his time on the roof was not just safe, but reassuringly safe. I wanted to make sure he felt confident and calm up there, not just ‘good enough,’ but genuinely secure.
I hung out in my car, listening to the radio while I waited, hoping I didn’t look too out of place. While I sat there, I replayed the conversation from the previous night in my mind. I’d initially texted him to see if he was interested in hanging out—orhanging out—but when he’d told me he was having a hard time, I’d sprung into problem-solving mode without giving it a second thought. I had also been careful not to just gloss over the situation or tell him he didn’t need to be scared—that probably wouldn’t have helped at all.
As the two crews started to trickle on site, I kept an eye out for Max. The minute he and Jake pulled into the parking lot, Igot out of my car, meeting them at their truck. Probably looking like a weirdo, I lingered near the passenger side until Jake killed the engine. Max frowned when he saw me, tilting his head to one side before saying something to Jake that I didn’t catch.
Once he’d gotten out of the truck, Jake smiled and nodded, giving me a little wave. He’d definitely softened in the time he’d been with Max, and he was practically warm and friendly now, rather than the stoic sort-of-asshole he’d been before. Max climbed out of the truck and grabbed a tumbler that I assumed was full of coffee before greeting me.
