“I’m assuming your door is still broken, so having her with you could be an added level of security at night.”
The idea isn’t the problem. It’s solid. Practical. Smart.
That’s what makes it dangerous.
Because I came up with it out of concern for her safety alone, and I don’t like pulling at the thread that leads anywhere past that. I keep my expression straight, even as something tight coils in my chest. This was supposed to put distance between us while getting us back to a neutral ground. Instead, I’ve handed myself another excuse to be closer.
Tris looks like she’s biting her tongue, jaw flexing like she’s weighing whether it’s worth saying whatever’s itching to come out. The silence stretches, heavy and loaded, and I don’t know if I’m relieved she holds back or irritated she doesn’t call me on it.
Either way, it feels like I’ve already lost ground.
I tell myself it’s about Ellie. About being responsible.
The fact that none of that stops me from watching Tris too closely, or from hating myself for noticing, just proves I’m doing a terrible job of walking away.
Billy beeps the horn on the rig, so I grab my jacket.
“It’s up to you. Either way, thanks.”
I don’t wait for any type of you’re welcome. I know it’s not coming. I reach the door in time to see her shove my key into her pocket as Rory bounces over to her with a mischievous grin on her face. As she looks at me and back to Tris, I push through the door and shift my focus back to work, deciding that’s the safest thing to think about now.
“What was that about?” Billy asks as I hop into the truck. God, I forgot how nosy people in this small town can be.
“What about?” I open the window, sirens blaring as we speed through traffic, and cars pull to the right.
“You and Tris,” he says, like it’s obvious.
“There is no me and Tris,” I bark back, not needing anyone to get the wrong idea.
Billy doesn’t get mad. Instead, he laughs. “Okay, I didn’t say there was. I’m just wondering why you handed over your key to her. Don’t you two have a hate-hate thing going on?”
“Yeah.”
Billy smirks, turning the wheel off the main street and into a more residential area. “And yet, you just handed the Ice Queen herself the key to your house? Make it make sense for me, big guy.”
My fingers curl reflexively at my side. In the back seat, Mark and Maria stay suspiciously quiet, probably just as curious, but not as ballsy as Billy here. I bet he thinks I won’t punch the driver... I’m still debating. “Anyone ever tell you you’re annoying?”
He shakes his shaggy blonde hair and clicks his teeth. “Every day of my life. So, you and Tris?”
“And nosy,” I add, my jaw shifting as I work it side to side. “She’s going to let Ellie out for me. That’s all.”
Billy nods his head slowly in a way that has my whole body tensing. “Ohhhh, okay. Got it. Yeah, because you couldn’t have possibly done that yourself after this call or anything.”
Mark clears his throat in the back seat, and Maria leans forward, pointing to a house with an elderly woman waving in the front of it. “This is it,” she says.
We get out of the rig, boots hitting the road, and before grabbing our gear, I punch Billy right in the arm.
“What was that for?” He rubs his arm, but he’s fighting a grin. Despite asking the question, it’s clear he knows.
I don’t bother answering him. I don’t want to spend another second thinking about this. It’s time to do my job. At least here I can be useful and know exactly what I’m doing.
After our call, a few more come in. One is a BBQ that caught fire, the twelfth one in the three and a half weeks since the kick off of the summer here in Turtle Bay. The crew has started taking bets on exactly how many we’ll have by Labor Day.
“What do you think, Chief?” Mark asks, eagerly.
Chief fills his plate, then passes me the bowl of green beans. It’s a custom that our crew goes grocery shopping, cooks, eats dinner, and cleans up all together. Tonight is green beans, mashed potatoes, and BBQ chicken. A pun that Billy couldn’t pass up after today’s call, and to his credit, they’re actually delicious.
“I think every year it’s more than the last and less than the next,” he says, sitting at the head of the table before taking a bite. “Well done, everyone. This is tasty.”
