After twenty long minutes, Shane finally shows up.
“You alright?” he asks through my open window.
I nod, and he gets to work changing the tire.
When he’s finished, he climbs into the passenger seat. “I put the spare on, but you fucked the rim. I have one back at the shop, but I didn’t bring it. Trade me for the day, and I’ll bring it to you later tonight.”
I meet his stare. He’s changed so much in the two years since I last saw him. He still has shaggy dark hair that looks like he just rolled out of bed, but it works. He’s always been tall and lean, but he’s thinner now—too thin. He has the most beautiful deep brown eyes, but they’re hollow and rimmed with dark circles that weren’t there before.
He looks a lot like our piece-of-shit father except for his smile. That is all his own. Thank God it hasn’t changed a bit. When Shane smiles, so does everyone around him. The second it reaches his eyes, my anxiety starts to melt away.
I open my mouth but quickly shut it. He must see the panic on my face because he says, “I won’t tell him it’s yours.” He grimaces. “I do need to tell you something, though.”
“Oh shit.” I roll my eyes because I already know what he’s about to say. “You told Nik, didn’t you?” I glare.
“I’m sorry. You know what she’s like. I think she could smell it on me. I had to tell her.”
I smack his arm, and he grabs it, rubbing like it hurts.
“I didn’t tell her because then she’ll rearrange her whole schedule to help me, and she has her own shit going on, dumbass!”
He lifts a brow. “She’s actually doing that as we speak.”
I scoff. “Damn it, Shane!”
“I’m sorry, okay?”
Taking a deep breath, I rub my temples. “I thought the fewer people who know, the better.”
“People? She’s your best friend. Hell, your secrets are safer with her than they are with me. She’d jump in front of a bus before she told him anything about you.” He quirks an eyebrow. “Actually, I’m pretty sure she’s spent the last six years trying to figure out how to murder him and get away with it.”
I chuckle because Nik would absolutely do that.
“I know, but I didn’t want her to be in that position.” With my eyes trained on my hands, a smile spreads across my face because as much as I don’t want to cause waves for her, she’s my best friend, and I have really missed her. “So, she’s gonna come over?”
“Are you kidding? She’s waiting for me to tell her you’re here so she can meet you there and kick your ass for not telling her.”His face falls. “She’s pretty pissed at me right now.”
“When isn’t she?” I scoff. “What did you do this time?”
When he doesn’t answer, I add, “Damn it, Shane. When are you gonna wake up? You’re gonna lose her one day, or worse… you’re gonna kill yourself.”
He’s a good man, but his addiction has only gotten worse over the years. He goes long stretches convincing everyone he’s doing well, but it’s always followed by him disappearing for a few days. I think moving out of my mom’s house was the beginning of the end for his sobriety.
“You need help?—”
“It wasn’t that bad. It was one fuck up. I got it, okay? Save your lecture for someone who hasn’t heard it already.”
It’s never just one fuck up.
“I can’t lose you. You’re the only man I trust.” I fight the tears to keep them from falling.
He nods, staring out the window.
“Did Dad call you yesterday?” I ask.
He shrugs.
“Do you ever answer your phone?”
